_______________
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.
________________
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 sagged through the region bringing possible freezing rain or freezing fog back to the area. 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. Another storm system will bring some warmer air in by Wednesday.
_______________
________________
Advisories: A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TUESDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT FOR THE GREATER PORTLAND/VANCOUVER AREA OF WESTERN OREGON, THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TUESDAY UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR THE THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM UNTIL 9 PM TUESDAY FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON, AND THE LOWER COLUMBIA WILLAPA HILLS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY UNTIL 7 PM TUESDAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TUESDAY UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES (NOT INCLUDING THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY). A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING NEAR THE BEACHES AND HEADLANDS FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST.
________________
Here are your detailed forecasts. **
_________________
Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis: Partly cloudy tonight, mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Tuesday with a slight (20%) of light freezing rain and snow late in the morning and early afternoon, rain with snow or freezing rain late afternoon and evening (0.50 in. of snow possible), a slight (20%) of light freezing rain and snow rain late afternoon (AM snow level 1,000 ft. 0.50 in. of snow possible at that elevation), rain Tuesday night (0.25 in. of rain possible), AM rain likely (60%) Wednesday then rain in the afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain Wednesday night and a bit warmer (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain Thursday, and rain likely (60%) Thursday night lows 24-44 cooling to near 40 Thursday night highs 37-50. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday, rain likely (60%) Friday through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) highs 50-52 lows near 40. (seasonal averages highs 46 low 33)
__________________
Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Partly cloudy this evening, mostly cloudy tonight with patchy freezing fog late, cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM rain and snow, rain likely (60%) chance Tuesday afternoon (snow level 1,500 ft. rising to 2,000 ft. in the afternoon, little or now snow accumulation expected), rain Tuesday night ( snow level 3,000 ft. rising to 3,500 ft.), rain Wednesday AM, rain likely (60%) in the afternoon, rain Wednesday night and Thursday, and rain likely (60%) Thursday night lows 29-43 cooling to 44 highs 45-55. Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday through Saturday, rain likely (60%) Saturday night and Sunday, then cloudy with rain likely (60%) Sunday night and Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) highs 52-55 lows near 40. (seasonal averages high 49 low 35)
_______________
Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Partly cloudy this evening, mostly cloudy tonight, cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM rain Tuesday (snow level 2,000 ft.), then rain likely (60%) in the afternoon, rain and windy (winds: SE 10-20 mph increasing to SE 15-20 mph gusts to 45 mph Tuesday evening and late at night),Tuesday night, rain and windy (wind: S 20-30 mph) Wednesday, rain and breezy Wednesday night (wind: S 15-25 ), rain and breezy Thursday, then rain likely (60%) Thursday night lows 34-48 highs 46-55. Cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Friday through Saturday, then rain likely (60%) Saturday night through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) highs 54-58 cooling to near 50 Sunday and back up to 55 Monday lows near 45. (seasonal averages high 52 lows 39).
_________________
Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Partly cloudy tonight, mostly cloudy Tuesday with a (40%) chance of snow and a slight (20%) chance of late morning and early afternoon light freezing rain, then snow with a slight (20%) chance of light freezing rain late in the afternoon and evening (1 in. of snow possible), rain and snow or light freezing rain late at night (4-6 in. of snow possible), rain and light freezing rain Wednesday AM, rain in the afternoon (3-5 in. of snow possible), rain Wednesday night (3-5 in. of snow possible), rain and snow Thursday, snow and rain and snow likely (60%) Thursday night free air freezing level 2,000 ft. tonight, a snow level at the 2,500 ft. Tuesday afternoon, 4,000 ft. rising to 5,500 ft. late Tuesday night, 5,500 ft. Wednesday, 5,500 ft. Wednesday night and Thursday, and 6.000 ft. Thursday night lows 14-34 cooling to 30 Thursday night highs 28-37. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Friday through Saturday, then rain and snow likely (60%) Saturday night through Sunday night, and rain likely (60%) Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day snow level 5,500 ft. Friday, 6,000 ft. Friday night, 5,500 ft. Saturday, 5,000 ft. Saturday night through Sunday night, and 5,500 ft. Monday highs near 38 lows near 30.
_________________
**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.