SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Friday, January 16, 2026 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh

************************ Holiday Schedule ***************************

The ODF forecast office will be closed on Monday, January 19th. This forecast includes burning instructions through Tuesday, January 20th.

For questions regarding prescribed burning planned for this period, please call the forecast office at 503-945-7401 prior to 5 p.m. today or after 7 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20th.

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

An Air Stagnation Advisory may be in effect for your area (consult the link below for the latest information). Please take 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 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 SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625

SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION

Upper-level ridging will dominate the weekend and well into next week with stable conditions. Flow aloft will come from NW with clear skies on Saturday. Temperatures will climb well-above average. Lights winds will come from SE-S. Mixing heights will be suppressed and burning near SSRAs will be limited for the forecast period.

Sunday will have mostly sunny, dry, and stagnant weather with a few high clouds. Winds will be light and variable, favoring NW. After strong morning inversions, mixing heights will be poor.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION

Clear skies are expected for Monday with continued above average temperatures. Flow aloft will come from N under the influence of the upper-level ridge. Winds will be light and variable, somewhat from SE. Mixing heights will be suppressed.

Dry and stable weather lasts into Tuesday. Flow aloft will be from NW. Light surface winds will be from S and transport winds will come from SW. Temperatures rise well above average. Mixing heights will be low.

2. DISPERSION

SATURDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 1000 - 1700 ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.

Transport wind ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph during the morning and afternoon. Transport wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the evening.

Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

OUTLOOK:

SUNDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft throughout the day. Transport wind light and variable. Surface wind light and variable.

MONDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1000 - 1600 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming ESE to SSE at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind light and variable.

TUESDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1100 - 2100 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon. 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 Saturday through Tuesday, January 17 through 20, 2026.

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For Saturday:

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.

For Sunday:

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.

For Monday:

For Tuesday:

Delay ignitions until 10 a.m. Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SE 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. Verify transport winds away from SSRAs if burning in any other direction. 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.