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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” shaped area over the Pacific Northwest) is keeping 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 tonight and Saturday with another one behind it (positions shown are for Sunday).

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Advisories: NONE AT THIS TIME.

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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: Areas of patchy fog and freezing this AM, a mix of clouds and sun today, mostly cloudy tonight, cloudy with a (60%) chance of rain Saturday (0.10 in. of rain possible), rain Saturday night (0.10 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday, then a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night highs 50-54 lows 32-39. Mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Monday, rain likely (60%) Monday night and Tuesday, then showers likely (60%) Tuesday night through Thursday highs 54-44 lows 38-32. (seasonal  averages high 50 low 35)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including, Roseburg: Partly cloudy with patchy fog early this  AM, mostly cloudy this afternoon and tonight, cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Saturday, rain Saturday night (snow level 3,500 ft. late at night), mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Sunday,then  a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night highs 55-58-54 lows 38-42. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday through Tuesday night, rain and snow Wednesday, then rain and snow likely (60%) Wednesday night, and rain and snow showers likely (60%) Thursday highs 56-46 lows 40-35. (seasonal averages high 54 low 36)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend:Mostly cloudy today and tonight, cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain  Saturday AM, rain likely (60%) Saturday afternoon and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph), coastal rain Saturday night, and rain likely (60%) inland Saturday night, cloudy with a (60%) chance of rain Sunday, and a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night highs 50-56 lows 42-46.  Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday, then rain Monday night through Wednesday, rain likely (60%) Wednesday night, and showers likely (60%) Thursday highs 49-56 lows 56-49. (seasonal averages high 54 low 41).

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: A mix of clouds and sun today, mostly cloudy tonight, cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain Saturday (0.10 in. of rain possible) and windy (wind: SW 10-15 mph gusts to 30 mph increasing to SW 20-30 mph in the afternoon), rain and a good (50%) chance of snow Saturday night (3-6 in. of snow possible) and breezy Wind: SW 15-25 mph), a good (50%) chance of rain Sunday, then a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night free air freezing level 8,000 ft. today,  7,500 ft. tonight, snow level 6,000 ft. Saturday, and  5,000 ft. Saturday night, 6,000 ft. Sunday, and  5,500 ft. Sunday night highs 47-40 lows 30-27. Mostly cloudy with rain likely (60%) Monday,  mostly cloudy with rain and snow likely (60%)  Monday night and Tuesday, then snow showers likely (60%) Tuesday night through Thursday snow level 5,000 ft.  Monday, 4,000 ft. Monday night, 3,500 ft. Tuesday, falling to 2,500 ft. Tuesday night, and at the surface Wednesday through Thursday highs 42-35 lows 27-22.

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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.