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It’s Monday and that means it’s time for my new weekly weather quiz question. Here it is. What is a blocking ridge?  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 jet stream shows a high pressure ridge (“arch” shape) has been aiming the airflow straight South toward the Pacific Northwest.  A frontal system will slip in from the Northwest bringing at least a slight chance of rain. Yet another ridge will start to build in and that will keep us under a relatively calm weather pattern through the rest of the week. Remember that, particularly this time of the year, often when it’s not raining it is usually fogging. The next major frontal system should move in between next Friday and Saturday.

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Advisories:  A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT  FROM  UNTIL 4 AM TUESDAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES, BUT NOT INCLUDING THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY.

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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: Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers this AM, a (40%) chance of showers with sun breaks in the afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers tonight (less than 0.10 in. of rain possible), a slight (20%) chance of AM showers Tuesday, a mix of clouds and sun Tuesday afternoon, mostly clear Tuesday night with patchy fog late and early Wednesday AM, mostly sunny Wednesday afternoon, and partly cloudy Wednesday night with areas of fog highs near 50 lows 34-28. AM fog, a mix of clouds and sun Thursday, partly cloudy with patchy fog Thursday night, partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday and Friday night, then mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Saturday, then a (50%) chance of rain Saturday night and (40%) Sunday highs 53-57 cooling to 48 Saturday and back to 52 Sunday lows 32-39-35. (seasonal  averages high 49 low 34)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with patchy fog early this AM, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers today (snow level 3,000 ft.) and this evening, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening showers, a slight (20%) chance of rain and snow showers late tonight (snow level 2,500 ft. falling to 2,000 ft.) and Tuesday AM, a slight (20%) chance of showers in the afternoon (snow level 1,500 ft. rising to 2,500 ft. Tuesday afternoon), partly cloudy Tuesday night with patchy fog late highs 53-49 lows 35-30. Partly cloudy with areas of fog Wednesday AM, sunny in the afternoon,  mostly clear with fog late Wednesday night, partly cloudy with AM and late night fog Thursday and Thursday night, just mostly cloudy Friday, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday night, rain likely (60%) Saturday, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Saturday night and (40%) Sunday highs 55-59 cooling to near 50 Saturday and back to near 54 Sunday lows 35-40. (seasonal averages high 54 low 36)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with patchy fog this AM, mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers today, a slight (20%) chance of showers tonight and Tuesday, partly cloudy Tuesday night and Wednesday AM, mostly sunny Wednesday afternoon, then partly cloudy Wednesday evening, mostly clear with areas of fog late Wednesday night with patchy fog late highs 47-54 lows 38-34. Sunny Thursday, partly cloudy Thursday night, mostly cloudy Friday, mostly cloudy Friday, mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday night, rain Saturday, mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Saturday night, and (40%) Sunday highs 58-48 lows 38-44. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41).

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of scattered showers and AM snow showers, snow showers likely (60%) this afternoon (2-5 in. of snow possible), snow showers likely (60%) and colder tonight (1-3 in. of snow possible), a (30%) chance of snow showers Tuesday AM, partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of snow showers Tuesday afternoon, mostly clear Tuesday night snow level 4,000 ft. falling to 2,500 ft. today, 2,500 ft. this evening through Tuesday, then a free air freezing level 3,500 ft. Tuesday night highs 32-37 lows 23-20. Mostly sunny Wednesday and Thursday, mostly clear Wednesday night, partly cloudy Thursday night, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday,  a (40%) chance of snow and a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday night, then mostly cloudy with snow and rain likely (60%) Saturday, then mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of snow Saturday night and Sunday snow level at the surface Tuesday, free air freezing level 5,000 ft. Wednesday, 9,000 ft. Wednesday night through Thursday night, snow level  8,000 ft. Friday, 6,000 ft. Friday night,  4,500 ft. Saturday, and 3,000 ft. Saturday night and 2,500 ft. Sunday highs 40-50 cooling to 42 Friday and 35 Saturday then 40 Sunday lows 30-23.

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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.