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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 slipped in from the Northwest bringing the 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 10  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 (40%) chance of showers tonight (less than 0.10 in. of rain possible), a slight (20%) chance of AM showers Tuesday, mostly cloudy with some sun breaks Tuesday afternoon, mostly clear Tuesday night with patchy fog late and early Wednesday AM, a mix of clouds and sun Wednesday afternoon, and partly cloudy Wednesday night with areas of fog late at night and Thursday AM, a mix of clouds and sun Thursday afternoon, then partly cloudy with patchy fog Thursday night lows 33-29 warming to 35 Thursday night highs 47-53. Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday, a good (50%) chance of rain Friday night, mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Saturday, then a good  (50%) chance of rain Saturday night and (40%) Sunday through Monday highs 57-49 lows 42-33. (seasonal  averages high 49 low 34)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of evening showers, a (30%) chance of rain and snow showers late tonight (snow level 2,500 ft. falling to 2,000 ft.) and Tuesday AM (snow level 1,500 ft. Tuesday AM), a slight (20%) chance of showers in the afternoon , partly cloudy with patchy fog late Tuesday night and Wednesday AM, sunny in the afternoon,  mostly clear Wednesday night with areas of fog and freezing fog , mostly clear Wednesday night, areas of fog and freezing fog late Wednesday night and Thursday AM, partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night, mostly cloudy Friday, then with a slight (20%) chance of rain Friday night lows 37-30 warming to 36 Thursday night highs 52-47 warming to near 60 Thursday and Friday. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Saturday through Sunday, a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday night, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) of rain Monday highs 57-50 lows 38-33. (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 a (30%) chance of showers tonight (snow level 2,000 ft. late at night and early AM) and Tuesday AM,  mostly cloudy Tuesday afternoon, partly cloudy Tuesday night and Wednesday AM, mostly sunny Wednesday afternoon, mostly clear with areas of fog late Wednesday night, sunny Thursday, partly cloudy Thursday night, mostly cloudy Friday, then mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Friday night lows 40-34  warming to 36 Wednesday night to 45 Friday night highs 50-58 cooling to 55 Friday. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Saturday through Sunday, a (30%) chance of rain Sunday night, and mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Monday highs 54-49 lows 44-42. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41).

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with 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, 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 rain Friday night snow level at the surface tonight and Tuesday, free air freezing level 2,500 ft. Tuesday night, 4,000 ft. Wednesday, 6,500 ft. Wednesday night, 8,000 ft. Thursday, 9,000 ft. Thursday night, snow level  8,000 ft. Friday, and 6,000 ft. Friday night lows 20-32 highs 35-45. Mostly cloudy with snow and rain likely (60%) Saturday,  a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Saturday night, a (40%) chance of show Sunday, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain and snow Sunday night, and mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Monday snow level 4,500 ft. Saturday, and 3,500 ft. Saturday night, 2,500 ft. Sunday, 4,000 ft. Sunday night, and 5,500 ft. Monday highs 38-40 lows near 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.