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Sorry, no winner this week. Here is my weekly weather quiz question for the last time. When tornadoes strike they have very strong winds. It is not possible to actually measure the winds created by tornadoes, so Dr. T. Ted Fujita created a scale of wind speeds based on the damage caused by the tornado. As of 2007 his designations have been changed. For example a tornado was listed as an F4 and now might be designated as an EF4. What does the “E” stand for and what does it mean? The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause. Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale: six categories from zero to five representing increasing degrees of damage. It was revised to reflect better examinations of tornado damage surveys, so as to align wind speeds more closely with associated storm damage. Better standardizing and elucidating what was previously subjective and ambiguous, it also adds more types of structures, vegetation, expands degrees of damage, and better accounts for variables such as differences in construction quality. The new scale was publicly unveiled by the National Weather Service at a conference of the American Meteorological Society in Atlanta on February 2, 2006. It was developed from 2000 to 2004 by the Fujita Scale Enhancement Project of the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University, which brought together dozens of expert meteorologists and civil engineers in addition to its own resources. To see the Fujita scale and the Enhanced Fujita Scale go to: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/satellite/satelliteseye/educational/fujita.html
I’ll have another weekly weather quiz question for you next Monday. Please remember to post your answer as a comment by clicking on “no comments /comments” in the upper right hand portion of this page under the caption, then add your comment. The first person to post the correct answer will win a week of free personalized weather forecasts tailored to your needs. The answer has to be a comment to win. An email answer will not count.
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Advisories: A FROST ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM UNTIL 8 AM SUNDAY FOR THE KLAMATH BASIN, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN, CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY.
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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Mostly cloudy with showers likely (60%) and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, a good (50%) chance of scattered showers tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible, more in storms, small hail possible), mostly cloudy Sunday with a good (50%) chance of showers (0.10 in. of rain possible), partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers in the evening, partly cloudy late Sunday night, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Monday AM, showers likely (60%) with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening (0.15 in. of rain possible, more in storms), mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers late Monday night, a mix of clouds and sun Tuesday with a good (50%) chance of AM showers, a slight (20%) chance of showers in the afternoon, just partly cloudy Tuesday night lows near 48 highs 68-65 warming to 69 Monday. Partly cloudy Wednesday and Wednesday night, mostly sunny Thursday AM, partly cloudy Thursday afternoon and evening, mostly cloudy Thursday night, a mix of clouds and sun Friday with a slight (20%) chance of afternoon showers, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night and Saturday highs 76-79 cooling to 74 by Saturday lows 49-53. (seasonal averages high 75 low 49)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible, small hail possible), mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Sunday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday night, mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Monday AM, showers likely (60%) with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Monday afternoon and evening (small hail possible), then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Monday night, mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Tuesday AM, partly cloudy and warmer with a (40%) chance of showers in the afternoon, partly cloudy Tuesday night lows near 50 highs 70-66 warming to near 72 Tuesday. Partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday night, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday afternoon, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night and Saturday highs 82-80 lows 52-55. (seasonal averages high 78 low 53)
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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with showers with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening (small hail possible), a slight (20%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday night, a good (50%) chance of inland showers Monday AM with showers in the afternoon, coastal showers likely (60%) Monday, a good (50%) chance of coastal showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Monday evening, inland showers likely (60%) and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the evening and a good (50%) chance of showers late Monday night, mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Tuesday AM, partly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers in the afternoon, then partly cloudy Tuesday night lows near 49 highs near 62. Partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday evening, mostly cloudy late Thursday night, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday through Saturday highs 62-65 cooling to near 62 Saturday lows near 49-53. (seasonal averages high 63 low 51).
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Cloudy with rain and snow showers likely (60%) with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, mostly cloudy with scattered showers late tonight, a mix of clouds and sun with a good (50%) chance of showers Sunday AM, showers likely (60%) in the afternoon, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Sunday evening, a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday night, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Monday AM, showers likely (60%) with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, then showers likely (60%) late Monday night, a mix of clouds and sun with AM showers likely (60%) Tuesday, a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday afternoon, partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers in the evening, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late Tuesday night snow level 6,000 ft. tonight, 6,000 ft. rising to 7,000 ft. Sunday and Sunday night, 7,500 ft. Monday, 7,500 ft. falling to 6,500 ft. late Monday night, 6,000 ft. Tuesday, 7,000 ft. rising to above 8,000 ft. late Tuesday night lows near 37 highs 46-54. Partly cloudy Wednesday and Wednesday night, mostly sunny Thursday, partly cloudy Thursday night, partly cloudy Friday with a slight (20%) chance of showers in the afternoon snow levelabove 8,000 ft. Wednesday AM, free air freezing level 11,000 ft. Wednesday afternoon, 12,000 ft. Wednesday night through Thursday night, then snow level above 8,000 ft. Friday highs 65-69 cooling to near 63 Saturday lows 42-45.
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**Because weather forecasting is a combination of science, intuition, and timing there can be no absolute guarantees that individual forecasts will be 100% accurate. Nature is in a constant state of flux and sudden unexpected weather events can happen.
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