Here is my new weekly weather quiz question. What is “Latent Heat Flux?” 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 large upper level low (Shaded U shape with blue arrows) continues to send frontal systems at us. A weak frontal system moves into the Pacific Northwest producing clouds and some rain. A parade of increasingly  stronger storms like this frontal system will move in Friday adding to the chance of rain. The storms will be spaced about 24 hours apart. Another frontal system pushes into Oregon Sunday into Monday. Willamette Pass, Hoodoo and Mt. Ashland are all open with great ski conditions. Check their websites for updates.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 50 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

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

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 30 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

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

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Advisories:

• A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT NEAR THE BEACHES AND HEADLANDS FOR THE NORTH OREGON COAST AND THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT FOR THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY.
• A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST,  THE CURRY COUNTY COAST,
• A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE KLAMATH BASIN, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN, CENTRAL, AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY.
• A HIGH SURF WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND THE CURRY COUNTY COAST.
• A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM WEDNESDAY FOR JACKSON COUNTY.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES, THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS, THE KLAMATH BASIN, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN, CENTRAL, AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY.

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

• Mostly cloudy with rain tonight (0.75 in. of rain possible),
• Showers Wednesday (0.25 in. of rain possible), cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers late Wednesday night (0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain and a bit cooler Thursday (0.35 in. of rain possible) and in the evening, showers likely (60%) at night (0.35 in. of rain possible),
• Cloudy and a bit warmer with a (40%) chance of showers Friday, then rain Friday night.
• lows 44-37 warming to 42 Friday night highs 48-46 warming back to 48 Friday.
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer with rain Saturday, rain likely (60%) Saturday night through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Monday night,
• Then rain likely (60%) Tuesday.
• highs 52-48 lows near 40. (seasonal averages high 47 low 34)

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Home Wood Heating Advisory:

Eugene-Springfield: GREEN- Burning is Allowed.

Oakridge:  GREEN- Burning is Allowed.

*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:

• Cloudy with rain tonight (0.30 in. of rain possible) and breezy (Wind: S 15-25 mph shifting SW 10-15 mph late tonight),
• Mostly cloudy with showers Wednesday (0.35 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,500 ft.), a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,000 ft. late),
• Mostly cloudy with rain likely (70%) Thursday AM, rain and a bit cooler in the afternoon (0.20 in. of rain possible, snow level 2,500 ft. rising to 3,000 ft. in the afternoon), evening rain, showers likely (70%) late Thursday night (0.15 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,000 ft. late at night),
• Cloudy and a bit warmer with a (40%) chance showers of Friday, then showers likely (70%) Friday night.
• lows 45-37 warming to 43 Friday night highs 52-48 warming to 50 Friday.
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer with showers Saturday, showers likely (70%) Saturday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday, then rain likely (60%) Sunday night through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and Monday night and Tuesday.
• highs 52-49 lows 40-42. (seasonal averages high 49 low 36)

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

• Mostly cloudy with rain tonight (0.50 in. of rain possible) and windy (Wind: S 20-30 mph shifting W 15-20 mph late tonight at the shore while S 15-25 mph inland shifting W 10-15 mph late tonight),
• Showers Wednesday (0.40 in. of rain possible), coastal evening showers likely (70%) and a slight (20%) chance of showers late at night while a good (50%) chance of inland showers Wednesday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain Thursday (0.40 in. of rain possible) and breezy (Wind: SE 5-10 mph increasing to S 15-25 mph in the afternoon), evening rain, coastal showers late Thursday night while inland showers likely (60%) at night (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer with a good (50%) chance of showers Friday, then showers Friday night.
• lows 49-43 warming to 48 Friday night highs 53-56.
• Mostly cloudy with showers Saturday, then showers likely (70%) Saturday night,
• Rain likely (60%) Sunday and at night,
• Mostly cloudy and just aq bit cooler with rain Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), then rain likely (60%) Monday night and Tuesday.
• highs 56-53 lows near 45. (seasonal averages high 51 low 40).

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Cloudy with rain this evening, rain or snow late tonight (0.50 in. of rain possible, 1-4 in. of snow possible) and breezy (Wind: S 15-25 mph gusts to 45 mph decreasing to S 10-15 mph gusts to 25 mph late tonight),
• Mostly cloudy with rain and snow Wednesday AM, showers in the afternoon (0.50 in. of rain possible, 2-5 in. of snow possible), cloudy with evening showers likely (70%), a good (50%) chance of showers Wednesday night (0.10 in. of rain possible, 1 in. of snow possible),
• Cloudy with a (40%) chance of AM snow, rain or snow Thursday afternoon and evening, rain and snow showers late at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Friday, then rain or snow Friday night.
• snow level 6,000 ft. tonight, 6,000 ft. falling to 5,000 ft. Wednesday afternoon, 2,500 ft. Wednesday night and Thursday, 3,500 ft. Thursday night, 4,000 ft. Friday, then 5,500 ft. Friday night.
• lows 32-24 warming to 29 Friday night highs near 34.
• Rain Saturday AM, rain or snow in the afternoon, rain or snow likely (60%) Saturday night through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Monday night,
• Then mostly cloudy with rain or snow likely (60%) Tuesday.
• snow level 6,500 ft. Saturday, 4,500 ft. Saturday night and Sunday, 5,000 ft. Sunday night through Monday night, then 4,000 ft. Tuesday.
• highs near 34 lows near 26.

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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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