SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Monday,
June 15, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
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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!
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1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN
OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639
The heat begins to subside into
Tuesday as the upper-level ridge flattens and flow
aloft comes from W. While temperatures
will still reach well above average, they will cool from the record heat that
started this week with continued dry conditions. Winds will be from WNW-N. Mixing heights will be fair on the coast and
mostly good inland.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Flow aloft will come
from NW on Wednesday under broad upper-level ridging. Winds will be light from NNW-NNE. Temperatures will be above seasonable. Mixing heights will be fair to good.
Thursday will have
light S flow aloft and dry weather.
Light winds will be from N for coastal zones and variable for Cascades
zones. Temperatures will again be well
above average. Mixing heights will be
fair to good.
Temperatures will be
above seasonable on Friday with light SW flow aloft. Winds will come from W-NW with fair to good
mixing heights. The weekend will cool
closer to average.
2. DISPERSION
TUESDAY
Zone 601, 602,
603 and 612 (North Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind WNW
to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind
increases to WNW to NNW at 10 - 22 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind
decreases to NW to N at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 605-611 and
639 (North Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2800 - 3800 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
WNW to NW at 10 - 22 mph.
Surface wind W to
NW at 6 - 10 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind
increases to WNW to NW at 18 - 30 mph.
Surface wind W to
NW at 9 - 15 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind
decreases to WNW to NW at 10 - 22 mph.
Surface wind WNW
to NNW at 6 - 10 mph.
Zone 615-620
(South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind N
to NE at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
2300 - 3300 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 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 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind
increases to WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind NW
to N at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
OUTLOOK:
WEDNESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2300 to 3300 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind NNW to NNE at
5 - 9 mph. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming NW to N at 6 - 10 mph during the
afternoon.
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1700 to 2700 ft by late morning rising to 2300 to
3300 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind N to NE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph
during the afternoon. Surface wind light
and variable.
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1800 to 2800 ft by late morning rising to 2400 to
3400 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 Tuesday, June 16,
2026.
=================================================================
Coast Range
Zone 601, 612,
and 616 east of R9W
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of Waldport
in Zone 612. Call the forecaster. Restrict units to 500 tons or less south of
T30S in Zone 616.
Zone 602 and 603
No burning
allowed. 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
900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 620
Units should be
300 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 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. From T12S through T17S 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 620 and 622
Units should be
300 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 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.
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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.