SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
February 6, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
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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
Flow aloft will
increase from SW on Saturday as upper-level ridging weakens. Dry skies will have increasing clouds. Winds will be from S-SW. Temperatures will rise well-above
average. Mixing heights will gradually
improve but stay fair.
Sunday will have
increasing rain and mountain snow throughout the day. Rainfall amounts will range from 0.05-0.20”. Winds will come from S-SSW at the surface with
strong transport winds from SSW-SW.
Mixing heights will improve.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Showers end early on
Monday. Freezing levels will drop to
under 4000 feet as an upper-level trough moves through. Winds are expected to be variable at the
surface and from W-NW for transport winds.
Temperatures will drop to near seasonable. Mixing heights will be good.
Drier weather returns for Tuesday with light upper-level winds. Temperatures will be near average. Freezing levels will be near 4-5000 feet with
good mixing heights. Winds will turn to come from ENE-SE. Dry weather lasts into
midweek.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft during the morning.
Afternoon mixing height rises to 1700 - 2700 ft then lowers below 1000
ft during the evening.
Transport wind S
to SW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 2000 ft by late morning rising to 2500 -
3500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind S to SW at 6 - 12 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 12 - 24
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
SSE to SSW at 5 - 9 mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning rising to 2700 -
3700 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind light and variable. Surface wind
light and variable.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2300 - 3300 ft by late morning rising to 3300 -
4300 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind ESE to SSE at 4 - 8 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 Saturday through
Monday, February 7 through 9, 2026.
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For Saturday:
Delay
ignitions until 10 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the S through WSW of SSRAs. For units
that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least
30 miles to the S through WSW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Verify transport winds away from SSRAs if
burning in any other direction. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. No
additional restrictions necessary.
For Sunday:
Delay
ignitions until 10 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the S through W of SSRAs. For units that
will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 30
miles to the S through NW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
For Monday:
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 25 miles in all
directions of SSRAs. No additional
restrictions necessary.
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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.