SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED:
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2:30 PM Gary Votaw
1. DISCUSSION AND
FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
A transitory ridge shuts off the snow showers on Friday, becoming
partly sunny but still chilly. Warming aloft begins to suppress
daytime mixing a little with light SW-W transport winds.
That ridge becomes parked over Idaho for Saturday and Sunday with a large
trough well offshore. Winds aloft will
be SW. Skies will be partly sunny both days; temperatures rise close
to average by Sunday. Daytime mixing will
generally be good with S transport winds.
2. DISPERSION
THURSDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 3200 - 4200 ft during the morning. Mixing height rises above 5000 ft during the
afternoon then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind SE
to S at 12 - 24 mph during the morning.
Transport decreases to SE to S at 9 - 15 mph during the afternoon then
shifts to NNW to NNE and decreases to 4 - 8 mph during the evening.
Surface wind SE
to S at 5 - 9 mph during the morning and afternoon. Surface wind becomes light and variable and
controlled by local terrain during the evening.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 2300 - 3300 ft during the morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 4300 - 5000
ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
ESE to SSE at 10 - 18 mph during the morning and afternoon. Transport wind becomes light and variable and
controlled by local terrain during the evening.
Surface wind ESE
to SSE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning and afternoon. Surface wind becomes light and variable and
controlled by local terrain during the evening.
OUTLOOK:
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3200 to 4200 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind WSW to WNW at
6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 6 - 12 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming S to SW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning rising to 4000 to
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind SSE to SSW at 10 - 20 mph. Surface
wind ESE to SSE at 6 - 10 mph.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 2000 ft by late morning rising to 4000 to
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind SSE to SSW at 15 - 29 mph. Surface
wind ESE to SSE at 8 - 12 mph.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Thursday, February
19, 2026.
==================================================================
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
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. Watch for shifting
transport winds. 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 ESE through SW
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.
=========================================================
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.