SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Monday,
December 22, 2025 2:30 PM Gary Votaw
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* Special Protection Zone
(SPZ) provisions apply from November 15 through February 15. Prescribed
burning is not allowed in an SPZ from December 1 through February 15 on days
when the daily woodstove “Ordinance” is either “Red,” “Exempt Wood Burning
Device,” or “No Burning Period.” Burning is allowed inside of SPZs
all other days, but please use extra precautions and limit forestland burning
to units that will not worsen air quality within nearby SSRAs. *
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1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
OREGON ZONES 624 AND 625
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
A large offshore upper trough
will cause SW flow aloft on Tuesday. It
will spread rain and snow across the area for .10” to .25” of moisture while
snow levels rise to 5-6000 feet. Temperatures
will be above average. Mixing potential
in the afternoon is good with mainly S transport winds.
EXTENDED
DISCUSSION
The trough
persists offshore and little change is expected on Wednesday and Thursday,
except to be windier. Light showers will
provide generally .10” or less on both days with snow levels at 4500-5500 feet. Good mixing is expected in
the afternoons with mainly S winds.
The trough is expected to move across Oregon on
Friday in a much-weakened form while bringing cooler air. Light showers persist and surface
temperatures fall to average levels.
Snow levels will be 3-4000 feet.
Afternoon mixing potential is still good with strong SW transport winds.
2. DISPERSION
TUESDAY
Mixing height
1200 - 2200 ft during the morning.
Afternoon mixing height rises to 4300 - 5000 ft then lowers to 4000 -
5000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind SE
to SSW at 6 - 12 mph during the morning.
Transport wind increases to SSE to SSW at 15 - 25 mph during the
afternoon and evening.
Surface wind SE
to S at 5 - 9 mph.
OUTLOOK:
WEDNESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3100 - 4100 ft by late morning rising to 4000 -
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind SSE to SSW at 28 - 48 mph during the morning becoming S to SSW at 21 - 37
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
SSE to S at 10 - 22 mph.
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1900 - 2900 ft by late morning rising to 4500 -
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind SSE to S at 30 - 50 mph during the morning becoming SSE to SSW at 25 - 45
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
ESE to SSE at 16 - 30 mph during the morning becoming SSE to SSW at 15 - 29 mph
during the afternoon.
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 4500 - 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind SW to WSW at
28 - 48 mph during the morning becoming SW to WSW at 20 - 34 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind SSE to SSW at 14
- 28 mph.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONES 624 AND 625
INCLUDING THE WALKER
RANGE PORTION OF ZONE 624
- Valid for burning done Tuesday, December
23, 2025.
==================================================================
Delay
ignitions until 10 a.m. Follow
standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SE
through SSW 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.