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Here is my weekly weather quiz question. What is the “Pacific Decadal Oscillation?” 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. Good Luck!
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Another upper level trough of low pressure (shaded “U” shape) has moved in along the coast as cold high pressure (shaded “Arch shape”) moves away from the Pacific Northwest. The next frontal system can be seen moving in with its warm front already past us and the cold front following behind it today. Snow levels will fall to about 1,000 ft. tonight through Thursday night, but I don’t expect the snow to stick enough to pile up any significant accumulation on the valley floor. We’ll have to keep an eye on that situation. A frontal system will approach Oregon over the weekend returning the threat of falling snow levels.
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Advisories: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND THE CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY UNTIL 4 AM THURSDAY ABOVE 1,000 FT. FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH OREGON COAST. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TODAY UNTIL 4 AM FRIDAY ABOVE 1,000 FT. FOR CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY, EASTERN CURRY COUNTY, AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY, JACKSON COUNTY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TODAY UNTIL 4 AM THURSDAY FOR THE EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS, THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SOUTH OREGON CASCADES, AND THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM UNTIL 1 PM TODAY FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, CENTRAL, EASTERN, AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY.
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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Mostly cloudy with rain this AM, showers this afternoon (0.50 in. of rain possible), cloudy with evening showers likely (60%), rain and snow showers likely (60%) and colder tonight (0.15 in. of rain possible), partly cloudy Thursday AM, mostly cloudy with rain or snow showers likely (60%) Thursday afternoon (under 0.01 in. of rain possible), a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Thursday night (under 0.01 in. of rain possible, snow level 1,000 ft.), a mix of clouds and sun with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow showers Friday, then a (40%) chance of rain Friday night highs 45-38 lows 33-30. Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Saturday, a good (50%) chance of showers Saturday night and Sunday, a (30%) chance of showers Sunday night, a (40%) chance of showers Monday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday night, then a mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers Tuesday highs 44-46 lows near 34. (seasonal averages high 46 low 34)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with AM rain, rain and snow showers this afternoon (0.30 in. of rain possible, 1-2 in. of snow possible, snow level 3,500 ft. falling to 2,000 ft. this afternoon) and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph decreasing to SW 10-15 mph this afternoon), rain and snow showers with isolated thunderstorms this evening, rain and snow showers late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible , snow level 1,500 ft. falling to 400 ft. late at night), rain and snow showers likely (60%) Thursday (0.10 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible at lower elevations, 1-2 in. of snow possible above 1,500 ft., snow level 600 ft.), rain and snow showers likely (60%) Thursday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 1,000 ft.), rain and snow showers likely (60%) Friday (under .10 in. of rain possible, snow level 900 ft. rising to 1,500 ft. in the afternoon), then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Friday night highs 44-40 warming to 43 Friday lows near 32. Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow Saturday, rain and snow showers likely (60%) Saturday night, a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Sunday, a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday night, mostly cloudy with patchy AM fog and freezing fog with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday AM, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) in the afternoon, mostly cloudy Monday night, patchy AM fog, then just mostly cloudy Tuesday highs 42-49 lows 32-36. (seasonal averages high 49 low 36)
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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with rain this AM, coastal showers and isolated thunderstorms this afternoon and evening while inland afternoon showers (0.55 in. of rain possible, snow level 2,000 ft.), coastal showers likely (60%) with isolated thunderstorms late tonight while rain and snow showers and isolated thunderstorms inland at night (0.15 in. of rain possible, 1-2 in. of snow possible, snow level 1,000 ft. late), coastal showers likely (60%) with isolated thunderstorms Thursday AM and showers likely (60%) in the afternoon while rain and snow showers likely (70%) with isolated thunderstorms inland in the afternoon (0.15 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible, snow level 1,000 ft.), coastal showers likely (60%) and rain and snow showers likely (60%) inland Thursday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 1,500 ft. falling to 1,000 ft.), coastal showers likely (60%) in the afternoon with inland rain and snow showers likely (60%), then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Friday night highs 47-44 warming to 39 Friday lows near 36. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Saturday, a good (50%) chance of showers Saturday night and Sunday, a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday night, patchy AM fog, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday, mostly cloudy at night, then patchy AM fog with mostly cloudy skies Tuesday highs 46-52 lows 36-40. (seasonal averages high 51 low 40)
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with rain and snow this AM, rain and snow showers this afternoon (0.50 in. of rain possible, 4-7 in. of snow possible) and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph gusts to 50 mph, shifting W 10-15 mph gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon), snow showers (1-3 in. of snow possible) and colder tonight, a good (50%) chance of snow showers Thursday and Thursday night, a mix of clouds and sun with a good (50%) of snow showers Friday, then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of snow Friday night snow level 4,500 ft. falling to 2,500 ft. this afternoon, then at the surface tonight through Friday night highs 32-26 lows 20-15. Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of snow Saturday, a good (50%) chance of snow showers Saturday night and Sunday, a (40%) chance of snow showers Sunday night, a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers Monday, mostly cloudy with slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers Monday night, then a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers Tuesday snow level at the surface Saturday through Sunday night, 2,500 ft. Monday, 4,500 ft. Monday night, then 5,500 ft. Tuesday highs 29-34 lows 20-22.
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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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