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Here is this week’s weather quiz question. What is a “Radiosonde” used for in weather forecasting? Extra credit points if you can tell me what new technology is replacing radiosondes. 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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There will be a total lunar eclipse tonight into Tuesday AM, but it will probably be too cloudy for us to see it. I’ll keep you updated. The Winter Solstice takes place at 3:38 PM Pacific Time Tuesday to officially begin Winter. Here are the details on the eclipse. The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth’s shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the “bite” to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.
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The upper air flow (yellow jet stream and dark colors for winds) shows a trough of low pressure swinging down from the Gulf of Alaska (“U” shape offshore) which is pushing lots of moisture and, for the most part, mild air our way. We are still getting plenty of rain, in the Southern reaches of Western Oregon, from the storm that slid into Northern California. More storms will be coming at us next week including this frontal system that will come in for Christmas Eve. Not much of a chance of a “White Christmas” in the valleys because it will be too warm. Our best chance of valley snows usually comes in January and February.
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Advisories: A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM TODAY ABOVE 2,500 FT. FOR EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM TODAY ABOVE 4,500 FT. FOR THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS.
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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: Mostly cloudy with showers today (0.10 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of showers tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), a mix of clouds and sun Tuesday and mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Tuesday night highs 45-47 lows 30-35. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Wednesday through Thursday night, mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%-70%) chance Friday (Christmas Eve), then rain likely (60%) Friday night through Friday (Christmas Day) and through Sunday highs 45-50 lows 40-37. (seasonal averages highs 45 low 33)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers this afternoon (snow level 1,500 ft. rising to 2,500 ft. in the afternoon, 1 in. of snow possible), a good (50%) chance of showers tonight (snow level 3,000 ft.), cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Tuesday (snow level 3,500 ft.), a (30%) chance of rain Tuesday night, cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Wednesday (snow level 3,000 ft. in the afternoon), and a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday night highs 45-47 lows 36-40. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Thursday night and Friday (Christmas Eve), rain likely (60%) Friday night, rain Saturday (Christmas Day), then rain likely (60%) Saturday night and Sunday highs 45-49 lows 37-40. (seasonal averages high 48 low 35)
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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Cloudy with AM showers, coastal rain and isolated thunderstorms this afternoon, afternoon rain inland, coastal rain with a slight (20%) chance of evening thunderstorms, then rain late, evening rain inland, then rain likely (60%) late tonight, breezy (wind: S 15-25 mph), coastal showers with inland showers likely (60%) Tuesday and breezy (wind: S 15-25 mph), and rain likely (60%) Tuesday night highs 47-50 lows 40-43. Cloudy with showers likely (60%) Wednesday through Thursday, rain likely (60%) Thursday night and Friday (Christmas Eve), then rain Friday night and Saturday (Christmas Day) and night, and rain likely (60%) Sunday highs 47-52 lows bouncing back and forth between 40-45. (seasonal averages high 53 lows 39).
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with snow showers this afternoon (2-5 in. of snow possible), mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of snow showers tonight, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of snow showers Tuesday AM, a mix of clouds and sun Tuesday afternoon with a slight (20%) chance of showers, a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Tuesday night snow level 2,000 ft. rising to 2,500 ft. today and tonight, rising to 3,000 ft. rising to 3,500 ft. Tuesday afternoon, and 2,500 ft. Tuesday night highs 30-33 lows 20-25. Mostly cloudy with snow and rain likely (60%) Wednesday(2-4 in. of snow possible) , snow likely (60%) Wednesday night and Thursday, then a (60%) chance of rain and snow Thursday night, a good (50%) chance of rain Friday, rain likely (60%) Friday night (Christmas Eve) and Saturday (Christmas Day) snow level 3,000 ft. Wednesday through Thursday, 5,000 ft. Thursday night, 5,500 ft. Friday, 7,000 ft. Friday night, and 6,000 ft. Saturday, falling to 3,500 ft. Saturday night and 2,500 ft. Sunday highs 32-35 lows between 23-28.
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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.