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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 weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What does the acronym “USGS” stand for? Here is the correct answer. U.S. Geological Survey (Abbrev. USGS)- Is the Federal Agency chartered in 1879 by congress to classify public lands, and to examine the geologic structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain. As part of its mission, the USGS provides information and data on the Nation’s rivers and streams that are useful for mitigation of hazards associated with floods and droughts. 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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An upper air ridge of high pressure (Shaded “Arch” shape with blue arrows) is tilting and moving away from us and that is allowing an upper level low (shaded “U” shape with blue arrows) behind it to take over. A frontal system means  more rain for the rest of your weekend. It looks like a series of frontal systems will hit us for the workweek. Note: Mt. Ashland is open Thursdays through Mondays (closed Thursday, but re-opened Friday). 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 but there is no snow in the forecasts for the near future. Check their websites for conditions and any updates.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 10 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 24 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:

• A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM UNTIL 9 PM TODAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON COAST.
• A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM UNTIL 7 PM TODAY FOR THE THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST.
• A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT  FROM 2 PM UNTIL 9 PM TODAY FOR THE GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA AND THE CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
• A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM UNTIL 8 PM TODAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND THE CURRY COUNTY COAST.
• A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFEC T UNTIL 11 PM TODAY FOR THE KLAMATH BASIN, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN, CENTRAL, AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY

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

• Cloudy with rain today (0.50 in. of rain possible) and windy (Wind: SE 5-10 mph shifting and increasing to S 20-30 mph gusts to 40 mph this afternoon), cloudy with evening rain, a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible) and windy (Wind: S 15-25 mph gusts to 40 mph shifting SW 5-15 mph late at night),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers at night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, a (30%) chance of showers Tuesday afternoon, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday night.
• highs 63-60 lows 45-40.
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday, just partly cloudy at night,
• Mostly sunny Thursday, partly cloudy Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers Friday, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday night and Saturday.
• highs 63-67 cooling to 60 Saturday lows 40-44. (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:

• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of AM rain, rain this afternoon (0.30 in. of rain possible), evening rain likely (60%), a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible) and breezy (Wind: SW 15-25 mph decreasing to SW 10-15 mph late at night),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible) through Tuesday night.
• highs 66-62 lows 47-43.
• Partly cloudy Wednesday, mostly clear at night,
• Mostly sunny Thursday, partly cloudy Thursday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Friday, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Saturday.
• highs 66-60 lows 40-44. (seasonal averages high 57 low 39)

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

• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of AM rain, rain this afternoon (0.55 in. of rain possible) and windy (Wind: S 10-20 mph increasing to S 25-35 mph this afternoon at the shore, SE 5-10 mph increasing to S 20-30 mph inland, gusts to 50 mph this afternoon), evening rain, a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible) and windy (Wind: S 25-35 mph gusts to 55 mph shifting SW 10 mph late at night),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible) and in the evening, just mostly cloudy Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday, then partly cloudy Tuesday night.
• highs 60-57 lows 48-46.
• Partly cloudy Wednesday, mostly clear Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy Thursday and at night with a slight (20%) chance of nighttime showers,
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Friday, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Saturday.
• highs near 58 lows near 46. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Cloudy with rain today (0.25 in. of rain possible) and this evening, a good (50%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible) and breezy (Wind: SW 15-25 mph gusts to 40 mph),
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (20%) chance of showers Monday, partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Tuesday, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. today, 6,500 ft. tonight, 7,000 ft. Monday, 7,500 ft. Monday night, then 6,500 ft. Tuesday and Tuesday night.
• highs near 50 lows 36-30.
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday, just partly cloudy at night through Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of showers and warmer Friday, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers and colder Friday night and Saturday.
• snow level 6,000 ft. Wednesday, free air freezing level 8,000 ft. Wednesday night, 9,000 ft. Thursday and Thursday night, snow level 7,000 ft. Friday, 6,000 ft. Friday night, then 4,500 ft. Saturday.
• highs 52-57 cooling to 48 Saturday lows near 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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