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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column No, We Didn’t Have To Use The “D” Word In 2014.

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And don’t forget my latest feature story in the continuing series on service club organizations called This Moose Isn’t Called Bullwinkle.

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No winner this week. Here is my weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What is a “ hodograph?” Here is the correct answer. A Hodograph is a polar coordinate graph which shows the vertical wind profile of the lowest 7000 meters of the atmosphere. These plots are used to determine the advection patterns aloft, whether a thunderstorm will rotate, and the type of thunderstorms that you will likely see that day. 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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A warm front that moved northward through Oregon has brought some heavy rain to the area, particularly near the coast. The cold front moved right behind the warm front. A high pressure ridge pushed eastward away from us allowing a southwesterly airflow to grab that fetch of subtropical moisture and shoot it our way. Now a couple of upper level low pressure disturbances (Shaded “U” shapes) will keep the chance of rain with us until high pressure starts to take over Monday. Skiers note – Hoodoo, Willamette Pass, and Mt. Ashland are all closed for now. They say they will be opening again when enough snow falls. Check their websites for conditions and specific schedules.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 18 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 20 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: GREEN – Burning is Allowed.

Oakridge: GREEN – Burning is Allowed.

(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:

• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Patchy fog with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday AM (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), a mix of clouds and sun in the afternoon (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), partly cloudy in the evening, mostly cloudy with areas of  fog late at night and Tuesday, mostly cloudy with areas of fog in the afternoon, partly cloudy in the evening, cloudy with areas of fog late Tuesday night,
• Cloudy with areas of AM fog, a mix of clouds and sun with areas of fog Wednesday afternoon, partly cloudy with patchy evening fog, then cloudy with patchy fog at night.
• lows 42-35 warming to 39 Wednesday night highs 52-48.
• Patchy AM fog, mostly cloudy Thursday, a slight (20%) chance of  rain Thursday night and Friday, just mostly cloudy at night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun Saturday, then mostly cloudy with patchy fog Saturday night and Sunday.
• highs 52-55 cooling to 52 Saturday night lows 40-43. (seasonal averages high 47 low 34).

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers and colder tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with patchy AM fog and a slight (20%) chance of showers, partly cloudy Monday afternoon (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), mostly clear with areas of fog late at night,
• Areas of AM fog, partly cloudy Tuesday afternoon, mostly clear with areas of fog late Tuesday night,
• Areas of AM fog, sunny Wednesday afternoon, partly cloudy in the evening, mostly cloudy with areas of fog late Wednesday night.
• lows 40-35 warming back to 35 Wednesday night highs 53-48 warming to 52 Wednesday.
• Areas of AM fog, mostly cloudy Thursday, a slight (20%) chance of rain with areas of fog at night,
• Areas of AM fog, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday afternoon, areas of fog late Friday night,
• Areas of AM and late night fog, partly cloudy Saturday and Saturday night,
• Then just partly cloudy Sunday.
• highs 52-58 lows 40-42. (seasonal averages high 50 low 37)

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

• Mostly cloudy with coastal evening showers likely (60%) and a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight while a (30%) chance of inland showers tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of morning showers, just mostly sunny Monday afternoon (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), mostly clear at night with patchy fog inland fog late,
• Areas of inland AM fog,partly cloudy Tuesday afternoon, mostly clear with areas of fog Tuesday night,
• Areas of AM fog, sunny Wednesday afternoon, partly cloudy in the evening, mostly cloudy with areas of fog late Wednesday night.
• lows 45-40 warming back to 45 Wednesday night highs 55-58.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain with lingering fog Thursday through Friday afternoon,  mostly cloudy with areas of fog Friday night and Saturday, partly cloudy with areas of fog late Saturday night,
• Then just partly cloudy Sunday.
• highs 57-60 lows near 47. (seasonal averages high 52 low 40)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of rain and snow showers Monday AM and just clouds and sun in the afternoon, (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), mostly clear Monday night,
• Mostly sunny Tuesday, clear Tuesday night,
• Sunny Wednesday, then partly cloudy Wednesday night.
• snow level 4,500 ft. tonight, 4,000 ft. Monday, free air freezing level 5,500 Monday night, 6,500 ft. Tuesday, then 7,000 ft. Tuesday night, 8,000 ft. Wednesday, then 10,000 ft. Wednesday night.
• lows 29-27 warming to 32 Wednesday night highs 39-44.
• Mostly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday, mostly cloudy at night,
• Then just partly cloudy Saturday through Sunday.
• free air freezing level 8,000 ft. Thursday, 9,000 ft. Thursday night, snow level above 8,000 ft. Friday, free air freezing level 11,000 ft. Friday night and Saturday, then 12,000 ft. Saturday night and Sunday.
• highs 45-49 lows 32-35.

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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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