Cool, wet weather in this week's forecast - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Cool, wet weather in this week's forecast Sunday Sep 17, 2017 at 4:20 PM Sep 17, 2017 at 4:54 PM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil Ready for rain? It is in the forecast this week for much of southwest Oregon, including the Rogue Valley, and it is expected to help thin the wildfire smoke.  Multiple inches of rain could fall on several regional fires by the week's end, expected to slow growth and clear out much of the region's gray haze that has stuck much of southwest Oregon with poor air quality since mid-August. "Characterizing the rest of the week: cool and wet," meteorologist Shad Keene said Sunday, adding that while some smoke will linger, air quality should continue to improve. Valley areas west of the Cascades will see temperatures in the low- to mid-60s Monday through Thursday, Keene added.  That's about 20 degrees below the low 80s temperatures typically seen for the area this time of year. Medford, Keene noted, last saw a high temperature that low in early June. The most rain is expected to fall Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with anywhere from one-quarter to one-half inch falling across the Rogue Valley, Keene said. Snow levels could also drop to as low as 6,000 feet Tuesday. It's expected to start warming up by Friday, with weekend high temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees. "Time will tell, but it's looking pretty good," Keene said of the forecast. Fire updates By week's end, two to three inches of rain could fall on the High Cascades and Umpqua North fire complexes burning near Crater Lake National Park and eastern Douglas County, respectively, Keene said. On Sunday, the High Cascades Complex was 16 percent contained and was 63,216 acres, fire officials said. The Spruce Lake fire, which is burning nearby but not considered part of the complex, was 15,826 acres and 22 percent contained. The Umpqua North Complex had grown to 43,139 acres Sunday and was 38 percent contained. The 189,562-acre Chetco Bar fire burning in Curry and Josephine counties — the largest in the state — is expected to see about two to three inches by week's end, too. On Sunday, officials considered the massive blaze 43 percent contained. The Indigo fire, which is burning nearby along the west fork of Indigo Creek, grew to 578 acres. Officials are busy working to contain the newer blaze, but expect its activity to diminish due to the cool, wet weather that's inbound. Up to an inch of rain could fall on the 35,485-acre Miller Complex in the Applegate. Officials had it 59 percent contained Sunday. Air quality Smoke from the High Cascades, Chetco Bar, and Miller fires continued to drift into parts of Jackson County over the weekend. On Saturday, the air quality deteriorated to "unhealthy" for Medford, Ashland, the Applegate, and Shady Cove, based on data from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Grants Pass and Cave Junction dipped down to "unhealthy for sensitive groups" Saturday. By Sunday afternoon, Medford, Ashland, Applegate, Shady Cove and Grants Pass stations had air quality that was "unhealthy for sensitive groups," while Cave Junction improved to "moderate."  — Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.