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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column Two Guys And A Bar, A Joke? No, Wrong Kind Of Bar.

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And don’t forget my latest feature story in the continuing series on service club organizations called “Assistance” Is Their First Name.

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No winner this week. Here is my weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What is “ wind shear?” Here is the correct answer.Wind Shear is the rate at which wind velocity changes from point to point in a given direction (as, vertically). The shear can be speed shear (where speed changes between the two points, but not direction), direction shear (where direction changes between the two points, but not speed) or a combination of the two.  I’ll have a new weekly weather quiz 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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The upper level trough of low pressure helped cause the windy conditions Thursday is moving away from us as an upper level high replaces it to clear us out a bit for most of the weekend.

THE GEMINID METEOR SHOWER: The best meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, peaks this weekend when Earth passes through a stream of debris from “rock comet” 3200 Phaethon. Forecasters expect to see as many as 120 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th. Visit SpaceWeather.com for photos and observing tips. Look for openings in the clouds at night and view away from city lights.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 47 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter at Amazon Park, Eugene. Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) Oakridge:

The Air Quality Index is 27 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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Home Wood Heating Advisory:

Eugene/Springfield: YELLOW – Burning is Cautioned Against.

Oakridge: YELLOW – Burning is Cautioned Against.

(The use of Pellet stoves is always allowed.)

Advisory Courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)

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Advisories:

• A HEALTH ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR THE PRESENCE OF BLUE-GREEN ALGAE AT LOST CREEK LAKE , LOCATED 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF MEDFORD ON THE ROGUE RIVER IN JACKSON COUNTY AND AT DEVILS LAKE IN LINCOLN COUNTY. THE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOM MEANS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT DRINK OR HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE AFFECTED WATER AND THAT ALSO GOES FOR ANY PETS.

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

• Patchy fog with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, a mix of clouds and sun this afternoon, partly cloudy this evening, mostly cloudy with patchy fog late tonight and Sunday AM, mostly cloudy in the afternoon, a sight (20%) chance of evening rain, a good (50%) chance of late Sunday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Monday, then cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain at night.
• highs 47-44 warming back to near 47 Monday lows 32-39.
• Cloudy with rain likely (70%) Tuesday, a good (50%) chance of rain Tuesday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday, a slight (20%) chance of rain Wednesday night and Thursday, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday night and Friday.
• highs 44-48 lows 37-42. (seasonal averages high 45 low 34).

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with areas of AM fog, partly cloudy with patchy lingering fog this afternoon and evening, mostly cloudy with areas of fog late tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with patchy AM fog, just mostly cloudy Sunday afternoon, a (30%) chance of evening rain, a good (50%) chance of showers late Sunday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Cloudy with showers likely (70%) Monday, then a good (50%) chance of showers at night.
• highs 49-46 warming back to 49 Monday lows 37-40.
• Mostly cloudy with rain Tuesday, showers likely (70%) Tuesday night and Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Wednesday night and Thursday, then mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Thursday night and Friday.
• highs near 48 lows 37-42. (seasonal averages high 47 low 36)

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

• Mostly cloudy with patchy fog and a slight (20%) chance of showers this AM, partly cloudy this afternoon and evening (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with patchy inland fog late tonight and Sunday AM, a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday afternoon, a good (50%) chance of rain in the evening, a good (50%) chance of rain late Sunday night (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Then showers likely (70%) Monday and Monday night.
• highs near 52 lows 42-47.
•  Mostly cloudy with rain Tuesday, showers likely (70%) Tuesday night and Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain at night and Thursday, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday night and Friday.
• highs 53-56 lows 44-48. (seasonal averages high 51 low 40)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Partly cloudy a slight (20%) chance of  showers, partly cloudy this afternoon through Sunday, becoming mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening rain and snow, a (30%) chance of rain and snow late at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Monday, then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Monday night.
• free air freezing level 4,000 ft. today, 5,000 ft. tonight, 5,500 ft. Sunday, 4,000 ft. Sunday night, 5,000 ft. Monday, then 4,500 ft. Monday night.
• highs 36-38 cooling back to 36 Monday lows 26-28.
• Mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (70%) Tuesday and Tuesday night,
• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow Thursday and Thursday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Friday.
• free air freezing level 4,000 ft. Tuesday and Tuesday night, 3,500 ft. Wednesday and Wednesday night, 4,000 ft. Thursday, 5,000 ft. Thursday night, then 4,000 ft. Friday.
• highs 34-40 lows 27-25 warming to 32 Thursday night.

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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 EugeneDailyNews.com.

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