Here is my weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What is “Active Conservation Storage?” Here is the correct answer. Active Conservation Storage: In hydrologic terms, the portion of water stored in a reservoir that can be released for all useful purposes such as municipal water supply, power, irrigation, recreation, fish, wildlife, etc. Conservation storage is the volume of water stored between the inactive pool elevation and flood control stage. 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 high pressure ridge dried us out for about 36 hours, but that also means colder temperatures with possible freezing fog. The next frontal system approaches the West Coast today. Tuesday sees yet another frontal system headed for us. Local skiers are still celebrating. The mountains have a lot of new snow and Willamette Pass, Hoodoo and Mt. Ashland are all open, with night skiing starting today at Hoodoo. Check their websites for updates.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 10 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 42 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 34 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

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

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Advisories:

• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM TODAY FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING ABOVE 1,000 FT. FOR THE GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM UNTIL 10 PM TODAY FOR THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND THE CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING FOR THE NORTHERN CASCADES FOOTHILLS.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY ABOVE 2,000 FT. FOR CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY, EASTERN CURRY COUNTY, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, THE EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS, AND JACKSON COUNTY.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES, AND THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY.
• 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-

• Areas of AM fog, mostly cloudy and a bit warmer with rain at times today (0.25 in. of rain possible), cloudy with evening showers likely (70%), a (40%) chance of showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Cloudy and a bit warmer with a (40%) chance of showers Monday AM, a slight (20%) chance of showers in the afternoon (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers at night and patchy fog late (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with patchy AM fog, a slight (20%) chance of rain Tuesday, then cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Tuesday night.
• highs 42-44 cooling back to 42 Tuesday lows 35-32 warming back to 35 Tuesday night.
• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday night,
• Patchy AM fog Thursday, a mix of clouds and sun and just a bit cooler in the afternoon, partly cloudy with patchy fog late at night (New Year’s Eve),
• Patchy AM fog and late night fog, then a mix of clouds and sun and a bit cooler in the afternoon Friday (New Year’s Day) and Saturday.
• highs 43-39 lows 33-26. (seasonal averages high 45 low 33)

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Home Wood Heating Advisory:

Eugene-Springfield: GREEN – Burning is allowed.

Oakridge:  YELLOW– Caution is Advised.

*Note: Pellet stoves may be used anytime if they produce no visible emissions.

Advisory Courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA).

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Forecast for Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with patchy AM fog with rain and snow today (0.15 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible, snow level 2,000 ft.), rain and snow showers likely (70%) tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible, snow level 2,500 ft.),
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Monday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 2,500 ft. falling to 2,000 ft. in the afternoon), mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening rain and snow showers (snow level 2,000 ft.), just mostly cloudy at night,
• Patchy AM freezing fog with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow, mostly cloudy and a bit cooler with a slight (20%) chance of rain Tuesday afternoon, then a (30%) chance of rain Tuesday night.
• highs near 42 lows 36-32 warming to 34 Tuesday night.
• Mostly cloudy  with a (40%) chance of AM rain and snow showers, a bit warmer with a slight (20%) chance of showers Wednesday afternoon, mostly cloudy in the evening, partly cloudy late at night,
• Patchy AM and late night fog and partly cloudy in the afternoon and at night   and a bit cooler Thursday (New Year’s Eve) through Friday (New Year’s Day),
• Then just partly cloudy Saturday.
• highs 43-38 lows 36-32. (seasonal averages high 48 low 36)

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

• Mostly cloudy with rain today (0.30 in. of rain possible), showers likely (70%) tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Monday (under 0.10 in. of rain possible), a slight (20%) chance of inland showers in the evening while a slight (20%) chance of showers at the shore, then just mostly cloudy at night.
• highs near 48 lows 42-38 warming to 40 Tuesday night.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Tuesday, a (30%) chance of rain Tuesday night,
• A (40%) chance of showers and a bit warmer Wednesday, a slight (20%) chance of showers at night,
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer Thursday, partly cloudy in the afternoon and evening, mostly cloudy with areas of fog Thursday night (New Year’s Eve),
• Areas of AM and late night fog otherwise partly cloudy Friday (New Year’s Day) and Friday night,
• Mostly cloudy Saturday AM, then mostly sunny in the afternoon.
• highs 50-55 lows 40-35. (seasonal averages high 51 low 40).

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Cloudy with a (40%) chance of snow this AM, snow this afternoon (2-4 in. of snow possible), snow showers tonight (1-3 in. of snow possible),
• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of snow showers and a bit warmer Monday, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of snow showers Monday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of snow Tuesday afternoon, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of snow Tuesday night.
• snow level at the surface today through through Tuesday night.
• highs 28-30 lows 23-14.
• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of snow showers and a bit warmer Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers Wednesday night,
• Then partly cloudy and just a little bit warmer Thursday through Saturday.
• snow level at the surface Wednesday, 3,000 ft. Wednesday night, free air freezing level 5,500 ft. Thursday, 6,500 ft. Thursday night, then 8,000 ft. Friday (New Year’s Day) through Saturday.
• highs 29-37 lows 20-23.

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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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