________________

Here is my new weekly weather quiz question. In times of active weather the “Mesonet” comes in handy. What is it? 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.

________________

An Upper Level Low Pressure Trough

An

An upper level low pressure trough moving away.

An upper level low pressure trough (Shaded “U” shape) has pushed through the Pacific Northwest and is now centered over the Southwest and still moving. A frontal system pushes through Oregon. The leading edge of a high pressure ridge (Shaded “Arch” shape) is sending colder air down from Canada which is driving snow levels down. Another frontal system will slide toward us (position shown is Sunday ) increasing the rain chances. See the pattern here of frontal systems (this one shown on Tuesday) that will march through the Pacific Northwest.

________________

Advisories: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM FRIDAY UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY ABOVE 1,000 FT. FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND THE CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF OREGON. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM FRIDAY UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY FOR  THE NORTH OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS, THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY, THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES, AND THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY.

________________

Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Mostly cloudy with rain tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain (0.30 in. of rain possible) Friday and windy (wind: S 5-15 mph increasing to S 20-30 mph), rain in the evening, showers late Friday night (0.25 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers Saturday AM, showers in the afternoon (snow level 1,000 ft.), a (40%) chance of showers Saturday night, a good (50%) chance of showers Sunday, then mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Sunday night lows 37-34 warming to 37 Sunday night highs 50-45 warming to 50 Sunday. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (70%) Monday, a good (50%) chance of showers Monday night, cloudy with (40%) chance of rain Tuesday, rain likely (60%) Tuesday night, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday through Thursday highs 48-54 lows 36-42. (seasonal averages high 52 low 35)

Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with rain likely (70%)  tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,000 ft.), rain Friday and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph), rain in the evening, rain and snow showers late Friday night (0.10 in. of rain possible, 1-2 in. of snow possible, snow level 1,500 ft. late) and breezy (wind: W 15-25 mph decreasing to W 10-15 mph late), rain and snow showers Saturday (snow level 1,500 ft.), a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Saturday night (snow level 2,500 ft. falling to 2,000 ft.), mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of AM rain and snow showers, a (40%) chance of showers Sunday afternoon, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday night lows 37-32 warming to 36 Sunday night highs 52-46 warming to 53 Sunday. Mostly cloudy with rain Monday, showers likely (60%) Monday night, a (40%) chance of rain and snow Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Tuesday night, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain in the evening, then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday highs 50-55 lows 35-40. (seasonal averages high 55 low 38)

_________________

Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with rain likely (70%) tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain Friday (0.30 in. of rain possible) and windy (wind: SW 25-35 mph at the shore and SW 15-25 mph inland), evening rain, coastal showers late Friday night with rain and snow showers inland late (0.50 in. of rain possible, snow level 1,500 ft. late) and breezy (wind: W 15-25 mph decreasing to W 10-15 mph late Friday  night), coastal showers Saturday while AM rain and snow inland with rain and snow showers in the afternoon (snow level 1,500 ft. rising to 2,000 ft.in the afternoon), a (40%) chance of showers Saturday night (snow level 2,000 ft. late), a (30%) chance of  showers Sunday, then mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Sunday night lows 42-36 warming to near 40 Sunday night highs near 50. Mostly cloudy with rain Monday, showers likely (60%) Monday night, a good (50%) chance of rain Tuesday and Tuesday night, cloudy with rain likely (60%) Wednesday and Wednesday night, then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday highs 48-53 lows 37-44. (seasonal averages high 53 low 40)

________________

Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with snow tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1-4 in. of snow possible), AM snow, rain and snow Friday afternoon (0.75 in. of rain possible, 4-7 in. of snow possible) and windy (wind: S 5-15 mph gusts to 30 mph increasing to SW 20-30 mph afternoon gusts to 45 mph, evening rain and snow, snow showers (1 in. of rain possible, 6-12 in. of snow possible) late at night and breezy (wind: W 15-25 mph gusts to 45 mph shifting to W 10-15 mph gusts to 30 mph late), snow showers and colder Saturday, evening snow showers likely (70%), a good (50%) chance of snow showers late Saturday night and Sunday, then mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (60%) Sunday night snow level at the surface tonight, 4,000 ft. Friday afternoon and evening, at the surface late Friday night through Sunday, then 3,500 ft. Sunday night lows 24-18 warming to 24 Sunday night highs 37-23 warming to 36 Sunday. Mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (70%) Monday, a good (50%) chance of snow showers Monday night, a good (50%) chance of snow Tuesday, rain and snow likely (60%) at night, a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Tuesday night through Wednesday night, then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain or snow Thursday snow level 3,000 ft. Monday, at the surface Monday night and Tuesday, 3,500 ft. Tuesday night and Wednesday, 4,500 ft. at night, then 5,000 ft. Thursday highs 35-42 lows 20-28.

________________

**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.

________________

Get your local Eugene-Springfield news on-line at Eugene Daily News.com.

________________