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Guess who is the newest columnist for the Eugene Daily News online newspaper? Yes, it’s me. Check out my first column “The Many Things Oregon Doesn’t Have”.

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Here is my new weekly weather quiz question. What is an “occluded front?” 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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Don’t forget to take off those studded tires! April 1st was the deadline. The fine is pretty steep so get them off before you get caught.
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An upper level high pressure ridge (shaded “Arch”shape) gave us plenty of sun and warm temperatures. That’s gone now and the clouds and showers have returned as a trough of low pressure slides eastward south of us once again and a frontal system is moving through the southern reaches of Oregon and northern California. Another frontal system will move in over the weekend increasing the chance of showers.

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Advisories: NONE AT THIS TIME.

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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Cloudy with rain this AM,  showers with a slight (20%) chance of  thunderstorms this afternoon and evening (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms), showers likely (60%) late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain Friday (0.20 in. of rain possible), and Friday night (0.25 in. of rain possible), then mostly cloudy with showers likely (60%) Saturday and rain Saturday night highs 63-56 lows 49-42. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (70%) Sunday, a good (50%) chance of showers at night and Monday, a slight (20%) chance of showers at night, a mix of clouds and sun  with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday and Wednesday and mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday night highs 56-62 cooling to 59 Wednesday lows near 43. (seasonal averages high 59 low 39)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with AM rain, mostly cloudy with rain and a slight (20%) chance of isolated thunderstorms this afternoon and evening (0.15 in. of rain possible),  showers likely (70%) tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), showers likely (60%) Friday AM, showers in the afternoon (0.20 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with rain Friday night, showers likely (60%) Saturday, then mostly cloudy with rain at night highs 64-59 lows 52-45. Mostly cloudy with rain Sunday, showers likely (70%) Sunday night, showers likely (70%) Monday, a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday night, mostly cloudy and warmer Tuesday and Tuesday night, then partly cloudy Wednesday highs 59-70 lows 47-42 warming to 45 Tuesday night. (seasonal averages high 60 low 41)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with coastal rain, inland rain this AM, rain with a slight (20%) chance of isolated thunderstorms this afternoon and evening (0.15 in. of rain possible), and breezy (wind: S 20-30 mph gusts to 40 mph late afternoon), showers late tonight (0.15 in. of rain possible), showers likely (60%) Friday AM, showers in the afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain Friday night, showers likely (60%) Saturday, then mostly cloudy with rain Saturday night highs 57-54 lows 50-45. Mostly cloudy with rain Sunday, showers at night, showers likely (60%) Monday, a (30%) chance of showers at night, then just mostly cloudy Tuesday through Wednesday highs 54-58 lows near 46. (seasonal averages high 54 low 42)

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with rain this AM, showers late this afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible), showers with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, showers and colder late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms) and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph gusts to 40 mph), rain and snow Friday (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1 in of snow possible), rain and snow Friday night and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph), showers likely (60%) Saturday, then rain and snow Saturday night snow level 7,500 ft. today, 6,000 ft. tonight, 5,500 ft. Friday and Friday night, 4,500 ft. Saturday, then 4,000 ft. Saturday night highs 48-40 lows 35-29. Mostly cloudy with rain and snow Sunday, rain and snow showers likely (70%) at night and Monday, a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers at night, a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers Tuesday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers Wednesday snow level 4,500 ft. Sunday and at night, 4,000 ft. Monday, 4,500 ft. at night, 5,500 ft. Tuesday, then 7,500 ft. Wednesday highs 40-50 lows 28-33.

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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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