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Check out my latest Eugene Daily News Weather Or Not Column Things Seemed Much Simpler And Innocent Back Then.

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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.

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And my 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 is an “acre-foot?” Here is the correct answer. An Acre-foot is the amount of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. An acre-foot equals 326,851 gallons, or 43,560 cubic feet. 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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A high pressure ridge (Shaded “Arch” shape in blue arrows) is getting stronger right over us. The high is trapping the hot air over the Pacific Northwest producing the hottest temperatures so far this year. We’ll start cooling down from the upper 90s due to an increase in marine air moving in from the west. There will be a slight chance of thunderstorms through Monday AM.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 38 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 40 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 41 in the Good  category measuring Particulate Matter.

Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA).

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Advisories:

• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM TODAY FOR HOT, DRY, UNSTABLE CONDITIONS, UNSEASONABLY DRY FUELS, AND THE POTENTIAL OF ABUNDANT LIGHTNING. THE AREA INCLUDES THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND ADJACENT COAST RANGE AND CASCADE FOOTHILLS, MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST WEST OF THE CASCADE CREST, AND THE WILLAMETTE NATIONAL FOREST.
• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM TODAY FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS AND ABUNDANT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES -DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST – MINUS SISTERS RANGER DISTRICT – CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF OREGON.
• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TODAY FOR THE UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST-SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES, THE KLAMATH BASIN AND THE FREMONT-WINEMA NATIONAL FOREST, SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON DESERT INCLUDING THE BLM LAND IN EASTERN LAKE COUNTY AND WESTERN HARNEY COUNTY.
• A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR INCREASING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY UNTIL 11 AM TODAY THE WESTERN KLAMATH NATIONAL FOREST, THE WESTERN ROGUE RIVER-SISKIYOU NATIONAL FOREST, THE WESTERN ROGUE BASIN INCLUDING THE THE ILLINOIS VALLEY, THE SISKIYOUS MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN ROGUE VALLEY.
• A HEALTH ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PRESENCE OF BLUE-GREEN ALGAE TOXINS IN LAKE BILLY CHINOOK RESERVIOR IN JEFFERSON. SWALLOWING OR INHALING WATER DROPLETS, AS WELL AS SKIN CONTACT WITH WATER SHOULD BE AVOIDED. DRINKING WATER DIRECTLY FROM LAKE BILLY CHINOOK RESERVOIR IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. UNTIL THE ADVISORY IS LIFTED THERE SHOULD BE NO HUMAN OR ANIMAL CONTACT WITH THE WATER.

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

• A mix of clouds and sun today and cooler with a (30%) chance of showers and thunderstorms, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers tonight and Monday AM, partly cloudy and warmer Monday afternoon and at night,
• Mostly sunny Tuesday AM, partly cloudy and very warm in the afternoon, then mostly clear Tuesday night.
• highs 86-90 lows 59-56 warming to 58 Tuesday night.
• Mostly sunny and warmer Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, mostly clear at night, partly cloudy Friday night and Saturday AM, then mostly sunny and just a bit cooler Saturday afternoon (Independence Day).
• highs 93-95 cooling back to 93 Saturday lows near 60. (seasonal averages high 77 low 49)

Eugene/Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: Low- 8

Grass: High- 172

Reading as of: 6/26/15

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of thunderstorms and cooler today, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms this evening, just partly cloudy late Sunday night,
• Sunny and a bit warmer Monday, mostly clear at night,
• Mostly sunny and a bit warmer Tuesday, then mostly clear at night.
• highs 88-94 lows near 60.
• Mostly sunny and a bit hot Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, mostly clear each night,
• Sunny Saturday AM, then partly cloudy and hot Saturday afternoon (Independence Day).
• highs 97-103 lows 66-63. (seasonal averages high 80 low 54)

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

• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms today, mostly cloudy this evening, partly cloudy late to night,
• Mostly cloudy Monday AM, sunny in the afternoon, mostly clear in the evening at the beaches while mostly clear inland Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy in the AM, sunny Tuesday afternoon, then mostly clear at night.
• highs 60-63 lows near 53.
• Mostly sunny and a bit warmer Wednesday and Thursday, mostly clear at night,
• Partly cloudy Friday and Friday night,
• Sunny in the AM, then partly cloudy and a bit cooler Saturday afternoon (Independence Day).
• highs near 67 lows 57-54. (seasonal averages high 63 low 52)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• A mix of clouds and sun and a bit cooler with a (30%) chance of showers and thunderstorms today (0.10 in. of rain possible, more in storms), partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, more in storms),
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Monday AM, mostly sunny and just a bit cooler with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, partly cloudy Monday night,
• Mostly sunny Tuesday AM, then partly cloudy and a bit warmer Tuesday afternoon and at night.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. today through Monday, then free air freezing level 15,000 ft. Monday night through Tuesday night.
• highs 78-76 warming to near 80 Tuesday lows 55-53 warming to 60 Tuesday night.
• Partly cloudy Wednesday AM, mostly sunny and warmer Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday, partly cloudy each night,
• Then partly cloudy Saturday (Independence Day).
• free air freezing level 15,000 ft. Wednesday, 16,000 ft. Wednesday night through Friday, 16,000 ft. falling to 15,000 ft. Friday night, 15,000 ft. rising to 16,000 ft. Saturday.
• highs 86-88 cooling back to 86 Saturday lows near 60.

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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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