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It’s Monday and that means a new weekly weather quiz question. Here is the question. What is the free air freezing level? For a hint take a look at the Cascades forecasts below. Please post your answer as a comment by clicking on “no comments”in the upper right hand portion of this page under the caption then add your comment. The first person to post the correct answer will win a week of free personalized weather forecasts tailored to your needs. The answer has to be a comment to win. An email answer will not count. Good luck.
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The upper air flow trough of low pressure (“U” shape shaded area over the Pacific Northwest) is setting up over us with a lot of Pacific moisture with it starting Tuesday. A cold front has moved through the region bringing possible freezing rain or freezing fog back to the area. After a chance of some early AM freezing rain or freezing fog, which could make for slippery spots on the roads, today should dry out and turn cooler as more cold air drops down from the north. With the colder air already here that could mean a winter mix of rain and snow even down to the valleys tonight and tomorrow, but so far it doesn’t look like that will stay north of Salem. A storm system will bring some warmer air Wednesday.
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Advisories: A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT FOR PORTLAND/VANCOUVER AREA OF WESTERN OREGON, AND THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY.
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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: A mix of clouds and sun today, partly cloudy tonight, mostly cloudy Tuesday with a (30%) chance of rain late morning and early afternoon Tuesday, rain late afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain Tuesday night (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain likely (60%) Wednesday (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain Wednesday night and Thursday, and rain likely (60%) Thursday night highs 38-50 lows 24-44 cooling to near 40 Thursday night. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Friday through Sunday highs 52-46 lows 40-37. (seasonal averages highs 46 low 33)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Partly cloudy this afternoon and evening, mostly cloudy tonight with patchy freezing fog late, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Tuesday afternoon (snow level 2,000 ft.), evening rain (snow level 2,500 ft.), rain likely (60%) late Tuesday night and Wednesday, rain Wednesday night and Thursday, and rain likely Thursday night highs 35-54 lows 28-43 cooling to 40 Thursday night . Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Friday through Sunday highs 54-50 lows near 40. (seasonal averages high 49 low 35)
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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Partly cloudy today and this evening, mostly cloudy tonight, cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM coastal rain Tuesday (AM snow level 2,000 ft.), then rain likely (60%) in the afternoon, a good (50%) chance of rain inland, rain and windy (winds: S 10-20 mph increasing to S 20-30 mph gusts to 45 mph late Tuesday night, rain likely (60%) and windy (wind: S 20-30 mph gusts to 45 mph in the AM) Wednesday, rain and breezy Wednesday night and Thursday, then rain likely (60%) Thursday night highs 44-55 lows 33-48 cooling to 44 Thursday night. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Friday through Sunday highs 55-50 lows near 43. (seasonal averages high 52 lows 39).
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: A mix of clouds and sun today, partly cloudy tonight, mostly cloudy Tuesday with a slight (20%) chance of late morning and early afternoon snow, then snow with a slight (20%) chance of light freezing rain early in the afternoon (2 in. of snow possible), snow and rain or light freezing rain late afternoon and evening (2 in. of snow possible), rain and light freezing rain late at night (4-6 in. of snow possible), rain and light freezing rain likely (60%) Wednesday AM, rain in the afternoon (10 in. of snow possible above the passes), rain Wednesday night, rain and snow Thursday, snow and rain likely (60%) Thursday night free air freezing level at the surface today, 2,000 ft. tonight, a snow level at the 2,500 ft. Tuesday, 3,000 ft. rising to 6,000 ft. late Tuesday night, 6,000 ft. Wednesday, 5,000 ft. Wednesday night and Thursday, and 4,500 ft. Thursday night highs 24-38 lows 14-33 cooling to 28 Thursday night. Mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (60%) Friday, then rain likely (60%) Friday night, then rain and snow likely (60%) Saturday through Sunday snow level 4,500 ft. Friday, 5,000 ft. Friday night through Sunday highs 38-34 lows 30-25.
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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.