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Here is my new weekly weather quiz 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 more Pacific moisture . 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 today and tonight, but so far it looks like that will stay north of Salem. Another storm system will bring some warmer air in by Wednesday.
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Advisories: A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE ABD THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR THE GREATER PORTLAND/VANCOUVER AREA OF WESTERN OREGON, THE CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING FOR THE SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON, AND THE LOWER COLUMBIA WILLAPA HILLS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM TODAY UNTIL 7 PM TODAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES (NOT INCLUDING THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY). A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY NEAR THE BEACHES AND HEADLANDS FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST.
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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: Cloudy with rain likely (60%) and a (40%) chance of freezing rain and snow this afternoon (no snow accumulation expected), rain tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain likely (60%) Wednesday (0.25 in. of rain possible), rain Wednesday night and a bit warmer (0.50 in. of rain possible), rain Thursday (0.50 in. of possible), and rain likely (60%) Thursday night highs 38-50 lows 24-44 cooling to near 40 Thursday night. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday, rain likely (60%) Friday through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) highs 55-49 lows near 40. (seasonal averages highs 46 low 33)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Cloudy wit rain likely (60%) this afternoon , rain this evening, rain likely (60%) tonight and windy (snow level 3,500 ft. this evening), rain likely (60%) Wednesday and Wednesday evening, rain late Wednesday night and Thursday, and rain likely (60%) Thursday evening, rain late at night highs 45-54 lows 37-45. Cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Friday through Saturday, rain likely (60%) Saturday night through Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) highs near 55 except near 50 Sunday lows near 42. (seasonal averages high 49 low 35)
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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Cloudy with rain this afternoon, rain and windy (winds: S 20-30 mph at the shore, S 15-25 mph inland) tonight, AM coastal rain likely (60%) with rain in the afternoon, rain likely (60%) inland, and breezy (wind: S 20-30 mph at the shore, S 15-20 mph inland, gusts to 40 mph early AM) Wednesday, rain Wednesday night, rain and breezy (wind: S 15-25 ) Thursday, then evening rain likely (60%) with a good (50%) chance of rain late Thursday night highs 45-55 lows 42-48. Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Friday, rain likely (60%) Friday night, cloudy with rain Saturday, then rain likely (60%) Saturday night through Sunday night, then rain Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) highs 56-52 warming to near 56 Monday lows near 46. (seasonal averages high 52 lows 39).
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy today with a good (50%) chance of snow or light freezing rain this afternoon (1 in. of snow possible), and evening, rain and snow tonight (1-4 in. of snow possible), rain Wednesday AM, rain likely (60%) in the afternoon (2 in. of snow possible), rain Wednesday night (2-4 in. of snow possible, 0.50 in. of rain possible), rain and snow Thursday (4-8 in. of snow possible), snow and rain and snow likely (60%) Thursday night snow level at the 3,500 ft. this afternoon, 4,000 ft. rising to 5,000 ft. late tonight, 6,000 ft. Wednesday, 5,500 ft. Wednesday night, 5,000 ft. Thursday, and 6.000 ft. Thursday night highs 28-37 lows 26-34 cooling to 30 Thursday night. 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 6,000 ft. Friday through Saturday, 5,000 ft. Saturday night through Sunday night, and 5,500 ft. Monday highs 40-35 lows near 30.
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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.