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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 (tonight, 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: NONE AT THIS TIME.
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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 a good (50%) chance of showers tonight, partly cloudy Tuesday with a slight (20%) chance of showers, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening rain, then a (30%) chance of rain late Tuesday night, rain likely (60%) Wednesday and Wednesday night, rain Thursday, and rain likely (60%) Thursday night lows 32-40 highs 44-50. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Friday (Christmas Eve), Friday night, Saturday (Christmas Day), then rain likely (60%) Saturday night and Sunday, rain Sunday night changing to showers Monday highs 45-50 lows 40-36. (seasonal averages highs 45 low 33)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers this evening, a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers late tonight (snow level 2,500 ft.), mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday (snow level 2,500 ft. rising to 3,500 ft. in the afternoon), a (30%) chance of evening rain, rain likely (60%) late Tuesday night (snow level 3,500 ft.), cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Wednesday (snow level 3,500 ft, falling to 3,000 ft. in the afternoon), a slight (20%) chance of evening rain, then a good (50%) chance of rain and snow late Wednesday night (snow level 3,000 ft. falling to 2,000 ft. late at night) lows near 35 highs 43-48. Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Thursday AM, a good (50%) chance of rain and breezy in the afternoon, 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 through Sunday night, and mostly cloudy with showers likely (60%) Monday highs 44-49 lows 37-42. (seasonal averages high 48 low 35)
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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with a (20%) chance of showers this evening, coastal showers late tonight and inland showers likely (60%) late at night, coastal showers Tuesday and inland showers likely (60%), rain likely (60%) Tuesday night, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of coastal AM rain with afternoon rain likely (60%) Wednesday and a (40%) chance of rain inland, and a (40%) chance of rain Wednesday night lows near 40 highs 53-48. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Thursday and windy, rain likely (60%) Thursday night and Friday (Christmas Eve), then rain Friday night and Saturday (Christmas Day) and Saturday night, and rain likely (60%) Sunday and Sunday night, then mostly cloudy with showers Monday highs 47-52 lows bouncing back and forth between 44-49. (seasonal averages high 52 lows 39).
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of snow showers tonight, a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of AM snow showers Tuesday, then a slight (20%) chance of of rain and snow showers in the afternoon, a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Tuesday night, snow or rain likely (60%) Wednesday AM, rain and snow likely (60%) in the afternoon (1-3 in. of snow possible), snow likely (60%) Wednesday night snow level 3,000 ft. rising to 3,500 ft. Tuesday afternoon, and 4,000 ft. Tuesday night, 3,500 ft. falling to 3,000 ft. Wednesday afternoon, and 3,000 ft. Wednesday night lows 20-27 highs 32-34. Mostly cloudy with snow and rain likely (60%) Thursday, rain and snow Thursday night and a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Friday (Christmas Eve), rain and snow likely (60%) Friday night and Saturday (Christmas Day), snow and rain likely (60%) Saturday night, snow likely (60%) Sunday and Sunday night, and snow showers likely (60%) Monday snow level 3,000 ft. Thursday, 4,000 ft. Thursday night, 4,500 ft. Friday, 4,000 ft. Friday night and Saturday, falling to 3,500 ft. Saturday night, 3,000 ft. Sunday, and 2,500 ft. Sunday night and Monday highs bouncing back and forth from 32-35 lows between 26-22.
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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.