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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column All “It” Was Supposed To Do Was Defoliate The Trees.

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And don’t forget my latest feature story in the continuing series on service club organizations called Oregon Has Two Kinds Of “Elks” Four Legged and Two Legged.

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No winner this week. Here is my weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What is a “ceilometer?”  Here is the correct answer. A Ceilometer is a device using a laser or other light source to determine the height of a cloud base. An optical ceilometer uses triangulation to determine the height of a spot of light projected onto the base of the cloud; a laser ceilometer determines the height by measuring the time required for a pulse of light to be scattered back from the cloud base. I’ll have a new weekly weather question for you starting 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. Good luck.

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An upper level low (Shaded “U” shape) is increasing onshore airflow and that means the chance of rain returns. A frontal system is approaching the Pacific Northwest. It looks like there will be a chance for some showers tonight and a better chance Sunday in Florence for the Rhododendron Festival this weekend.

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Advisories: None at This Time.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 26 in the Good category measuring Ozone at Amazon Park, Eugene. Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 14 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter at Willamette Activity Center, Oakridge. Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)
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Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count:

Grass……….Moderate (14)

Trees……….Moderate (62)

Last Counted: 5/16/14

Data Courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.

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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis:

• Mostly cloudy with a (20%) chance of showers this evening, showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Cloudy with AM showers likely (70%), showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening (0.25 in. of rain possible), showers likely (60%) late at night (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with AM showers likely (60%) Monday, a (30%) chance of showers with a slight (20%) chance thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening (0.15 in. of rain possible), partly cloudy late Monday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• A mix of clouds and sun Tuesday, then partly cloudy Tuesday night.
• lows 48-44 highs 62-68.
• Partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night and Saturday.
• highs 72-75 cooling to 68 Saturday lows 44-47. (seasonal averages high 67 low 44).

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Partly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers this evening, mostly cloudy with showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• AM showers likely (70%), showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and evening (0.15 in. of rain possible, small hail possible), showers likely (60%) late Sunday night (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• AM showers likely (60%), showers likely (70%) with a slight (20%) of thunderstorms Monday afternoon and evening (0.10 in. of rain possible, small hail possible), mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late Monday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Then just partly cloudy Tuesday and Tuesday night.
• lows 50-47 highs 64-72.
• Partly cloudy Wednesday, mostly clear at night,
• Partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night,
• Then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• highs 73-78 cooling back to 73 Saturday lows near 46-48 (seasonal averages high 70 low 47)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend:

• Mostly cloudy with coastal showers likely (60%) this evening with rain and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms late tonight while a good (50%) chance of inland showers this evening  and inland showers late tonight (0.20 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with showers Sunday (0.30 in. of rain possible), showers likely (70%) Sunday night (0.15 in. of rain possible),
• AM showers likely (70%), coastal showers likely (70%) with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Monday afternoon while inland showers and a slight (20%) chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, (0.20 in. of rain possible)a slight (20%) chance of showers late Monday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, small hail possible),
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers Tuesday, partly cloudy in the afternoon and Tuesday night.
• lows 53-49 high 59-62.
• Partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday night,
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night,
• Then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• highs 64-68 cooling back to 64 Saturday lows 50-53. (seasonal averages high 59 low 47).

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers this evening, rain and snow showers likely (60%) late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers likely (60%) Sunday AM, rain and snow showers with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible), rain and snow showers late Sunday night (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible),
• AM rain and snow showers likely (70%), rain and snow showers likely (70%) Monday with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, then a slight (20%) chance of showers late Monday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night.
• snow level 6,500 ft.falling to 5,500 ft. late tonight, 5,500 ft. Sunday and Sunday night, 5,000 ft. rising to 6,500 ft. Monday, 6,500 ft. Monday night, 7,000 ft. Tuesday, then 8,000 ft. Tuesday night.
• lows near 35 highs 44-56.
• Just partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night.
• free air freezing level 11,000 ft. Wednesday through Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night and Saturday.
• highs 60-65 cooling to 59 Saturday lows 35-39.

**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 and Lane County news on-line at Eugene Daily News.com.

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