SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Monday,
April 6, 2026
2:30 PM Pete Parsons
1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639
SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION
On Tuesday, the northern branch of a split-flow jet stream
pattern will drive a weather system across SW Canada, into the northern
Rockies, while the southern branch of the jet stream slowly pushes an eastern
Pacific Ocean system towards northern California. That will leave Oregon between weather
systems with a dry, stable, and slightly cooler NW flow aloft.
Expect mostly sunny skies with continued above-average
temperatures across all zones. Daytime
mixing will be good with increasing NW winds, especially across central Oregon.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
A dry NW flow aloft continues across the northern zones, on
Wednesday, but a weather system approaching the northern California coast will
bring the threat of a late-day shower or thundershower near the California
border. Temperatures will stay warm with
good daytime mixing and mostly NW transport winds.
Thursday, the southern branch of the jet stream becomes more
dominant, directing a weather system into northern California. Moisture and instability increase across
southern Oregon where scattered showers and thundershowers may locally produce
rainfall totals near .10”. Northern and central zones should remain dry with
progressively more sunshine to the north.
Warm temperatures continue with good daytime mixing and winds turning
NW-N.
Friday, a potent weather system over California will
increase the moisture feed across southern Oregon, with more widespread showers
and thundershowers. Additional rainfall
totals locally exceeding .10” are likely.
Northern and central zones will get more clouds but should stay
dry. All zones will continue to have
above-average temperatures. Daytime
mixing should be generally good with NW-N transport winds.
2. DISPERSION
TUESDAY
Zone 601, 602,
603 and 612 (North Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind W
to NW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable but favors NW and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 4000 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind
increases to W to NW at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1000 - 2000 ft.
Transport wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
Zone 605-611 and
639 (North Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind W
to NW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind W to
NW at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind
increases to WSW to WNW at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind WSW
to WNW at 8 - 12 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind
WSW to WNW at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind WSW
to NW at 5 - 9 mph.
Zone 615-620
(South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind light
and variable but favors NW and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 3300 - 4300 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind
increases to NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1000 - 1700 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 616-623
(South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
WSW to NW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable but favors W to NW and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind
WSW to NW at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind
increases to WSW to NW at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind WNW
to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
OUTLOOK:
WEDNESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1400 to 2400 ft by late morning rising to 3100 to
4100 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to NW at 6 - 10 mph during
the afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming W to NW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1500 to 2500 ft by late morning rising to 3500 to
4500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind light and variable during the morning becoming NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during
the afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1800 to 2800 ft by late morning rising to 3500 to
4500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind light and variable during the morning becoming NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during
the afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming NW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
- Valid for burning done Tuesday, April 7,
2026.
=================================================================
Coast Range
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones.***
Zone 601 and 612
Units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Restrict units in or near corridors to 500
tons or less.
Zone 602 and 603
Units should be
400 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Limit burning in or near corridors. Higher tonnage is possible south of the
Siuslaw River in Zone 603. Call the
forecaster.
Zone 615, 618,
and 619
Use standard
guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)
Avoid burning directly upwind of the North Bend/Coos Bay SSRA.
Zone 616 west of
R8W
Units should be 1500
tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616 east of
R9W
Units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. Restrict units to 500 tons or less south of
T30S.
Zone 620
Units should be
300 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of the Rogue
River. Call the forecaster.
Cascades
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones.***
Zone 605, 606,
607, 608, 639, 616, 617, 622, and 623
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to
dissipate. From T15S through T20S in
Zone 608 units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart.
Zone 610 and 620
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 611
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Siskiyous
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m.***
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.