SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Tuesday,
May 5, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
Dry conditions continue
Wednesday. Flow aloft will come from N
then NW as upper-level ridging moves inland.
Surface winds will be from WNW. Stronger
transport winds will come from WNW as well.
Temperatures will climb well above seasonable. Mixing heights will be excellent.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
The weather doesn’t
change much going into Thursday. Flow aloft will be from NW with broad upper-level
ridging. Temperatures will be well above
average and mixing heights will be high.
Winds will be from W-WNW.
A weak upper-level
trough will move through on Friday but most of the region will still have dry
weather. Winds will be strong from W-NW. Warm temperatures for the season will come
with high mixing heights.
Saturday will have light
NW flow aloft will more upper-level ridging.
Winds will be light and variable.
Mixing heights will be good. Dry weather
lasts through the weekend.
2. DISPERSION
WEDNESDAY
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2300 - 3300 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises above 5000 ft
then lowers to 1500 - 2500 ft during the evening.
Transport wind SW
to W at 4 - 8 mph during the morning.
Transport wind increases to WSW to WNW at 9 - 15 mph during the
afternoon then shifts to WNW to NNW at 10 - 18 mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to WSW to WNW at 6 -
10 mph during the afternoon then shifts to WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph during the
evening.
OUTLOOK:
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 - 3500 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
SW to WNW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming W
to NW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon.
Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming W to NW at 6
- 10 mph during the afternoon.
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3500 - 4500 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
WSW to WNW at 9 - 15 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NW at 12 - 24 mph
during the afternoon. Surface wind WSW
to WNW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph
during the afternoon.
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 - 3500 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
light and variable. Surface wind light
and variable.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625
INCLUDING THE WALKER
RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624
- Valid for burning done Wednesday, May 6,
2026.
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Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SW through NNW
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles to the
SW through NNW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Verify transport winds away from SSRAs if
burning in any other direction. No additional restrictions necessary.
==============================================================
4. SPECIAL NOTE:
The smoke management forecaster is
available at (503)
945-7401.
The smoke management forecaster is available
to discuss specific burns. The duty forecaster phone
number is (503) 945-7401. Please call this
number and
not individual's numbers to discuss daily
burning. Please
avoid calling between 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/
Daily/lmt.htm
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the
email list for this
product, please go to the link:
http://weather.smkmgt.com/mailman/listinfo/
Please ensure your units have been planned
and accomplished by
checking:
http://oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/SMP/dailysmoke.shtml
A map of planned and/or accomplished burns
is located at:
http://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html
?id=a7e321dc8fc444b7a33fbc67bc673a3b
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.
* 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.