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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 weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What does the acronym “LORAN” stand for?  Here is the correct answer. LORAN stands for Long Range Navigation, a system of long range navigation whereby latitude and longitude are determined from the time displacement of radio signals from two or more fixed transmitters. 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 level trough of low pressure (Shaded “U” shape with blue arrows) will be moving into the Pacific Northwest bringing rain with it. A frontal system moves in for some more precipitation. Note: Mt. Ashland is closed now waiting for more snow. They will open one last time this season on Saturday March 28th, snow or now snow, for their “Big Mountain Bash.” Willamette Pass and Hoodoo have officially announced that this ski season is over for both of them.

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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 13 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 AM rain, rain this afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of showers this evening, showers late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain Monday (0.30 in. of rain possible) and in the evening, showers late Monday night (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Showers Tuesday, then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday night.
• highs 58-55 warming back to 58 Tuesday lows 43-47.
• Cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain at night,
• Patchy AM fog, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain at night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• highs 63-70 cooling to 63 Saturday lows 43-46 cooling to 43 Friday night. (seasonal averages high 57  low 38)

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Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: High-  303

Grass: Absent- 0

Reading as of: 3/19/15

Data courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of AM rain, rain this afternoon (0.20 in. of rain possible), showers tonight (0.30 in. of rain possible),
• Showers Monday (0.20 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,500 ft.), rain Monday night (0.40 in. of rain possible, evening snow level 3,500 ft.),
• Mostly cloudy with showers Tuesday, then a (40%) chance of showers Tuesday night.
• highs near 58 lows 43-45.
• Mostly cloudy and warmer with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday, mostly cloudy at night,
• Partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday, a slight (20%) chance of rain at night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• highs 68-74 cooling to 67 Saturday lows 43-50 cooling to 45 Friday night. (seasonal averages high 59 low 40)

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

• Rain today (0.35 in. of rain possible), coastal showers with a slight (20%) chance of evening thunderstorms with rain and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms tonight while evening showers inland and rain late tonight (0.35 in. of rain possible),
• Then showers Monday (0.35 in. of rain possible), rain Monday night (0.55 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with showers Tuesday, then cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain at night.
• highs 58-53 lows 49-46 warming back to 49 Tuesday night.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday, mostly cloudy Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy Thursday and at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday, just mostly cloudy Friday night,
• Then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• highs 59-63 cooling to 56 Friday and Saturday lows 48-50 cooling to 46 Friday night. (seasonal averages high 54 low 42)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Increasing clouds with a slight (20%) chance of AM rain and snow, rain and snow showers this afternoon (0.50 in. of rain possible), rain and snow showers tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1-3 in.of snow possible),
• Rain and snow Monday (snow level 3,000 ft.) and in the evening, rain and snow showers late Monday night (snow level 3,500 ft.),
• Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers Tuesday, then rain and snow showers likely (60%) Tuesday night.
• snow level 5,500 ft. today, 4,000 ft. tonight, 3,000 ft. Monday, 3,500 ft. Monday night, 4,500 ft. Tuesday, then 5,500 ft. Tuesday night.
• highs 48-38 warming to near 42 Tuesday lows 29-32.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Wednesday and Wednesday night,
• Just partly cloudy Thursday and at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain at night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• snow level 6,000 ft. Wednesday, 7,500 ft. Wednesday night, free air freezing level 10,000 ft.  Thursday, 11,000 ft. Thursday night, snow level above 8,000 ft. Friday and Friday night, then 7,500 ft. Saturday.
• highs 49-60 cooling to 52 Saturday lows 33-35 cooling back to 33 Friday night.

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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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