SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Thursday,
March 26, 2026
2:30 PM Pete Parsons
1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION
A building but flat upper-level ridge will bring a dry and
stable westerly flow aloft on Friday. After
a frosty morning, sunny skies and warming aloft will help surface temperatures rebound
to about 15°F above average in the afternoon.
Morning inversions will give way to good afternoon mixing with SE-S
surface and transport winds.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
A mild, dry, and stable WSW flow aloft continues through the
weekend. Sunny skies on Saturday will
give way to increasing high clouds on Sunday.
Morning inversions will yield to good afternoon mixing both days, with transport
winds turning westerly on Saturday and SW on Sunday.
Ridging weakens on Monday with increasing SW flow aloft
directing the first in a series of Pacific weather systems ashore. Expect mostly cloudy skies with areas of
light rain spreading from west to east. Temperatures
cool back closer to average with excellent mixing and increasing SW winds.
2. DISPERSION
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises above 5000 ft
then lowers to 2000 - 3000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
ESE to SSE at 6 - 10 mph during the morning.
Transport wind shifts to SSE to SSW at 8 - 12 mph during the afternoon
and evening.
Surface wind ENE
to ESE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning.
Surface wind shifts to SE to SSW at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon and
evening.
OUTLOOK:
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
SSW to WSW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming WSW to W at 15 - 29 mph
during the afternoon. Surface wind light
and variable during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 8 - 12 mph during the
afternoon.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
SSW to WSW at 10 - 16 mph during the morning becoming
SW to WSW at 15 - 25 mph during the afternoon.
Surface wind S to SW at 5 - 9 mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3000 - 4000 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
SSW to SW at 18 - 32 mph during the morning becoming SSW to SW at 23 - 41 mph
during the afternoon. Surface wind SSW
to SW at 10 - 20 mph during the morning becoming SSW to SW at 15 - 25 mph
during the afternoon.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625 INCLUDING THE WALKER
RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624
- Valid for burning done Friday, March 27,
2026.
==================================================================
Delay
ignitions until 11 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the E through SW of SSRAs. For units
that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least
15 miles to the E through SW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. 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.