SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

 

ISSUED: Monday, January 13, 2025       2:30 PM      Pete Parsons

 

**************** Air Stagnation Advisory Information ****************

An Air Stagnation Advisory may be in effect for your area (consult the link below for the latest information). Please use extra precautions and limit forestland burning to units that will not worsen air quality within nearby SSRAs.

* Current Air Stagnation Advisories: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/. *

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* Special Protection Zone (SPZ) provisions apply from November 15 through February 15.  Prescribed burning is not allowed on Red woodstove days in an SPZ from December 1 through February 15. Burning is allowed inside of SPZs on green and yellow woodstove 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 SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625

 

SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION

A building upper-level ridge of high pressure will clear skies and bring locally stagnant conditions tonight and Tuesday.  Areas of morning fog should give way to sunshine Tuesday afternoon with near-average temperatures.  Daytime mixing stays poor with light winds.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION

The upper-level ridge strengthens on Wednesday with continued dry and stagnant conditions.  Temperatures remain near average with strong morning inversions yielding to poor afternoon mixing, despite sunny skies.  Winds should turn light SE.

The ridge flattens Thursday afternoon in response to a weather system approaching from SW Cananda.  Skies should remain mostly sunny with some high clouds in the afternoon.  Daytime mixing stays poor.  Expect a shift to W-NW winds later in the day.

A cold and dry NW flow aloft prevails on Friday with just some high clouds.  Cooling aloft may weaken inversions and marginally improve mixing, especially east.  Temperatures remain near average with increasing NW-N winds.

2.  DISPERSION

 

TUESDAY

 

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning.  Afternoon mixing height rises to 1000 - 1800 ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.

 

Transport wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning.  Transport wind increases to NW to N at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon then becomes light and variable during the evening.

 

Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

 

OUTLOOK:

 

WEDNESDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1000 - 1700 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming SE to S at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.

 

THURSDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1000 - 1900 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming W to NW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable.

 

FRIDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 1700 ft by late morning rising to 2000 - 3000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NW to N at 6 - 10 mph.  Surface wind NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.

 

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625 INCLUDING THE WALKER

    RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624

    - Valid for burning done Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

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Delay ignitions until 10 a.m. Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units in all directions of SSRAs.  For units that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 30 miles in all directions of SSRAs.  Complete ignitions by 3 p.m. 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.