SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
April 10, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
Rounds of showers on
Saturday will bring up to 0.20” rainfall amounts with some chance of thunderstorms. Flow aloft will come from S with one
upper-level low weakening and another one offshore of California. Winds will be from S-SSW. Temperatures cool some to near average. Mixing heights will be excellent.
Rain continues on Sunday with amounts from 0.10-0.50”. Snow levels will drop to 4-5000 feet with
mountain snow likely. Flow aloft will be
light with the upper-level low moving into California. Temperatures will be below seasonable
and mixing heights will be good. Winds
will come from SSW-WSW.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Showers will end
late on Monday with amounts up to 0.10”.
Flow aloft will be light from NW with broad upper-level ridging. Winds will be from W and temperatures will stay
below seasonable. Mixing heights will
rise high.
Tuesday will have a break in the rain before more arrives
late. Another upper-level low will dig
south toward Oregon with W flow aloft. Winds
will be from SW. Seasonable temperatures
will come with good mixing heights.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 2000 ft early rising to 3500 - 4500 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises above 5000 ft
then lowers to 1500 - 2500 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
SSW to SW at 10 - 22 mph during the morning.
Transport wind increases to SSW to SW at 15 - 25 mph during the
afternoon then decreases to SSE to SSW at 10 - 22 mph during the evening.
Surface wind SSE
to SSW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning and afternoon. Surface wind decreases to SSE to SSW at 4 - 8
mph during the evening.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3500 - 4500 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
S to SW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at 6 - 10 mph during
the afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon.
MONDAY
Mixing height
2900 - 3900 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind WSW to WNW at
10 - 18 mph. Surface wind SSW to WSW at
4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
2900 - 3900 ft during the morning rising to 3500 - 4500 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind SSW to WSW at
8 - 12 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 10 - 22 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind SSW to WSW at 4
- 8 mph.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625
INCLUDING THE WALKER
RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624
- Valid for burning done Saturday through
Monday, April 11 through 13, 2026.
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For Saturday:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the S through SW
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles to the
SSE through SW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
For Sunday:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SSW through
WNW of SSRAs. For units that will
smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 5 miles
to the SSW through NW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
For Monday:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the WSW through
WNW of SSRAs. For units that will
smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles
to the SSW through WNW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. 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.