SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
April 24, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN
OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639
Saturday will be dry with NW flow
aloft as an upper-level trough dips south into the region. Winds will be mostly light from NW-NE with
seasonable temperatures. Mixing heights
will be high.
Showers increase for Sunday with a
weak system moving through. Rainfall
amounts will stay under 0.10”. Freezing
levels will drop some to near 5000 feet and mixing heights will be good. Temperatures will be near or below
average. Winds will come from NW-NNW with
slightly stronger transport winds.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Monday will have a
few scattered showers but much of the region will be dry. Upper-level troughing will shift east with NW
flow aloft. Winds will come from W-NNW
and temperatures will be below seasonable.
Mixing heights will be good.
Other than a few
showers far north, Tuesday will have dry weather and seasonable temperatures. Winds will come from W-NNW. Mixing heights will be good. Dry weather sticks around midweek.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
Zone 601, 602,
603 and 612 (North Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 3500 - 4500 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
ENE to ESE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NNE
to ENE at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind
NNE to ENE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NNW
to NNE at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind
shifts to 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 3500 - 4500 ft by late morning.
Transport wind NE
to E at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NE
to E at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind
NNE to ENE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind NNE
to ENE at 4 - 8 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind N
to NE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind N to
NE at 4 - 8 mph.
Zone 615-620
(South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind NW
to N at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 616-623
(South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind WNW
to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
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.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
In the Coast
Range mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late
morning rising to 3500 to 4500 ft during the afternoon. In the Cascades mixing height below 1000 ft
early rising to 2800 to 3800 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind NW to N at 4 -
8 mph. Surface wind light and variable
during the morning becoming NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2600 to 3600 ft by late morning rising to 3500 to
4500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WSW to NW at 5 - 9 mph. Surface
wind light and variable during the morning becoming W to NNW at 4 - 8 mph
during the afternoon.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning rising to 3000 to
4000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph. Surface
wind light and variable during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph
during the afternoon.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE
WESTERN OREGON AREA
- Valid for burning done Saturday through
Monday, April 25 through 27, 2026.
=================================================================
For Saturday:
Coast Range
Zone 601, 602,
603, 612, 615, 618, and 619
Use standard
guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)
Avoid burning directly upwind of coastal SSRAs.
Zone 616 west of
R8W
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616 east of
R9W
Units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Restrict units to 500 tons or less south of
T30S.
Zone 620
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of the Rogue
River. Call the forecaster.
Cascades
Zone 605, 606,
620, and 622
Units should be
750 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T20S in
Zone 606 - call the forecaster. East of
R2W in Zone 622, use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Zone 607 and 608
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 639, 610,
611, 616, 617, and 623
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.
Siskiyous
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
For Sunday:
Coast Range
Zone 601, 612,
and 616 east of R9W
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. Restrict units to 500 tons
or less south of T30S in Zone 616.
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 T17S 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 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 620
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of the Rogue
River. 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. Verify transport winds away
from SSRA if burning within 10 miles of the SSRA in Zone 605 and 606.
Zone 610
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 620 and 622
Units should be
750 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs. East of R2W in Zone 622, use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Siskiyous
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
For Monday:
Coast Range
Zone 601 and 612
Units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 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 8 miles apart, and 10 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
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616 west of
R8W
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616 east of
R9W
Units should be
750 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 618 and 619
Use standard
guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)
Zone 620
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of
T35S. Call the forecaster.
Cascades
Zone 605, 606,
607, 608, 639, 616, 617, 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 6 miles apart.
Zone 610
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 611
Units should be
1500 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. East of R2W in Zone 622, use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
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.