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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Vagrant magnets: Abandoned houses plague Medford neighborhoods ... Oregonians will get $402 million in 'kicker' rebates ... Asphalt waste makes way into Ashland Creek ... Vagrant magnets: Abandoned houses plague Medford neighborhoods ... Oregonians will get $402 million in 'kicker' rebates ... Asphalt waste makes way into Ashland Creek ... Forecast calls for chance of rain late this week By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2015 @ 11:08 am Updated Aug 24, 2015 at 11:58 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2015 @ 11:08 am Updated Aug 24, 2015 at 11:58 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Remember rain, that wet stuff that falls from the sky? We may see some of that almost-forgotten component of Oregon's lore this weekend. "​Chances are increasing for some rain Friday or Saturday," said Shad Keene, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Medford. "There's still some uncertainty, but it's looking better and better for some rain into the weekend. The models are different, so we're not sure when, but it looks promising." While the anticipated tenth- to quarter-inch precipitation won't likely raise river and reservoir levels significantly, it will clear the air of the headache-inducing smoke that has camped out in the Rogue Valley for most of this month. "Rain will do two things," Keene said. "It will deposit any smoke on the ground, and it would dampen the fires some, reducing fire activity, and therefore the fires will produce less smoke." The precipitation is the result of a low-pressure system drifting out of the Gulf of Alaska. Much of the summer, moisture has been kept away by a general ridge of high pressure feeding off drought conditions. While all of that is good news, it's best not to plan any "Victory over Smoke" parties quite yet. "We don't expect this to be a season-ending rain," Keene said. "We'll have clear skies, at least temporarily. But a wetting rain this early, going into September, is not typical." It's typical for Medford to receive .28 inches of rain during August. Through Sunday however, the August reading at the Medford airport was .01 inches. The last measurable rain was Aug. 1, followed by a trace on Aug. 2. While the Stouts Creek and Cable Crossing fires have supplied a steady supply eye-irritating haze since the end of July, the more recent Collier Butte fire east of Gold Beach and Gasquet Complex in Northern California have pumped additional smoke into Jackson and Josephine counties in recent days. "When the wind trajectories are right, we'll see southwest winds smoke blowing in from Gasquet into the Illinois Valley and then west winds blowing it into Grants Pass and Medford," said Michelle Cohen of the National Weather Service.         By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2015 @ 11:08 am Updated Aug 24, 2015 at 11:58 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501