SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
February 6, 2026
2:30 PM Pete Parsons
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* Special Protection Zone (SPZ) provisions apply from
November 15 through February 15.
Prescribed burning is not allowed in an SPZ from December 1 through
February 15 on days when the daily woodstove “Ordinance” is either “Red,” “Exempt
Wood Burning Device,” or “No Burning Period.”
Burning is allowed inside of SPZs all other days, but please use extra
precautions and limit forestland burning to units that will not worsen air
quality within nearby SSRAs. *
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1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639
SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION
The upper-level ridge that has been providing dry and stagnant
weather is finally weakening. Increasing
SW flow aloft will push a weather system onshore Saturday. Clouds increase with rain moving onto the
north coast in the morning then south and east across all zones during the
afternoon and evening. Temperatures will
remain mild, as mixing improves with increasing S-SW winds.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Rain continues across all on Sunday with snow levels
dropping to 4500 feet north and 6000 feet south. Temperatures cool close to seasonal
normals. Rain totals could exceed an
inch west of the Cascades, especially north, but will taper off less than .25”
in in north-central Oregon. Mixing becomes
good with brisk S-SW winds ahead of the front veering to NW in its wake.
A weak upper-level trough maintains mostly cloudy skies on
Monday with a few residual showers, mainly north. Snow levels drop to about 3500 feet north and
4500 feet south with cooler air aloft providing excelling daytime mixing. Transport winds weaken and turn SW-W across
the northern zones and NW-NE across the southern zones.
A split-flow jet stream pattern develops by Tuesday, with Oregon
sandwiched between one branch of the jet over SW Canada and the other over
California. That will maintain some clouds
but generally dry conditions. The air
aloft will stay cool but some reduction in mixing is likely with transport winds
turning offshore. Temperatures remain
near average with little change in snow levels.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
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 S
to SSW at 12 - 24 mph.
Surface wind SE
to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind SSE
to SSW at 8 - 12 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind
decreases to SW to WSW at 10 - 18 mph.
Surface wind S to
SW at 5 - 9 mph.
Zone 605-611 and
639 (North Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1500 - 2500 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
SSW to SW at 10 - 18 mph.
Surface wind SSE
to SW at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind
increases to SSW to SW at 15 - 25 mph.
Surface wind S to
SW at 8 - 12 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 615-620
(South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1500 - 2500 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
SSE to SSW at 12 - 22 mph.
Surface wind SE
to S at 6 - 10 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 2700 - 3700 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind SSE
to SSW at 6 - 12 mph.
EVENING
Mixing height
2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind
SSE to SSW at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 616-623
(South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 2000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
SSE to SSW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind SSE
to SSW at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
rising to 2300 - 3300 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
Mixing height
1800 to 2800 ft during the morning rising to 4000 to 5000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind SSE to SW at 6
- 10 mph during the morning becoming SSW to SW at 10 - 18 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind SSE to SSW at 4
- 8 mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
2200 to 3200 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 6 -
10 mph during the morning becoming W to NW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind light and variable during the
morning becoming WSW to NW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1800 to 2800 ft by late morning rising to 3000 to
4000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind ENE to E at 8 - 12 mph. Surface wind NE to E at
5 - 9 mph.
3.
BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON
AREA
- Valid for burning done Saturday through
Monday, February 7 through 9, 2026.
=================================================================
For Saturday:
Coast Range
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones.***
Zone 601
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of Tillamook, use standard guidance
matrix - see section 5 below.
Zone 602 and 603
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of T3N in Zone 602, use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Units may be 900 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, south of the
Siuslaw River in Zone 603.
Zone 612, 615,
616 west of R8W, 618, 619, and 620
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Avoid burning directly upwind of coastal SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S in
Zone 616 - call the forecaster.
Zone 616 east of
R9W
Units should be
900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S -
call the forecaster.
Cascades
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones.***
Zone 605, 606,
607, 608, 639, 610, 617, 620, 622, and 623
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.
Zone 611
Units should be
900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. Avoid ignitions north of T24S. South of T29S higher tonnage is possible -
call the forecaster.
Siskiyous
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m.***
Units should be
900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.
For Sunday:
Coast Range
Zone 601 and 612
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of Waldport
in Zone 612 - call the forecaster.
Zone 602 and 603
Units should be
500 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T17S in
Zone 603 - call the forecaster.
Zone 615, 616,
618, 619, and 620
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Avoid burning directly upwind of the North Bend/Coos Bay SSRA.
Cascades
Zone 605, 606,
607, 608, 639, 610, 617, 620, 622, and 623
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.
Zone 611
Units should be
1500 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616
Units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs. Avoid ignitions north of T24S. South of T29S higher tonnage is possible -
call the forecaster.
Siskiyous
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 6 miles apart, and 8 miles from downwind SSRAs.
For Monday:
Coast Range
All Zones
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.
Cascades
Zone 605, 606,
607, 608, 639, 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 3 miles apart. South of T30S in Zone 617 units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart.
Zone 610
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 3 miles apart, and 5 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 611 and 616
Units should be
1500 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.
Siskiyous
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
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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.