SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED:
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
Thursday
will have one more day of impacts from upper-level ridging and light flow
aloft. The weather will be dry with temperatures
rising above average. Light winds will
be variable and offshore at times.
Mixing heights will be high.
EXTENDED
DISCUSSION
Friday
will continue dry with increasing S flow and an upper-level trough
offshore. Winds will turn to come from SSE-S
with brisk transport winds. Temperatures
will rise further above seasonable.
Mixing heights will be good.
Saturday
will be mostly dry but thunderstorms are possible
along the Cascades with S flow aloft.
Winds will be from SSE-S. Temperatures
will climb well above average. Mixing heights
will rise high.
Showers
will increase from the south on Sunday. The
upper-level trough will sink south with ridging off Canada and E-SE flow
aloft. Winds will be offshore and
temperatures will climb higher. Mixing
heights will be excellent.
2. DISPERSION
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 300 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning. Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft during the
evening.
Transport wind E
to SE at 4 - 8 mph throughout the morning and afternoon. Transport wind shifts to NE to E at 4 - 8 mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
OUTLOOK:
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind SE to S at 6 -
10 mph. Surface wind light and variable
during the morning becoming ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2700 - 3700 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
SE to S at 8 - 12 mph. Surface wind SSE
to SSW at 4 - 8 mph.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3000 - 4000 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
E to SE at 6 - 10 mph. 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 Thursday, April
30, 2026.
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Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the ENE through SE
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles to the
ENE through SSE in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Verify transport winds away from SSRAs if
burning in any other direction. Watch for shifting transport winds. 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.