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 NORTHEAST FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Flow aloft turns
W on Saturday and Sunday. Sunny skies
continue the warming trend with temperatures reaching 10-15oF above
normal on both days. Burning potential
is still excellent along with W transport winds.
An
upper trough is expected to arrive at the coast on Monday causing areas of showers
in NE Oregon, rainfall typically around .10” and mostly in mountains. Conditions otherwise will be partly sunny and
cooler but temperatures still well above normal. Mixing conditions are very good with winds
trending NW in the afternoon.
2. DISPERSION
FRIDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
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 WSW to NW at 4 -
8 mph during the afternoon then shifts to NNW to NNE at 6 - 12 mph during the
evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
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 WNW to NNW at 4 -
8 mph during the afternoon then shifts to NNE to ENE at 6 - 10 mph 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 WSW at
6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 10 - 16 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming W to NW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 4000 to 5000 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
WSW to WNW at 10 - 16 mph. Surface wind
WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 4000 to 5000 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. Transport wind
SSW to WSW at 10 - 22 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 12 - 24 mph
during the afternoon. Surface wind SSW
to WSW at 6 - 12 mph during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 10 - 16 mph
during the afternoon.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Friday, May 22,
2026.
==================================================================
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SW through NE
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 10 miles in all
directions of SSRAs. Verify transport
winds away from SSRAs if burning in any other direction. No additional
restrictions necessary.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the WNW through
ENE of SSRAs. For units that will
smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 10 miles
in all directions of SSRAs. Verify
transport winds away from SSRAs if burning in any other direction. No
additional restrictions necessary.
=========================================================
4. SPECIAL NOTE:
The ODF forecast
smoke zones differ from the NWS fire zones and
are available at:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/documents/smoke-forecast-zone-map.pdf
The smoke management forecaster is
available at (503)-
945-7401. Please call this number and not
individual's
numbers to discuss daily burning. For large burns (over
2000 tons) or burns extending over a
considerable period,
please request a
special forecast. Avoid calling
between 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/
Daily/neo.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.