Here is my new weekly weather quiz question. What is a “Panhandle Hook?”  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 low (Shaded “U” shape with blue arrows) returned Wednesday and it pushed a frontal system down from the northwest bringing even more rain with mountain snow levels falling. Just a little break for most of  today, then it’s back to showers. Another frontal system with move in Saturday sending rain our way Friday through Sunday.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 58 in the Moderate category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 54 in the Moderate category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 64 in the Moderate category measuring Particulate Matter.

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

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Advisories:

• A HEALTH ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR SUNSET BAY STATE PARK BEACH LOCATED IN COOS COUNTY FOR HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL FECAL BACTERIA WHICH CAN RESULT IN DIARRHEA, STOMACH CRAMPS, SKIN RASHES, UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AND OTHER ILLNESSES. DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE WATER – ESPECIALLY BY CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY, WHO MAY BE VULNERABLE TO WATERBORNE BACTERIA – SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN THIS AREA UNTIL THE ADVISORY IS LIFTED. VISITORS SHOULD AVOID WADING IN NEARBY CREEKS, POOLS OF WATER ON THE BEACH, OR IN DISCOLORED WATER AND STAY CLEAR OF WATER RUNOFF FLOWING INTO THE OCEAN.

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

• Mostly cloudy with patchy dense fog this AM (0.25 mile or less visibility possible), mostly cloudy this afternoon with possible sun breaks, cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain tonight and Friday AM, a good (50%) chance of rain Friday afternoon, a slight (20%) chance of rain in the evening, a good (50%) chance of rain late at night (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Then mostly cloudy with rain Saturday and Saturday night.
• highs 52-58 lows 42-47 cooling back to 42 Friday night.
• Mostly cloudy with showers and a bit cooler Sunday, rain likely (60%) Sunday night and Monday, rain Monday night through Tuesday night,
• Then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday.
• highs 52-49 warming to 54 Tuesday cooling to near 50 Wednesday lows 37-46. (seasonal averages high 54 low 38)

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Your Saturday College Football Forecast:

Ducks vs Stanford at Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA– Kickoff 4:30 PM PST: Mostly sunny, becoming partly cloudy then mostly cloudy, 66 cooling as the game progresses, wind N-NW 5-10 mph.

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Beavers vs California at Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA- Kickoff 7:30 PM PST: Becoming mostly cloudy, chance of showers developing, 57 cooling as the game progresses, wind W-SW 5-10 mph at night.

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Forecast for Roseburg:

• Partly cloudy with patchy fog this AM, mostly cloudy this afternoon, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain late tonight,
• Cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday and Friday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Then mostly cloudy with rain Saturday and Saturday night.
• highs 53-62 cooling to 57 Saturday lows 42-45 cooling to near 40 Saturday night.
• Showers and a bit cooler Sunday, rain and snow showers likely (60%) Sunday night,
• Rain and snow Monday, rain Monday night through Tuesday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with showers likely (70%) Wednesday.
• highs 49-57 cooling to 52 Wednesday lows 36-47. (seasonal averages high 55 low 41)

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

• Patchy AM fog, mostly cloudy today, cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of coastal rain tonight while a slight (20%) chance of inland rain late tonight,
• Cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday, a (30%) chance of rain Friday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Then mostly cloudy with rain Saturday and Saturday night.
• highs 56-60 lows 48-53 cooling to 45 Saturday night.
• Mostly cloudy with showers Sunday, showers likely (60%) at night,
• Rain Monday, rain and breezy Monday night through Tuesday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Wednesday.
• highs 52-58 cooling to 54 Wednesday lows 43-50. (seasonal averages high 56 low 43).

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Partly cloudy and a bit warmer today, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain late tonight,
• Cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday AM, a (40%) chance of rain and a bit warmer in the afternoon, a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday night,
• Mostly cloudy with rain Saturday, then rain and snow at night.
• snow level 4,500 ft. rising to 6,000 ft. this afternoon, 6,500 ft. tonight, 7,500 ft. Friday through Saturday, then 5,500 ft. Saturday night.
• highs 42-46 lows 30-35 cooling to 28 Saturday night.
• Rain and snow showers Sunday, rain and snow likely (70%) Sunday night,
• Mostly cloudy with snow likely (70%) Monday, rain and snow Monday night through Tuesday night,
• Then rain and snow likely (70%) Wednesday.
• snow level 3,500 ft. Sunday, 3,000 ft. Sunday night, at the surface Monday, 4,500 ft. Monday night, 6,000 ft. Tuesday, 5,500 ft. Tuesday  night, then 3,500 ft. Wednesday.
• highs 35-42 cooling to 36 Wednesday lows 22-33.

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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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