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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column Losing A “Friend” Is Never Easy.

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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 Named Bullwinkle.

And my new feature article about Contractors Electric called Is The Ground Wire The White One Or The Black One?

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Here is my new weekly weather quiz question. What does the acronym “USGS” stand for?  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 air ridge of high pressure (Shaded “Arch” shape with blue arrows) is moving away from us and that will allow an upper level low (shaded “U” shape with blue arrows) behind it to take over. A frontal system produced the chance of showers ahead of it and will move east of us tonight and then the rain chance leaves until the weekend. High pressure strengthens for the end of the week returning the dry weather, but more rain is in the offing for your weekend.  Note: Mt. Ashland is open Thursdays through Mondays. Willamette Pass has officially announced that this ski season is over for them. Hoodoo is still closed for now and probably will also call the season over soon. They say they will be opening again when enough snow falls. Check their websites for conditions and any updates.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 23 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter at HWY 99, Eugene. Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA).

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 35 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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Advisories: None at this time.

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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 and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms yet this evening, patchy fog and a slight (20%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible, more in storms),
• Patchy AM and late night fog, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• Patchy AM fog, a mix of clouds and sun Friday afternoon, becoming cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday night,
• Cloudy with rain likely (70%) Saturday, then rain at night.
• lows 47-40 warming to near 48 Saturday night highs 65-62.
• Cloudy with rain Sunday, mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers Monday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night,
• A (30%) chance of showers Tuesday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday.
• highs 59-63 cooling to near 60 Wednesday lows near 43. (seasonal averages high 56 low 37)

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Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: High-  352

Grass: Absent- 0

Reading as of: 3/11/15

Data courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Showers with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, a slight (20%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), evening showers likely (70%),  a slight (20%) chance of rain late tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy Thursday AM, sunny in the afternoon, mostly clear in the evening, partly cloudy with patchy fog late at night and Friday AM, becoming mostly cloudy Friday afternoon, a (40%) chance of rain late Friday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with rain Saturday and Saturday night.
• lows 45-52 highs 68-64.
• Mostly cloudy with rain Sunday, rain likely (60%) and colder at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday, a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday.
• highs 62-66 cooling back to 62 Wednesday lows 45-42. (seasonal averages high 57 low 39)

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

• Mostly cloudy with coastal showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, late evening showers, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late tonight,
• Just mostly cloudy Thursday AM, sunny in the afternoon, mostly clear in the evening, partly cloudy with patchy inland fog late Thursday night and Friday AM, mostly cloudy in the afternoon, rain likely (70%)  late Friday night,
• Becoming cloudy with rain Saturday and Saturday night.
• lows 52-48 warming back to 52 Saturday night highs 60-58.
• Mostly cloudy with rain Sunday, rain likely (60%) Sunday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday through Tuesday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday night and Wednesday.
• highs 56-60 cooling to 58 Wednesday lows near 47. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly cloudy with showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Thursday AM, just partly cloudy in the afternoon, mostly clear at night,
• Partly cloudy Friday, becoming mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain late Friday night,
• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Saturday, then rain Saturday night.
• snow level 6,500 ft. tonight and Thursday, free air freezing level 10,000 ft. Thursday night and Friday,  snow level above 8,000 ft. Friday night and Saturday, then 8,000 ft. Saturday night.
• lows 34-32 warming to 40 Friday night cooling to 38 Saturday night highs 55-60 cooling back to 55 Saturday.
• Cloudy with rain Sunday, rain likely (60%) Sunday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers Monday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. Saturday and Saturday night, 7,500 ft. Sunday, 8,000 ft. Sunday nigh and Monday, above 8,000 ft. Monday night, then 8,000 ft. Tuesday.
• highs 47-52 Tuesday lows 35-32.

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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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