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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column “A Shooting Star Bonanza”

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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 “Backfire?”  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 in blue arrows off San Francisco, California) is moving to the north and east over us bringing a continuing threat of thunderstorms across Oregon. The Perseid Meteor shower will peak tonight but will be hard to see due to the “super moon” that is in its full phase and lots of clouds.

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Advisories:

• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM TODAY FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING WITH DRY FUELS FOR ALL OF WESTERN OREGON WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE IMMEDIATE COAST.
• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM WEDNESDAY FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING WITH DRY FUELS FOR THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON.
• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING WITH DRY FUELS FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST, MINUS SISTERS RANGER DISTRICT, THE EAST SLOPES OF THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES, THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, THE SOUTHERN BLUE AND STRAWBERRY MOUNTAINS, THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS AND THE CENTRAL BLUE MOUNTAINS.
• A HEALTH ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PRESENCE OF HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL FECAL BACTERIA AT MILL BEACH IN CURRY COUNTY. DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SURF OR WATER RUNNING INTO THE  SURF IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE AVOIDED UNTIL THE ADVISORY IS LIFTED, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY, WHO MAY BE MORE VULNERABLE TO WATERBORNE BACTERIA.
• A HEALTH ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PRESENCE OF BLUE-GREEN ALGAE FOR WALTERVILLE POND IN LANE COUNTY AND AT DEVILS LAKE IN LINCOLN COUNTY. THE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOM MEANS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE AFFECTED WATER AND THAT ALSO GOES FOR ANY PETS.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 35 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 47 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 (6)

Trees………. Absent (0)

Last Counted: 8/6/14

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 and cooler with a good (50%) chance of showers and thunderstorms today (0.10 in. of rain possible, gusty winds, small hail possible), mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers and thunderstorms this evening, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers late tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with AM showers likely (60%), showers likely (60%) and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms), a (40%) chance of showers in the evening, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late Wednesday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Thursday, just partly cloudy Thursday night.
• highs 82-75 warming to 80 Thursday lows 56-53.
• Partly cloudy Friday AM, mostly sunny in the afternoon, partly cloudy Friday night and Saturday AM, then mostly sunny Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday, partly cloudy Saturday night, mostly clear Sunday night.
• highs 84-86 lows 53-56. (seasonal averages high 83 low 52)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Partly cloudy with isolated late AM thunderstorms, a (30%) chance of scattered showers and a slight (20%) chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, mostly cloudy with scattered showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms late tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance AM thunderstorms, a (30%) chance of showers with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms and cooler Wednesday afternoon, a (30%) chance of showers at night,
• Mostly cloudy in the AM, partly cloudy Thursday afternoon, and at night.
• highs 84-72 warming to 80 Thursday lows 62-58.
• Partly cloudy Friday and Friday night,
• Mostly sunny Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, mostly clear each night.
• highs 85-88 lows 58-60. (seasonal averages high 85 low 56)

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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 this afternoon, a slight (20%) chance of evening coastal showers while a slight (20%) chance of evening thunderstorms inland, a (30%) chance of showers and thunderstorms late tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday, a (30%) chance of showers Wednesday night,
• Mostly cloudy in the AM, then partly cloudy Thursday and at night.
• highs 62-65 lows near 54.
• Partly cloudy Friday through Monday.
• highs near 64 lows 53-55. (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 good (50%) chance of showers and thunderstorms this AM, showers and thunderstorms likely (70%) this afternoon and evening (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms), mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers and thunderstorms late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms),
• AM showers likely (60%) Wednesday, showers likely (60%) with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms), mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late Wednesday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (40%) chance of showers Thursday AM,  a slight (20%) chance of showers in the afternoon and evening,  just partly cloudy late Thursday night.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. today through Thursday night.
• highs 74-63 warming to 68 Thursday lows 49-46.
• Partly cloudy  Friday AM, mostly sunny in the afternoon, mostly clear at night,
• Mostly sunny Saturday, Sunday, and Monday,  mostly clear at night,
• free air freezing level 14,000 ft. Friday, 15,000 ft. Friday night and Saturday, 16,000 ft. Saturday night, 14,000 ft. Sunday, then 15,000 ft. Sunday night and Monday.
• highs 72-75 lows 47-52.

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

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