SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Tuesday,
March 17, 2026
2:30 PM Gary Votaw
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A substantial degrade in
the forecast products used by Oregon Department of Forestry meteorologists will
cause longer wait-times to return calls to the forecast
line. Forecasts and instructions may be delayed due to the decline
in data.
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1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
A large and strong ridge
is over the region causing W flow aloft.
Sunny skies on Wednesday will push temperatures 20-25oF above seasonal
levels. Afternoon mixing will become good mixing with light S-SW
winds.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Little change is expected Thursday and Friday. The ridge and
generally sunny skies remain causing daytime temperatures at 20-25oF above seasonal
levels. Good mixing conditions are expected each afternoon with SW-W
winds.
A cold front is expected
to pass through on Friday night followed by an upper trough by Saturday. Conditions will still be dry but skies partly
cloudy, cooler though temperatures still above normal.
2. DISPERSION
WEDNESDAY
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 1200 - 2200 ft during the morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 3800 - 4800
ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind S
to SW at 8 - 12 mph during the morning and afternoon. Transport wind decreases to
SW to WNW at 5 - 9 mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to SSW to WSW at 4 - 8
mph during the afternoon then becomes light and variable during the evening.
OUTLOOK:
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1100 - 2100 ft by late morning rising to 4300 -
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind SSE to SW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming SW to WSW at 10 - 22
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
light and variable during the morning becoming SW to W at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon.
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 5 -
9 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at 10 - 18
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 8 - 12 mph during
the afternoon.
SATURDAY
Mixing height 1000
- 2000 ft early rising to 2500 - 3500 ft by late morning rising to 4300 - 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
WSW to WNW at 9 - 15 mph. Surface wind
WSW to NW at 5 - 9 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph
during the afternoon.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625 INCLUDING THE WALKER
RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624
- Valid for burning done Wednesday, March
18, 2026.
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Delay
ignitions until 11 a.m. Follow
standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the S
through WNW of SSRAs. For units that
will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 30
miles to the SE through WNW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
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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.