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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 level high pressure ridge (Shaded “Arch” shape with blue arrows) will keep us in sunshine for another day. An upper level trough of low pressure (Shaded “U” shape with blue arrows on previous graphic) will be moving into the Pacific Northwest and will bring a chance of rain with it. High pressure will strengthen behind it for some clearing, then a frontal system (shown at the far western part of the map) moves in Friday for some more precipitation. Note: Mt. Ashland is still open Thursdays through Mondays. Willamette Pass and Hoodoo have officially announced that this ski season is over for both of them.

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 18 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 7 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:

• Partly cloudy with patchy fog late tonight,
• Patchy AM and late night fog, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday afternoon, rain Friday night and breezy (Wind: S 5-10 mph increasing to S 15-25 mph late at night),
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Saturday AM, a slight (20%) chance of afternoon showers, then just partly cloudy Saturday night.
• lows 38-44 cooling back to 38 Saturday night highs 66-58.
• A mix of clouds and sun Sunday, becoming mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday night,
• Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday and at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday, a (40%) chance of showers Tuesday night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a (30%) chance of rain Wednesday.
• highs 62-55 warming to near 60 Wednesday lows 44-42. (seasonal averages high 57 low 37)

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Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: Moderate-  65

Grass: low- 2

Reading as of: 3/17/15

Data courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly clear with patchy fog late tonight,
• Areas of AM fog, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night with patchy fog late,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday afternoon, rain Friday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Saturday, just mostly cloudy Saturday night.
• lows 38-40 highs 69-63.
• Mostly cloudy Sunday, mostly cloudy with rain Sunday night and Monday,
• Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday, showers likely (70%) at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday and Tuesday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday.
• highs 65-57 warming to near 62 Wednesday lows 43-40. (seasonal averages high 58 low 40)

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

• Mostly clear tonight with patchy inland fog late,
• Partly cloudy with patchy inland AM fog, partly cloudy  Thursday afternoon and Thursday night with patchy inland fog late,
• Cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Friday afternoon, coastal evening rain with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms while rain inland Friday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday, then just mostly cloudy Saturday night.
• lows 45-48 cooling back to 45 Saturday night highs 58-60.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday afternoon, rain Sunday night and Monday, showers likely (70%) Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with showers likely (70%) Tuesday, a (30%) chance of showers at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday.
• highs 58-55 warming to 57 Wednesday lows 47-45. (seasonal averages high 54 low 42)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly clear tonight,
• Mostly sunny Thursday AM, partly cloudy in the afternoon and Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun Friday AM, becoming cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday afternoon, rain in the evening, rain and snow late Friday night,
• Cloudy with AM rain and snow showers likely (70%), a (60%) chance of rain and snow showers Saturday afternoon, just partly cloudy at night.
• free air freezing level 9,000 ft. tonight and Thursday, 9,000 ft. rising to 10,000 ft. late Thursday night, snow level 6,500 ft. Friday,  7,000 ft. falling to 5,500 ft. late Friday night, 4,000 ft. Saturday, then free air freezing level falling to 6,000 ft. late Saturday night.
• lows 34-30 highs 57-45.
• Partly cloudy Sunday, becoming mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (60%) Sunday night through Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow showers Tuesday and at night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow Wednesday.
• free air freezing level 7,000 ft. falling to 6,500 ft. Sunday, snow level 5,500 ft. Sunday night, 4,500 ft. Monday, 3,500 ft. Monday night and Tuesday, 4,000 ft. Tuesday night, then 4,500 ft. Wednesday.
• highs 52-39 warming to 45 Wednesday lows 32-27.

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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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