SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
April 3, 2026
2:30 PM Pete Parsons
1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION
A building upper-level ridge continues warming and drying
the air mass over the weekend. Temperatures
will climb to about 10°F above average on Saturday and 15°F above average on Easter
Sunday. Morning inversions will give way
to good afternoon mixing each day with mostly SE winds on Saturday and south
winds on Sunday.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
The upper-level ridge weakens and pushes east of the state on
Monday with increasing westerly flow aloft.
At the surface, a thermal trough also shifts eastward with a coinciding switch
from south to SW winds. Look for increasing
high clouds with good afternoon mixing. Temperatures
will remain about 15°F above average.
On Tuesday, a strong upper-level trough cutting across Washington
will bring increasing westerly flow aloft, partly cloudy skies, and brisk west
to NW winds. Daytime mixing should be
good with cooler afternoon temperatures.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1600 - 2600 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 3800 - 4800
ft then lowers to 1500 - 2500 ft during the evening.
Transport wind E
to SE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind E to
SE at 4 - 8 mph.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1700 - 2700 ft by late morning rising to 4000 -
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind ESE to SSE at 6 - 12 mph during the morning becoming SSE to SSW at 6 - 10
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
ESE to SSE at 4 - 8 mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1800 - 2800 ft by late morning rising to 4500 -
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind S to SW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 8 - 12 mph
during the afternoon. Surface wind S to
SW at 4 - 8 mph.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3500 - 4500 ft by late morning rising to 4500 -
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WSW to W at 15 - 25 mph during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 18 - 32
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
SW to W at 9 - 15 mph during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 12 - 24 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, April 4 through 6, 2026.
==================================================================
For Saturday:
Delay
ignitions until 11 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the E through SSE of SSRAs. For units that will smolder significantly
through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles to the E through SSE
in or near drainages leading to SSRAs.
No additional restrictions necessary.
For Sunday:
Delay
ignitions until 11 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the ESE through SW of SSRAs. For units
that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least
25 miles to the ESE through SW 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 S through NW
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles to the S
through NW 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.