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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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The Winter Solstice takes place at 3:38 PM Pacific Time today to officially begin Winter.

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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 (has been giving them flooding rain). More storms will be coming at us 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: AM clouds, then partly cloudy today with a slight (20%) chance of  showers, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening rain, then rain likely (60%) late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain likely (60%) Wednesday (0.10 in. of rain possible) and a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday night (0.10 in. of rain possible),  a (40%) chance of rain Thursday, and rain likely (60%) Thursday night highs 48-44 lows 34-39. 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 40-37. (seasonal averages highs 45 low 33)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg:  AM patchy fog, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers today (snow level 2,500 ft. rising to 3,500 ft. in the afternoon), a (30%) chance of evening rain, rain likely (60%) late tonight (snow level 3,500 ft. lowering to 2,500 ft.), cloudy with AM rain likely (60%), a (30%) chance of rain Wednesday  afternoon (snow level 2,500 ft. rising to 3,500 ft,), a slight (20%) chance of evening rain, then a good (50%) chance of rain and snow showers late Wednesday night (snow level 3,000 ft. falling to 2,000 ft. late at night) highs 43-47 lows near 35. Cloudy with a  good (50%) chance of rain and snow Thursday AM, a good (50%) chance of rain and breezy in the afternoon (snow level 2,000 ft. rising to 3,500 ft.), 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 (breezy Sunday), and mostly cloudy with showers likely (60%) and breezy 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 and breezy (wind: S 15-25 mph at the shore and SE 10-20 mph inland) with coastal showers today and inland showers likely (60%), rain likely (60%) tonight and breezy (wind: S 10-20 mph decreasing to S 5-10 mph late inland and at the shore S 15-25 mph decreasing to 10-15 mph late) , 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 (30%) chance of rain Wednesday night highs 53-48 lows near 40. Mostly cloudy with AM showers and afternoon rain Thursday and windy (wind: S 25-35 mph at the shore and S 15-25 mph inland), rain likely (60%) and windy Thursday night and Friday (Christmas Eve), then rain Friday night and Saturday (Christmas Day) and Saturday night (breezy), and rain likely (60%) Sunday and Sunday night (breezy), then mostly cloudy and windy with showers likely (60%) 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: Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers today, a good (50%) chance of rain and snow tonight, snow or rain Wednesday (1-4 in. of snow possible), snow likely (60%) Wednesday evening, a (40%) chance of snow at night snow level 3,000 ft. this afternoon through Wednesday afternoon, and 3,000 ft. Wednesday night highs 32-34 lows 23-27. 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 32-37 lows between 27-23.

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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.