_______________

Sorry, but no winner in this week’s weather quiz.  Here is the question for the last time. What is the difference between Doppler Radar and the older generation radar?  Here is the answer. A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been altered by the object’s motion. This variation gives direct and highly accurate measurements of the radial component of a target’s velocity relative to the radar. The specific term “Doppler Radar“, due in part to its extremely common use by television meteorologists in on-air weather reporting, has erroneously become popularly synonymous with the type of radar used in meteorology. Most modern weather radars use the pulse-doppler technique to examine the motion of precipitation, but it is only a part of the processing of their data. So, while these radars use a highly specialized form of doppler radar, the term is much broader in its meaning and its applications. The original radar only sent a beam outward and simply showed the echo of whatever it came in contact with when the signal came back. Doppler radar also measures the change in frequency of the return signal and literally can cut a section out of the sky, like a piece of pie, showing a 3-D picture of what it sees. I’ll have another weekly weather quiz question for you starting next Monday. The first person to post the correct answer will win a week of free personalized weather forecasts tailored to your needs.

________________

The upper air flow (yellow jet stream and dark colors for winds) shows a  trough of low pressure a (“U” shape) sliding Eastward through Oregon and a low (yellow circle) developing and moving through California as a frontal system moved slowly away from the Pacific Northwest with colder air behind it. The next frontal system offshore moved to the South and was supposed to have  little effect on the area, but it moved in farther North than expected spreading some light rain or freezing rain up to the mid and Northern Willamette Valley.  Notice that the jet stream airflow has set up a high pressure ridge (“Arch” shape on yellow line) that it brings mostly clear skies and the colder air in from the north and northwest for the end of the New Years Day Holiday weekend.

_______________

________________

Advisories:  NONE AT THIS TIME.

________________

Here are your detailed forecasts. **

_________________

Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis:  Mostly cloudy with patchy fog and freezing fog again early this AM, mostly cloudy early this afternoon with sun breaks (New Years Day), partly cloudy tonight with patchy fog and freezing fog again late night and early Sunday AM, mostly sunny Sunday, partly cloudy Sunday night, a mix of clouds and sun Monday and Tuesday (patchy AM fog Tuesday), partly cloudy Monday night and Tuesday night (patchy fog again late Tuesday night) highs 38-43 lows 24-30. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday through Thursday night, and rain likely (60%) Friday highs 43-49 lows 35-43. (seasonal averages highs 45 low 32)

__________________

Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain today (New Years Day)(snow level 500 ft.),  just mostly cloudy tonight and Sunday AM, and partly cloudy in the afternoon and Sunday night with areas of fog and freezing fog late at night and early Monday AM, patchy fog in the afternoon and evening, areas of fog late Monday night and early Tuesday AM, then just mostly cloudy Tuesday afternoon and night highs 42-48 lows near 32. Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Wednesday, a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday night through Friday highs 45-53 lows near 36-40. (seasonal averages high 48 low 34)

_______________

Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of  coastal rain, a (30%) chance of rain and snow this AM then a (30%) chance of afternoon rain (snow level 1,000 ft. rising to 2,000 ft. in the AM) today (New Years Day), mostly cloudy tonight and Sunday AM, partly cloudy in the afternoon and evening, mostly cloudy with areas of fog Sunday night and Monday AM, partly cloudy with patchy fog Monday afternoon and evening, areas of fog late Monday night highs 47-50 lows 38-32. Mostly cloudy with areas of patchy fog Tuesday AM, partly cloudy in the afternoon and evening, then mostly cloudy Tuesday night, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Wednesday, a good (50%) chance of rain Wednesday night and Thursday, then rain likely (60%) Thursday night and Friday highs 47-52 lows near 35-43. (seasonal averages high 52 lows 39).

_________________

Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy today  (New Years Day) with a slight (20%) chance of light freezing rain or sleet, South, early AM, partly cloudy with patchy fog and freezing fog late tonight and Sunday AM, mostly sunny Sunday, then a mix of clouds and sun Monday, and Tuesday, partly cloudy each night snow level at the surface today and tonight, 2,000 ft. Sunday afternoon, 2,500 ft. Sunday night, 3,500 ft. Monday and Monday night, 4,500 ft, Tuesday, and 4,000 ft. Tuesday night highs 29-35 lows 16-26. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Wednesday, rain and snow likely (60%) Wednesday night and Thursday, a good (50%) chance Thursday night,  and rain and snow likely (60%) Friday  snow level  4,000 ft. Wednesday through Thursday, 3,500 ft. Thursday night, and rising to 5,000 ft. Friday highs 37-34 lows near 28.

_________________

**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.