SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Monday,
June 29, 2026 2:30 PM Gary Votaw
******************* Final
Forecast of the Season ********************
This is the
final prescribed-burning forecast for the season. Written forecasts will
resume no later than October 1st. You may always call the ODF forecast
office for verbal burning clearance or consultation at 503-945-7401.
Normal days/hours are Monday – Friday, from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed on weekends
and state holidays).
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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
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
A weak upper-level trough and
NW flow is over the region Tuesday keeping temperatures around 10oF below
average. There may be a few very light
showers in the North Cascades. Otherwise
expect mostly cloudy skies in the morning to become partly to mostly sunny
across the region. Mixing conditions will generally be moderate or
good with W-NW winds.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Flow aloft continues NW on
both Wednesday and Thursday while little change in conditions will be seen. Skies become partly to mostly sunny by the
afternoon and temperatures remain cool though a little closer to average by Thursday. There may also be a few light showers in the
North Cascades. Mixing on both days continues
moderate to good with very light NW-N winds.
A very
weak ridge arrives on Friday. Temperatures
return to near normal under mostly sunny skies.
Little change in burning conditions will result and winds will be very
light W-NNW.
2. DISPERSION
TUESDAY
Zone 601, 602,
603 and 612 (North Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
2300 - 3300 ft.
Transport wind W
to NW at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
3200 - 4200 ft.
Transport wind
WNW to NW at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind
increases to W to NW at 6 - 10 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
2600 - 3600 ft.
Transport wind NW
to NNW at 10 - 22 mph.
Surface wind
similar to afternoon.
Zone 605-611 and
639 (North Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 1800 - 2800 ft.
Transport wind
WSW to WNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind SW
to W at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 3300 - 4300 ft.
Transport wind
similar to morning.
Surface wind
similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
2900 - 3900 ft.
Transport wind
similar to afternoon.
Surface wind WSW
to NW at 6 - 10 mph.
Zone 615-620
(South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 2500 - 3500 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to NE at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind NNW
to NE at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 4000 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 5 - 9 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
1600 - 2600 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind NW
to N at 8 - 12 mph.
Zone 616-623
(South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
2800 - 3800 ft.
Transport wind NW
to N at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 4000 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind
similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
1400 - 2400 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to N at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind
increases to NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.
OUTLOOK:
WEDNESDAY
In the north
mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1900 to 2900 ft by late morning
rising to 3400 to 4400 ft during the afternoon.
In the south 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 NW to N at 6 - 10 mph. Surface wind light and variable during the
morning becoming WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
THURSDAY
In the north
mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1700 to 2700 ft by late morning
rising to 3400 to 4400 ft during the afternoon.
In the south mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2200 to 3200 ft
by late morning rising to 3800 to 4800 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind NW to N at 6 - 10 mph. Surface wind WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
FRIDAY
In the north
mixing height 1800 to 2800 ft during the morning rising to 3400 to 4400 ft
during the afternoon. In the south
mixing height 1200 to 2200 ft during the morning rising to 3500 to 4500 ft
during the afternoon. Transport wind W
to NNW at 6 - 10 mph. Surface wind WNW
to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE
WESTERN OREGON AREA
- Valid for burning done Tuesday, June 30,
2026.
=================================================================
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, 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 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,
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 900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart. South of T30S in Zone 616 units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart.
Zone 610 and 611
Units should be
900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 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.
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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.