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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column A Hobby That Will “Stick” With You.

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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 “LORAN” 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 trough of low pressure (Shaded “U” shape with blue arrows just offshore) is moving to the northwest and will bring a chance of rain. High pressure will strengthen behind it for some clearing, then a frontal system moves in Thursday for some more precipitation. Note: Mt. Ashland is still 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 but there is no snow in the forecasts for the near future. Check their websites for conditions and any updates.

Spring begins officially at 3:45 PM Friday with the Vernal Equinox. There will be a total solar eclipse, but it won’t be visible in the United States.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 12 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 9 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 evening showers, just mostly cloudy tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy Wednesday AM, partly cloudy in the afternoon, partly cloudy with patchy fog late at night,
• Patchy AM and late night fog, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• Patchy AM fog, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday afternoon, then rain Friday night.
• lows 42-38 warming back to 42 Friday night highs 60-67.
• A mix of clouds and sun with (30%) chance of showers Saturday, just partly cloudy at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun Sunday, becoming mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night,
• A good (50%) chance of showers Monday.
• highs 62-66 cooling to near 60 Monday lows 48-44. (seasonal averages high 57 low 37)

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Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: Moderate-  65

Grass: low- 2

Reading as of: 3/13/15

Data courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of scattered evening showers, patchy fog with a (30%) chance of isolated showers late tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with patchy fog Wednesday AM, mostly sunny in the afternoon, mostly clear with patchy fog late Wednesday night,
• Patchy AM fog, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night with patchy fog late,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday, becoming cloudy with rain Friday night.
• lows 42-38 warming to 45 Thursday night cooling back to 42 Friday night highs 64-70 cooling to 63 Friday.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday AM, just mostly cloudy Saturday afternoon through Sunday, mostly cloudy with a  (30%) chance of rain Sunday night,
• Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday, cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Tuesday.
• highs 65-68 cooling to near Tuesday lows 38-42. (seasonal averages high 58 low 40)

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

• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of isolated coastal showers this evening while a slight (20%) chance of isolated inland showers through late tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with patchy inland AM fog, mostly sunny Wednesday afternoon, mostly clear at night with patchy inland fog late at night,
• Partly cloudy with patchy inland AM fog, partly cloudy  Thursday afternoon and Thursday night with patchy inland fog late,
• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday, evening rain, then rain likely (70%) Friday night.
• lows 46-48 cooling back to 46 Friday night highs 58-60 cooling back to 58 Friday.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday AM, just mostly cloudy Saturday afternoon through Sunday, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Sunday night,
• Mostly cloudy with AM rain, rain likely (70%) Monday afternoon, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday.
• highs 60-57 lows 44-48. (seasonal averages high 54 low 42)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of evening rain and snow showers, a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers late tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy Wednesday AM, mostly sunny and just a bit warmer in the afternoon, mostly clear at night,
• Mostly sunny Thursday AM, partly cloudy in the afternoon and Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun Friday, becoming mostly cloudy with evening rain, rain and snow late Friday night.
• snow level 4,500 ft. tonight, free air freezing level 6,000 ft. rising to 7,000 ft. Wednesday afternoon, 9,000 ft. rising to 10,000 ft. Wednesday night, 10,000 ft. Thursday and Thursday night, 10,000 ft. falling to 9,000 ft. Friday, then 7,000 ft. falling to 5,000 ft. Friday night.
• lows 30-34 cooling to 30 Friday night highs 52-58 cooling to near 50 Friday.
• A mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of rain and snow showers Saturday, just partly cloudy at night and Sunday, mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday night,
• Rain and snow likely (60%) Monday, rain and snow showers likely (60%) Monday night,
• Rain and snow showers likely (60%) Tuesday.
• snow level 4,000 ft. Saturday, free air freezing level 7,000 ft. Saturday night, 7,500 ft. Sunday, snow level 7,000 ft. Sunday night, 4,500 ft. Monday, 4,000 ft. Monday night, then 3,500 ft. Tuesday.
• highs 47-54 cooling to 43 Monday lows near 30.________________

   

  **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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