_________________

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

_____

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?

__________________

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.

________________

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 moved east of us. High pressure strengthens through today, but more rain is in the offing from tonight through your weekend.  Note: Mt. Ashland is open Thursdays through Mondays (closed yesterday, but re-opened today). 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.

Just in case you didn’t notice today is Friday the 13th.

________________

Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 21 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 23 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter at Willamette Activity Center, Oakridge. Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency .(LRAPA)

________________

Advisories: None at this time.

________________

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

• Patchy AM fog, a mix of clouds and sun this afternoon, becoming cloudy with rain late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Cloudy with rain Saturday through Sunday (0.50 in. of rain possible each period), then rain likely (70%) Sunday night.
• highs 66-56 lows 50-43.
• 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 mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday, partly cloudy with a slight (30%) chance of showers Tuesday night,
• A (30%) chance of showers Wednesday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday night and Thursday.
• highs 60-63 lows 42-40. (seasonal averages high 56 low 37)

___

Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: High-  352

Grass: Absent- 0

Reading as of: 3/11/15

Data courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.

_________________

Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Patchy fog this AM, mostly cloudy this afternoon, a (40%) chance of rain late tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain Saturday through Sunday evening, then rain likely (60%) late Sunday night (0.30 in. of rain possible) Saturday and Saturday night.
• highs 68-60 lows 52-46.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday, just mostly cloudy Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday through Wednesday, partly cloudy Wednesday night,
• Then mostly cloudy Thursday.
• highs 63-65 lows 44-40. (seasonal averages high 57 low 39)

________________

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

• Mostly cloudy with patchy inland fog this AM, mostly cloudy this afternoon, becoming cloudy with rain late tonight (0.15 in. of rain possible, 0.65 in. of rain possible Saturday, then 0.75 in. of rain possible Saturday night) through Sunday, evening rain, then rain likely (70%) late Sunday night.
• highs 60-54 lows 53-48.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday, just mostly cloudy Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday through Wednesday, partly cloudy Wednesday night,
• Then mostly cloudy Thursday.
• highs 55-57 cooling back to 55 Thursday lows 47-44 warming back to 47 Wednesday night. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41)

________________

Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Partly cloudy today, becoming cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain late Friday night,
• Cloudy with rain Saturday through Sunday, then rain likely (70%) Sunday night.
• free air freezing level 11,000 ft. today, snow level above 8,000 ft. tonight and Saturday, 7,500 ft. Saturday night, then 7,000 ft. Sunday and Sunday night.
• highs 60-45 lows 32-42 cooling to 32 Monday night.
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday, partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers Wednesday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers.
• snow level 6,500 ft. Monday, 7,500 ft. Monday night, 7,000 ft. Tuesday and Tuesday night, 7,500 ft. Wednesday, 7,000 ft. Wednesday night, then 7,500 ft. Thursday.
• highs 50-52 lows 35-32.

________________

**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.

________________

Get your local Eugene-Springfield and Lane County news on-line at eugenedailynews.com

________________