Here is my weekly weather quiz question for the last time. What are “Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)? Here is the correct answer.  Instrument Flight Rules refers to the general weather conditions pilots can expect at the surface and applies to the weather situations at an airport during which a pilot must use instruments to assist take off and landing. IFR conditions for fixed wing aircraft means the minimum cloud ceiling is greater than 500 feet and less than 1,000 feet and/or visibility is greater than 1 mile and less than 3 miles.

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An Upper Level High Pressure Ridge  (“Arch” shape) is slowly warming up the Pacific Northwest. Frontal activity has returned, but not of the bitter cold airflow nature. The graphics for days 1-3 show our the frontal system moving overnight. The graphics for days 3-7 show more frontal activity moving our way Tuesday through Saturday.

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Air Quality Index:

Eugene/Springfield: The Air Quality Index is 30 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Oakridge: The Air Quality Index is 51 in the Moderate category measuring Particulate Matter.

Cottage Grove: The Air Quality Index is 45 in the Good category measuring Particulate Matter.

Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)

NOTE: Outdoor burning remains temporarily prohibited for the following areas: Eugene-Springfield, Florence, Lowell, Oakridge and UGB, and Springfield and UGB.

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ADVISORIES:

• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY ABOVE 3,500 FT. FOR THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND THE CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 10 PM SUNDAY FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS, AND THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES..
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM SUNDAY UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY ABOVE 4,000 FT. FOR THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, THE OCHOCO, AND THE JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS.
• A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM SUNDAY UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY ABOVE 3,500 FT. FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES.
• A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM SUNDAY UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY ABOVE 3,500 FT. FOR THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON AND THE NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS.
• A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM SUNDAY UNTIL 7 AM MONDAY FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON AND  THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON.

HEALTH ADVISORIES:

Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis:

• Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of evening rain, rain late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with AM rain, showers and a bit cooler Sunday afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of showers Sunday night (under o.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, just mostly cloudy and a bit warmer Monday afternoon, a slight (20%) chance of rain late at night,
• Mostly cloudy with rain Tuesday, then a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday night.
• lows 42-35 highs 48-50.
• Mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Wednesday, just partly cloudy Wednesday night,
• A mix of clouds and sun and a bit warmer Thursday, partly cloudy at night,
• A mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night,
• Then just partly cloudy Saturday.
• highs 49-52 lows 29-32. (seasonal averages high 50 low 35)

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Home Wood Heating Advisory:

Posted Daily

Eugene-Springfield: GREEN– Burning is Allowed.

Oakridge: GREEN– Burning is Allowed.

*Note: Pellet stoves may be used anytime if they produce no visible emissions.

Data courtesy of Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Valley including Roseburg:

• Mostly cloudy with evening rain likely (70%), rain changing to showers late tonight (0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,500 ft. late tonight),
• Mostly cloudy with AM showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms, showers and a bit cooler Sunday (0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 3,000 ft.), evening rain and snow showers likely (70%), a good (50%) chance of rain and snow showers late Sunday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible, snow level 2,500 ft.),
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer Monday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain late at night,
• Mostly cloudy and a bit cooler with a (20%) chance of rain Tuesday, a (30%) chance of evening showers, then a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers late Tuesday night.
• lows 42-36 highs 47-52 cooling to 50 Tuesday night.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM rain and snow showers, just partly cloudy Wednesday afternoon, partly cloudy Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy and a bit warmer Thursday, partly cloudy at night,
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer Friday, mostly cloudy Friday night,
• Then mostly cloudy and a bit cooler Saturday.
• highs 50-58 cooling to 55 Saturday lows 32-36. (seasonal averages high 52 low 37)

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Forecast for The South Oregon Coast Including Coos Bay and North Bend:

• Mostly cloudy with evening rain, showers with a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms late tonight (0.25 in. of rain possible) and windy (Wind: SE 5-10 mph increasing and shifting to S 20-30 mph gusts to 45 mph late tonight),
• Mostly cloudy with AM showers and a slight (20%) chance of thunderstorms, cooler with showers Sunday afternoon (0.25 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of showers Sunday night (under 0.10 in. of rain possible),
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer Monday, a slight (20%) of rain at night,
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer with a rain Tuesday, then a good (50%) chance of showers Tuesday night.
• lows 42-38 warming to 40 Monday night cooling to 37 Tuesday night highs 52-54 cooling back to 52 Tuesday.
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM showers, partly cloudy and a bit cooler Wednesday afternoon, partly cloudy Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy and a bit warmer Thursday and at night,
• Then mostly cloudy Friday through Saturday.
• highs 52-59 lows 35-38. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41)

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Forecast for the Cascades in Lane County:

• Mostly cloudy with rain and snow late tonight (0.50 in. of rain possible, 2-5 in. of snow possible),
• Mostly cloudy with AM rain and snow, showers and a bit cooler Sunday afternoon (0.50 in. of rain possible, 5-10 in.of snow possible), evening showers, a (40%) chance of showers late Sunday night (0.25 in. of rain possible, 1-4 in. of snow possible),
• Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM snow showers, just mostly cloudy and a bit warmer Monday afternoon and at night,
• Mostly cloudy and a bit warmer with rain or snow Tuesday (1-3 in. of snow possible), then showers likely (70%) Tuesday night.
• snow level 4,500 ft. tonight, 3,500 ft. Sunday, 3,000 ft. Sunday night,  2,000 ft. Monday, 3,500 ft. late Monday night and Tuesday, then 3,500 ft. falling to 2,500 ft. late Tuesday night.
• lows 28-23 warming to 25 Monday night cooling to 22 Tuesday night highs 32-38.
• A mix of clouds and sun and a bit cooler with a good (50%) chance of snow showers Wednesday, partly cloudy Wednesday night,
• Partly cloudy and a bit warmer Thursday and at night,
• Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday and Friday night,
• Then a mix of clouds and sun with a slight (20%) chance of showers Saturday.
• snow level  2,000 ft. Wednesday, free air freezing level 4,000 ft. Wednesday night, 4,500 ft. rising to 7,500 ft. Thursday night, snow level 4,500 ft. Friday and Friday night, then 4,000 ft. Saturday.
• highs near 42 lows 22-24.

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