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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column Who Came Up With That “Cool Idea?”

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And don’t forget my latest feature story in the continuing series on service club organizations called Who Are The Soroptimists And What Are They Doing?

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Here is my new weekly weather quiz question. What is a “parhelion?”  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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A trough of low pressure (“U” shape in blue arrows) is going to give us a chance of showers continuing through Wednesday. Then look for a serious warm-up.

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Advisories:

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN LANE COUNTY IN WESTERN OREGON...

* UNTIL 800 PM PDT

* AT 728 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL...ABUNDANT LIGHTNING
  AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9
  MILES SOUTH OF COUGAR RESERVOIR...OR 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  OAKRIDGE...AND MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  COUGAR RESERVOIR AND BLUE RIVER.

IN OREGON THIS INCLUDES STATE HIGHWAY 126 FROM EUGENE TO MCKENZIE
BRIDGE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 38 AND 52.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL LANE COUNTY IN WESTERN OREGON...

* UNTIL 730 PM PDT

* AT 659 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES WEST OF WALDO LAKE...OR
  12 MILES EAST OF OAKRIDGE...AND MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING ABUNDANT LIGHTNING FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST MINUS -SISTERS RANGER DISTRICT.
• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE OF THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES, THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, THE SOUTHERN BLUE AND STRAWBERRY MOUNTAINS, THE CENTRAL BLUE MOUNTAINS, AND THE WALLOWA DISTRICT.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 27 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter at Springfield City Hall. Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 11 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……….Low (3)

Trees……….Absent (0)

Last Counted: 7/21/14

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:

• Cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of isolated showers this AM, a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of isolated afternoon showers (0.10 in. of rain possible), partly cloudy with a (40%) chance of evening showers, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Cloudy with showers likely (60%) Wednesday AM, partly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms), partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late Wednesday night.
• highs 77-75 warming to 80 Thursday lows 54-49 rising to 52 Thursday night.
• AM clouds and sun, mostly sunny Thursday afternoon, partly cloudy at night,
• Mostly sunny Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, mostly clear Friday night and Saturday night.
• highs 87-92 cooling to 89 Monday lows 55-58. (seasonal averages high 84 low 52)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this morning, a slight (20%) chance of isolated showers this afternoon, a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms late tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with a AM showers likely (60%), a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday afternoon, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening showers, mostly cloudy  late Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy in the AM, sunny and warmer Thursday afternoon, clear at night.
• highs 80-73 warming to 82 Thursday lows 58-52 warming to 82 Thursday night .
• Sunny Friday and Saturday, clear at night,
• Mostly sunny Sunday and Monday, mostly clear at night.
• highs 89-95 cooling to 93 Sunday lows near 60. (seasonal averages high 86 low 57)

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

• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of isolated showers today, a (30%) chance of scattered showers tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with AM showers likely (60%),  a (30%) chance of showers Wednesday afternoon, a slight (20%) chance of evening coastal showers, patchy fog late Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy with patchy AM fog, sunny Thursday afternoon, then mostly clear at night.
• highs near 62-66 lows 55-53 warming back to 55 Thursday night.
• Sunny Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, mostly clear each night.
• highs 66-68 cooling to 66 Sunday lows near 56. (seasonal averages high 65 low 53).

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, a (40%) chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, a good (50%) chance of showers and a slight (20%) thunderstorms late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible, more in storms),
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and in the evening, a good (50%) chance of showers and colder late at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Thursday AM, mostly sunny in the afternoon, then mostly clear Thursday night.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. today through Wednesday, 7,000 ft. Thursday, free air freezing level 14,000 ft. Thursday night.
• highs 72-62 warming to 65 Thursday lows 47-40 warming to 45 Thursday night.
• Mostly sunny Friday and Saturday, clear at night,
• Then sunny Sunday and Monday, clear Sunday night.
• free air freezing level 14,000 ft. Friday, 15,000 ft. Friday night, 16,000 ft. Saturday and Saturday night, 15,000 ft. Sunday, 16,000 ft. Sunday night, then 15,000 ft. Monday.
• highs 77-83 cooling to near 80 Monday lows 49-54.

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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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