Here is my 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 moved into the Pacific Northwest and now the low moves to the northeast bringing us cooler temperatures and more rain. A parade of increasingly  stronger storms like this frontal system that will slide into Oregon Sunday. We will see more frontal systems like this one shown pushing onto the coast next Thursday. 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 15 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 36 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 31 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

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

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Advisories:

• A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM SATURDAY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SUNDAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON COAST AND THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST.
• A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY UNTIL 4 PM SUNDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND THE CURRY COUNTY COAST.
• A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR THE KLAMATH BASIN, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN, CENTRAL, AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY.
• A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR 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:

• Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of evening rain, rain tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible) and Saturday AM, showers in the afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible) and breezy (Wind: S 15-25 mph), a good (50%) chance of evening showers, cloudy with a good (50%) of rain late Saturday night (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy and a bit cooler with rain Sunday (0.50 in. of rain possible), evening showers, a good (50%) chance of showers Sunday night (0.15 in. of rain possible),
• A mix of clouds and sun Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), then becoming cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Monday night.
• lows 42-40 highs 52-49.
• Mostly cloudy with rain likely (70%) Tuesday and at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Wednesday, rain likely (70%) Wednesday night and Thursday (warmer), cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday night,
• Then rain likely (70%) and cooler Friday.
• highs 47-55 cooling to 50 Friday lows 44-42. (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:

• Mostly cloudy with rain tonight (0.15 in. of rain possible) and Saturday AM, showers in the afternoon (0.20 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of showers Saturday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain Sunday (0.95 in. of rain possible), cloudy with evening rain, a good (50%) chance of showers late Sunday night (0.15 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, a bit warmer with a (30%) chance of rain Monday afternoon (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), then rain likely (70%) Monday night.
• lows 42-45 cooling back to 42 Sunday night and Monday night highs 52-54.
• Rain likely (70%) and a bit cooler Tuesday, showers likely (70%) at night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday AM, a (30%) chance of afternoon rain, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday night,
• Rain likely (70%) Thursday, then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday night and Friday.
• highs near 52 lows near 43. (seasonal averages high 50 low 37)

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

• Mostly cloudy with coastal rain tonight, coastal rain and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms late tonight while rain inland (0.35 in. of rain possible) and windy at the shore (Wind: S 15-25 mph increasing to S 25-35 mph late tonight while breezy inland (Wind: S 15-25 mph),
• Mostly cloudy with coastal rain and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Saturday AM while AM rain inland, showers in the afternoon (0.35 in. of rain possible) and breezy inland (Wind: SW 15-25 mph while windy at the shore (Wind: SW 25-35 mph shifting SW 15-25 mph in the afternoon), cloudy with a (40%) chance of evening showers, showers late Saturday night (0.20 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with rain Sunday (1.25 in. of rain possible), possibly heavy at times in the AM, and breezy (Wind: S 20-30 mph shifting SW 10-15 mph in the afternoon at the shore while SW 10-20 mph inland), evening coastal rain while rain likely (60%) inland, a good (50%) chance of showers late Sunday night (0.15 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy and a bit cooler with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), then rain likely (70%) Monday afternoon and Monday night.
• lows near 47 highs near 56.
• Mostly cloudy with rain Tuesday, showers and windy at night,
• A (40%) chance of showers Wednesday AM, a (40%) chance of rain in the afternoon, rain Wednesday night and Thursday, rain likely (60%) Thursday night,
• Then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday.
• highs near 55 lows 47-50 cooling back to 47 Thursday night. (seasonal averages high 52 low 40).

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly cloudy with rain tonight (0.50 in. of rain possible, 1-4 in. of snow possible),
• Cloudy and a bit warmer with rain Saturday AM, showers in the afternoon (0.50 in. of rain possible, 1-3 in. of snow possible), evening showers likely (70%), a good (50%) chance of rain and snow showers late Saturday night (0.25 in. of rain possible, 2 in. of snow possible),
• Rain Sunday, showers at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun and a bit cooler Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, a slight (20%) chance of afternoon rain, then cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain or  snow Monday night.
• snow level 4,000 ft. rising to 5,500 ft. tonight, 7,000 ft. falling to 5,500 ft. Saturday, 4,500 ft. Saturday night, 5,500 ft. Sunday, 4,500 ft. Sunday night, then 4,500 Monday and Monday night.
• lows 30-26 highs 37-34.
• Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) and a bit cooler Tuesday, rain Tuesday night,
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain or snow showers Wednesday, rain likely (70%) at night and Thursday (warmer), a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday night,
• Then cloudy and cooler with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday.
• snow level 4,000 ft. Tuesday, 4,500 ft. Tuesday night and Wednesday, 6,000 ft. Wednesday night, 6,500 ft. Thursday, 6,000 ft. Thursday night, then 5,500 ft. Friday.
• highs 33-39 cooling back to 33 Thursday lows 27-32 cooling back to 27 Thursday night.

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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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