SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Thursday,
May 21, 2026
2:30 PM Gary Votaw
1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
Sunny and warm
weather will result on Friday under weak NW flow aloft, temperatures 10oF
above seasonal averages. Mixing
conditions will be excellent with very light winds, favoring SW-W.
EXTENDED
DISCUSSION
Flow aloft turns
W on Saturday and Sunday. Sunny skies
continue the warming trend with temperatures 10-15oF above normal on
both days. Burning potential is still excellent
in the afternoons with SW transport winds.
An upper trough
is expected to arrive at the coast on Monday providing a slight chance of
showers late but more likely overnight. Conditions
otherwise will be mostly sunny, cooler, winds becoming quite brisk from SW-W.
2. DISPERSION
FRIDAY
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and throughout the afternoon.
Transport wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Transport wind increases to SW to W at 5 - 9
mph during the afternoon then becomes light and variable during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
OUTLOOK:
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind SSW to SW at 8
- 12 mph. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming SW to W at 6 - 10 mph during the
afternoon.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 6 -
12 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 10 - 20 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind S to SW at 4 - 8
mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind SSW to SW at
12 - 24 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at 24 - 42 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind SW to WSW at 12
- 24 mph during the morning becoming SW to WSW at 16 - 30 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, May 22,
2026.
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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 10 miles in all
directions of 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.