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Here again is my new weekly weather quiz question. One of the most important discoveries in modern Meteorology occurred during World War II. In 1944 our bombers taking part in the first raid on Japan had many of the planes run out of fuel much sooner than expected and many of them had to ditch in the ocean. What caused them to use up so much more fuel and later became one of the major tools in weather forecasting? Please post your answer as a comment after the forecasts on this page. The first person to post the correct answer will win a week of free personalized weather forecasts tailored to your needs. Good luck.

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The upper air flow (yellow jet stream and dark colors for winds) shows a small high pressure ridge (“arch” shape in the yellow line) will give us a short period of drier weather through most of today. A trough of low pressure (“U” shape offshore) will quickly move behind the ridge pushing lots of moisture our way to set us up for some more wet weather. A new frontal system, still offshore will bring the rain back. A strong surface low pressure area will help spin more Pacific moisture our way.

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Advisories: A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM TODAY FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 3 AM SATURDAY FOR JACKSON COUNTY

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Here are your detailed forecasts. **

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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Areas of patchy dense fog with scattered areas of freezing fog and frost this AM, then a mix of clouds and sun this afternoon, increasing clouds with a slight (20%) chance of rain this evening, rain late at night (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain at times Saturday (0.25 in. of rain possible),  isolated afternoon thunderstorms could produce higher amounts of rain, showers Saturday night (0.25 in. of rain possible), showers Sunday (0.25 in. of rain possible), and rain likely (60%) Sunday night highs 45-50 lows 34-39. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday through Thursday highs 44-48 lows near 38. (seasonal averages highs 45 low 33)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg:  Mostly cloudy with areas of fog and freezing fog this AM, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain this afternoon, cloudy with a (40%) chance of evening rain, rain and snow late tonight (snow level 3,000 ft. falling to 1,500 ft late), rain Saturday (snow level 3,500 ft. falling to 3,000 ft. in the afternoon), showers Saturday night (snow level 3,000 ft.), AM showers Sunday, then rain in the afternoon and Sunday evening, rain and snow late Sunday night highs 44-47 lows 37-40. Mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (60%) Monday, rain Monday night through Tuesday night, then rain likely (60%-70%) Wednesday through Thursday highs 44-49 lows 37-43. (seasonal averages high 49 low 35)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Patchy early AM fog, mostly cloudy today with a (30%) chance of coastal rain and a slight (20%) chance of afternoon rain  inland, cloudy tonight, evening coastal rain likely (60%) and a good (50%) chance of evening rain inland, then rain both areas late tonight and breezy (wind: SE 10-15 mph shifting S 15-25 mph late at the shore),  rain and breezy (wind: S 15-25 mph at the shore and S 10-20 mph inland, AM wind gusts to 40 mph) Saturday, evening coastal showers and isolated thunderstorms with showers inland, mostly cloudy with AM coastal showers and thunderstorms, AM showers inland, then rain Sunday afternoon, and rain and breezy Sunday night highs 49-44 lows 43-40. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday, rain Monday night through Tuesday night, then rain likely (60%) Wednesday through Thursday highs bouncing back and forth between 43-50 lows 39-46. (seasonal averages high 53 lows 39).

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly sunny today, becoming mostly cloudy with snow likely (60%) this evening, snow and rain and breezy (wind: SE 15-25 mph) late at night (1-4 in. of snow possible), snow and breezy (wind: SE 10-15 mph shifting S 15-25 mph in the afternoon) Saturday (3-6 in. of snow possible), snow showers Saturday night (1-3 in. of snow possible),  snow showers Sunday, and snow likely (60%) Sunday night snow level 3,500 ft. rising to 4,000 ft. this afternoon, 3,500 ft. tonight, 2,500 ft. rising to 3,000 ft. Saturday, 2,500 ft. Saturday evening through Sunday night highs holding near 33 lows 25-22. Mostly cloudy with snow likely (60%-70%) Monday through Wednesday, then snow and rain likely (60%) Wednesday night and Thursday snow level 3,000 ft. Monday night, 2,500 ft. Tuesday through Wednesday,  4,000 ft. Wednesday night, and 5,000 ft. Thursday highs 30-34 lows between 23-27.

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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.