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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 new weekly weather quiz question. What is “a Tail Cloud?” 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) has strengthened and has been keeping us warm. We cooled off Monday and Tuesday and today temperatures rose quite a bit. The really good news is that we’ll stay away from the dreaded 100s. We’re getting just enough marine air to add a few clouds and keep us a bit cooler. An upper level low (“O” shape) is moving through California close enough to us to produce mountain thunderstorms that could even bounce around to the valleys. That could also cool us off a bit more as the storms pass near us.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 28 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 18 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 23 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 FROM NOON UNTIL 9PM THURSDAY FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST, MINUS SISTERS RANGER STATION, THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, THE SOUTHERN BLUE AND STRAWBERRY MOUNTAINS, THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, THE CENTRAL BLUE MOUNTAINS, AND THE WALLOWA DISTRICT.

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

• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers mainly East of I-5 through late this evening, just partly cloudy late tonight,
• Partly cloudy and cooler Thursday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening showers and thunderstorms, just mostly cloudy late at night,
• Mostly cloudy and cooler Friday and Friday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun Saturday, mostly cloudy in the evening, then partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers late Saturday night.
• lows 54-57 cooling to 55 Saturday night highs 85-77.
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Sunday and Monday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night, just partly cloudy Monday night,
• Partly cloudy Tuesday AM, then mostly sunny Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday (warmer), mostly clear Tuesday night.
• highs near 79 lows 56-54. (seasonal averages high 81 low 51)

Eugene/Springfield Pollen Count:

Trees: Low- 6

Grass: High- 29

Reading as of: 7/6/15

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg:

• Partly cloudy with slight (20%) chance of isolated thunderstorms tonight,
• Mostly cloudy and a bit cooler with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Thursday through Saturday afternoon, then just mostly cloudy Saturday night.
• lows 63-60 warming to 62 Saturday highs 86-82.
• Mostly cloudy Sunday, partly cloudy Sunday night through Monday night,
• Then mostly sunny and warmer Tuesday and Wednesday, clear Tuesday night.
• highs 82-88 lows 62-58. (seasonal averages high 83 low 56)

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

• Partly cloudy at the shore late this evening, mostly cloudy with patchy fog late at night while mostly clear inland tonight,
• Patchy AM fog, mostly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night with a slight (20%) chance of evening inland thunderstorms,
• Then mostly cloudy Friday through Saturday night.
• lows near 55 highs near 62.
• Mostly cloudy and just a bit warmer Sunday and Sunday night,
• Partly cloudy Monday through Tuesday, mostly clear at night,
• Then mostly sunny and a bit warmer Wednesday.
• highs 65-63 warming to 66 Wednesday lows near 55. (seasonal averages high 64 low 53)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight,
• A mix of clouds and sun and cooler with a good (50%) chance of showers and thunderstorms Thursday afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms), mostly cloudy with a showers likely (60%) and a slight (20%) chance thunderstorms in the evening, a (40%) chance of showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms late Thursday night (0.25 in. of rain possible, more in storms) and Friday AM, a (40%) chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then a (40%) chance of showers late Saturday night.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. tonight through Saturday night.
• lows 56-48 highs 76-68.
• A mix of clouds and sun and a bit cooler Sunday with a good (50%) chance of showers and a (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms in the evening, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms late Sunday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance showers and thunderstorms Monday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening showers and thunderstorms, just partly cloudy late Monday night and Tuesday AM, then mostly sunny Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, mostly clear Tuesday night.
• snow level above 8,000 ft. Sunday through Monday night, free air freezing level 12,000 ft. Tuesday, then 13,000 ft. Tuesday night and Wednesday.
• highs 68-64 warming to 66 Tuesday lows 49-47.

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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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