SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Thursday,
June 11, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
*********************************************************************
We Need Your Feedback!
The Smoke
Management Department is planning to “upgrade” this product so that it more
effectively meets your needs. To assist
us with this project, we are requesting feedback from you!
Below are a few
questions to help you consider what changes would be most beneficial for
you. All ideas are welcome!
Is the “Short-Term
Discussion” useful? What would enhance
it?
Is the “Long-term
Discussion” useful? What would enhance
it?
How could the
“Dispersion” forecast better meet your needs?
Is the “Outlook”
useful? What would enhance it?
Are the “Burning
Instructions” clear and concise? How
could they be improved for your use?
How do you access
the forecast product (i.e., Email; web page; telephone recording)?
We are considering
discontinuing or upgrading the phone recording of the forecast product. Is that something you currently use? Would you use it if you could get your
specific forecast from it faster?
Please Email your
feedback to: Peter.GJ.Parsons@odf.oregon.gov
Thank you!
*********************************************************************
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN
OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639
Friday will have NW flow aloft with upper-level
ridging offshore. Temperatures will be just
above average for one more day before a large increase, lasting into next week. Winds
will be from NW-NNE. Mixing heights will
be fair to good.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Upper-level ridging
will impact the region over the weekend with light N flow aloft. Temperatures will climb well above average with
potential for record highs by Sunday.
Winds will be from N-ENE. Mixing
heights will be mostly good.
The heat continues
for Monday with well above average temperatures and potential for record highs in the Willamette
Valley. Winds will be from NNW-NNE. Mixing heights will be good.
2. DISPERSION
FRIDAY
Zone 601, 602,
603, 612 and 615-620 (North and South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NNW
to NNE at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
2500 - 3500 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind NW
to N at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
Zone 605-611 and
639 (North Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 3000 - 4000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable but favors NNW-N and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind
increases to NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NNW
to NNE at 4 - 8 mph.
Zone 616-623
(South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable but favors NNW-N and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind
increases to NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
OUTLOOK:
SATURDAY
In the Coast
Range mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 to 3500 ft by late
morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon. In the Cascades mixing height below 1000 ft
early rising to 3500 to 4500 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind NNE to ENE at
6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming NNE to ENE at 10 - 18 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind N to NE at 4 - 8
mph.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2800 to 3800 ft by late morning rising to 4000 to
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind NE to E at 9 - 15 mph. Surface wind NNE to ENE at 4 - 8 mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3000 to 4000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind N to NE at 6 -
10 mph. Surface wind light and variable.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE
WESTERN OREGON AREA
- Valid for burning done Friday, June 12,
2026.
=================================================================
Coast Range
Zone 601, 612,
615, 616, 618, 619, and 620
Use standard
guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)
Avoid burning directly upwind of coastal SSRAs.
Zone 602 and 603
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. Limit tonnage north of Forest Grove/Hillsboro
or Sheridan/Willamina in Zone 602. Higher
tonnage is possible south of T17S in Zone 603.
Call the forecaster.
Cascades
Zone 605, 606,
607, 608, 639, 611, 616, 617, and 623
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to
dissipate. From T12S through T17S in
Zone 608 units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart. South of T30S in Zone 616 units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart.
South of T30S in Zone 617 units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 6
miles apart.
Zone 610
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 620 and 622
Units should be
750 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Siskiyous
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Ensure adequate distance from downwind
SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.
==============================================================
4. SPECIAL NOTES:
The ODF forecast
smoke zones differ from the NWS fire zones and
are available at:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/documents/smoke-forecast-zone-map.pdf
Call the smoke management duty forecaster
at (503) 945-7401 to
discuss burning. Please do not call individual's numbers to
discuss daily burning. If the forecaster is
not available,
leave a message and they will return your
call as soon as possible.
Avoid calling between 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
The forecast is available on the Internet
at:
http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/
Daily/smi.htm
Please ensure your units have been planned
and accomplished by
checking:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Burn.aspx
A map of planned and/or accomplished burns
is located at:
http://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html
?id=a7e321dc8fc444b7a33fbc67bc673a3b
The forecast/instruction telephone
recording is: (503) 945-7400.
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the
email list for this
product, please go to the link:
http://weather.smkmgt.com/mailman/listinfo/
5. STANDARD GUIDANCE MATRIX:
* Greater than 5000 ft mixing height: Limit
to 150 tons per mile
from downwind SSRAs. Example: 75 tons
allowed if burned a half
mile from a downwind SSRA.
* 3000 - 5000 ft mixing height: Limit to 50
tons per mile if burning
within 5 miles of downwind SSRAs. Limit to
100 tons per mile if
burning 5 miles or beyond downwind SSRAs.
Example #1: 200 tons allowed if burned 4
miles from a downwind SSRA.
Example #2: 500 tons allowed if burned 5
miles from a downwind SSRA.
* Less than 3000 ft mixing height: No burning
within 5 miles of
downwind SSRAs. Limit to 60 tons per mile
from downwind SSRAs.
Example: 300 tons allowed if burned 5 miles
from a downwind SSRA.
* Ensure adequate spacing between units when
burning near downwind
SSRAs.
* Use of polyethylene (PE) sheeting on
greater than 75 percent of
piles in a unit with 60 percent coverage
per pile will allow a
50 percent increase in tonnage over the
existing instruction tonnage
for that zone.
* All exceptions must be coordinated with the
duty forecaster
prior to ignition.
6. BURN MONITORING:
Burns over 2000 tons must be monitored (OAR
629-048-0230(3) -
7/1/14). Monitoring of all burns is highly
recommended for both
smoke management purposes and wildfire
potential.