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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.

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An Upper Level Low Pressure Trough

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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.

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Advisories: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY UNTIL     1 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 TODAY UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY FOR  THE NORTH OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS, THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY, UNTIL 4 PM FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES, FROM 10 AM TODAY UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY FOR THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL 4 AM SATURDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SOUTH OREGON CASCADES, AND THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY UNTIL 10 AM SATURDAY ABOVE 2,000 FT. FOR CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY, EASTERN CURRY COUNTY, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, JACKSON COUNTY, THE EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS, THE SOUTH OREGON CASCADES AND THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TODAY UNTIL 4 AM SATURDAY FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, WESTERN, CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL 6 PM SATURDAY EVENING FOR THE NORTH OREGON COAST AND THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL 10 PM SATURDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND THE SOUTH OREGON COAST.

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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Mostly cloudy with rain increasing (0.50 in. of rain possible) today and windy (wind: S 20-30 mph gusts to 45 mph shifting SW 15-25 mph this afternoon), rain this evening, showers late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with showers Saturday (snow level 1,000 ft.), a (40%) chance of showers Saturday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), partly cloudy Sunday AM, a good (50%) chance of showers Sunday, mostly cloudy in the afternoon, cloudy with a (40%) chance of evening rain, with rain late Sunday night highs 50-45 warming to 52 Sunday lows 35-32 warming to 37 Sunday night. 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 (60%) late this AM, rain this afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain this evening, rain and snow showers late tonight (0.45 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible, snow level 3,500 ft. falling to 2,000 ft. late tonight), rain and snow showers Saturday AM, rain and snow showers likely (60%) in the afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 1,500 ft.), a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Saturday night (snow level 2,000 ft.), just mostly cloudy Sunday, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening showers and showers likely (70%) Sunday night highs 52-46 warming to 53 Sunday lows 37-30 warming to 36 Sunday night. 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)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with rain today (0.35 in. of rain possible) and windy (wind: S 15-25 mph increasing to SW 20-30 mph at the shore and SW 10-20 mph inland), evening rain, showers late tonight (0.50 in. of rain possible, snow level 2,000 ft. late) and breezy (wind: W 15-25 mph late tonight), coastal showers Saturday AM and showers likely (60%) in the afternoon while AM rain and snow showers inland with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow showers in the afternoon (0.15 in. of rain possible, snow level 1,500 ft. rising to 2,000 ft. in the afternoon), a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 2,000 ft. late), just mostly cloudy Sunday, then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers in the evening and showers likely (60%) Sunday night highs near 50 lows 40-36 warming to near 40 Sunday night. 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)

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with rain and snow today (0.75 in. of rain possible, 3-7 in. of snow possible) and breezy (wind: SW 10-15 mph gusts to 35 mph increasing to SW 15-25 mph in the afternoon gusts to 50 mph this afternoon, evening rain and snow, snow showers (1 in. of rain possible, 6-10 in. of snow possible), and breezy (wind: W 15-25 mph gusts to 45 mph decreasing to 35 mph late), snow showers and colder Saturday (3-5 in. of snow possible), evening snow showers likely (70%), a good (50%) chance of snow showers late Saturday night, a slight (20%) chance of snow Sunday, a (40%) chance of rain and snow in the evening, then mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (60%) Sunday night snow level 3,000 ft. rising to 4,400 ft. this afternoon, 4,000 ft. this evening, at the surface late tonight through Sunday, then 4,000 ft. Sunday night highs 37-23 warming to 36 Sunday lows 22-19 warming to 24 Sunday night. 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.

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

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