Here is my weekly weather quiz question. What are “Backing Winds?” The first person to post the correct answer as a comment on this page will win a week of free personalized weather forecasts tailored to your needs.  Good luck.

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An Upper Level High Pressure Ridge (Shaded “Arch”shape with blue arrows) is still dominating our weather picture.  The very slow cooling begins today with some onshore airflow, but we start to warm back up pretty quickly. The graphics for days 1-3 show a backdoor front attempting to move from the northeast to southwest into Oregon.

Note: Eugene set a new record high for Wednesday with 102 and the same for Thursday, Roseburg set a new record of 108 Wednesday and again Thursday, and North Bend set a record high Wednesday of 85 but no record Thursday.  Still hot, but we”ll cool down a bit Friday. Take proper precautions to keep hydrated and cool.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene-Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 151 in the Unhealthy category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 143 in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 130 in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category measuring Particulate Matter.

Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)

 

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Advisories:

• AN AIR  QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM TUESDAY FOR BENTON COUNTY, CLACKAMAS COUNTY, CLATSOP COUNTY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, HOOD RIVER COUNTY, LANE COUNTY, LINCOLN COUNTY, LINN COUNTY. MARION COUNTY, MULTNOMAH COUNTY, POLK COUNTY, TILLAMOOK COUNTY, WASHINGTON COUNTY, YAMHILL COUNTY, AND CLARK COUNTY.
• AN HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 9 PM TONIGHT FOR THE GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA, THE CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY, THE SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY, AND THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS, THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY, THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES, AND THE CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY.
• AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT FOR THE CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY.
• AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY, EASTERN CURRY COUNTY, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, THE EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS, JACKSON COUNTY, THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES, THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS,  THE KLAMATH BASIN, NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY, AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY.
• The Oregon Health Authority issued a Health Advisory for Coffenbury Lake, located at Fort Stevens State Park about five miles northwest of US-101 ALT, Northwest Ridgefield Road near Warrenton in Clatsop County. Water monitoring has confirmed the presence of blue-green algae that can produce toxins in Coffenbury Lake. These blue-green algae levels are likely to be associated with dangerous cyanotoxin concentrations in the water that can be harmful to humans and animals.  People should always avoid areas with visible scum that looks foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Swimming and high-speed water activities such as water skiing or power boating where ingestion and inhalation exposure can occur are discouraged. Swallowing or inhaling water droplets as a result of these water activities in areas where a bloom has been identified or an advisory issued, can expose people to the toxins that can be produced. Although toxins are not absorbed through the skin, people with skin sensitivities who come into contact with a bloom may experience a puffy, red rash at the affected area. Drinking water directly from Coffenbury Lake at this time is especially dangerous. OHA Public Health Division officials advise campers and other recreational visitors that toxins cannot be removed by boiling, filtering or treating water with camping-style filters.
• The Health Advisory for Odel Lake, located 75 miles southeast of Eugene off highway 58  in the northwest corner of Klamath County HAS BEEN LIFTED. Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of blue-green algae toxins are below guideline values for human exposure. However, Oregon Health officials advise recreational visitors to always be alert to signs of algae blooms in all Oregon waters, because blooms can develop and disappear throughout the season. Only a fraction of the many lakes and waterways in Oregon are monitored for blue-green algae by state, federal and local agencies, therefore, you are your own best advocate when it comes to keeping you and your family safe.
• The Oregon Health Authority has updated the Health Advisory issued June 30 for Lake Billy Chinook, located about 12 miles west of Madras in Jefferson County. The update lifts the advisory on those areas of the Deschutes and Crooked River of Lake Billy Chinook arms affected by the advisory, and confines the advisory on the Metolius Arm to Perry South Cove. Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of blue-green algae toxins are below guideline values for human exposure. However, OHA recommends that people remain cautious when using the lake, particularly with pets because toxins are still well above the very low exposure levels established for dogs.
• A Permanent Health Advisory remains in effect for the South Umpqua River and Lawson Bar. Pools in the bedrock along the rivers edge are known to develop Blue-green Algae (cyanobacterial) blooms that can be harmful to pets and people if accidental ingestion occurs. Signs have been posted along several access areas along the river.

 

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

• Sunny and still Hot but cooler with smokey haze this afternoon, mostly clear tonight,
• Mostly sunny and still hot but a bit cooler Saturday, partly cloudy Saturday night,
• Mostly sunny and a bit warmer, Hot again, Sunday, then mostly clear at night.
• highs 95-90 warming back to 95 Sunday lows 54-58.
• Mostly sunny and a bit cooler Monday, partly cloudy Monday night,
• Partly cloudy Tuesday through Wednesday AM,  mostly sunny in the afternoon, mostly clear Wednesday night,
• Then mostly sunny and a bit cooler Thursday.
• highs 92-90 lows 59-57. (seasonal averages high 84 low 52)

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Eugene-Springfield Pollen Count
Grass………. Low (3)
Trees………. Low (3)
Last Counted: 8/2/17
Data Courtesy of Oregon Allergy Associates.
Note: It would seem the pollen season is over.

 

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Forecast for Roseburg:

• Sunny and a bit cooler but still hot with patchy smoke this afternoon, mostly clear with patchy smoke tonight,
• Sunny and a bit cooler, still hot, Saturday, partly cloudy in the evening, mostly clear Saturday night,
• Sunny and a bit cooler Sunday, then partly cloudy at night.
• highs 99-95 lows 58-62.
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms Monday through Tuesday night,
• Partly cloudy Wednesday AM, sunny and a bit warmer in the afternoon, mostly clear at night,
• Then mostly sunny Thursday.
• highs 95-93 lows near 62. (seasonal averages high 86 low 57)

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Forecast for The South Central Oregon Coast Including Coos Bay and North Bend:

• Partly cloudy at the shore while sunny with patchy smoke inland and a bit cooler this afternoon, partly cloudy with patchy inland smoke tonight,
• Mostly cloudy with patchy AM coastal fog Saturday, sunny afternoon, partly cloudy at night,
• Mostly cloudy in the AM, mostly sunny Sunday afternoon, then partly cloudy Sunday night.
• highs near 66 lows near 55.
• Partly cloudy Monday and at night,
• Partly cloudy Tuesday through Thursday morning, then sunny and a bit warmer Thursday afternoon.
• highs near 66 lows near 55. (seasonal averages high 65 low 53)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly sunny and a bit cooler but still Hot this afternoon with areas of smoke, mostly clear and cooler tonight,
• AM sun, partly cloudy and a bit cooler Saturday and at night,
• Mostly sunny in the AM, partly cloudy and a bit cooler Sunday afternoon and  Sunday night.
• free air freezing level above 12,000 ft. tonight through Sunday night.
• highs 86-84 lows 50-55.
• Partly cloudy and a bit cooler with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday afternoon and evening, mostly clear late Monday night,
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms and a bit cooler Tuesday afternoon and evening, just partly cloudy at night,
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening, partly cloudy at night,
• Then partly cloudy Thursday with a slight (20%) chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
• Free air freezing level above 12,000 ft. Monday through Wednesday, snow level above 8,000 ft. Wednesday night, then free air freezing level above 12,000 ft. Thursday.
• highs 80-78 lows 56-53.

 

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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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