SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
March 6, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
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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
Upper-level ridging
will be offshore on Saturday with N flow aloft.
Dry weather will have temperatures rising well above average. Mixing heights will stay good but lower some
with warm air aloft. Winds will come
from NW-NNW.
The upper-level ridge
flattens out for Sunday with a strong jet stream north of Oregon and W
flow. Temperatures continue well above
average with W winds. Mixing heights
will be good with dry weather.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
The jet stream
nudges south on Monday but the weather stays dry with
strong W flow aloft. Winds will be from W but temperatures will sink to near average. Freezing levels will be up at
6000 feet. Mixing heights will be good.
Tuesday stays dry with
the jet stream weakening some and shifting north. Freezing levels will drop to 5-6000
feet. Winds
will come from W with seasonable temperatures.
Mixing heights will be good.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 800 ft early rising to 1300 - 2300 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 2300 - 3300
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 6 - 10
mph during the afternoon and evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to
NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon and evening.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1300 - 2300 ft by late morning rising to 2500 -
3500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph. Surface
wind light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph
during the afternoon.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning rising to 3500 -
4500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WSW to WNW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 10 - 22
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 - 3500 ft by late morning rising to 3300 -
4300 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph. Surface
wind light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph
during the afternoon.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625
INCLUDING THE WALKER
RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624
- Valid for burning done Saturday through
Monday, March 7 through 9, 2026.
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For Saturday:
Delay
ignitions until 10 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the WNW through N of SSRAs. For units
that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least
30 miles to the WSW through N in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
For Sunday:
Delay
ignitions until 10 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the WSW through NW of SSRAs. For units
that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least
30 miles to the WSW through NW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Verify transport winds away from SSRAs if
burning in any other direction. No additional restrictions necessary.
For Monday:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the WSW through NW
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles to the
WSW through NNW 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.