SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Tuesday,
March 10, 2026
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
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A substantial degrade in the forecast products used by
Oregon Department of Forestry meteorologists will cause longer wait-times to
return calls to the forecast line.
Forecasts and instructions may be delayed due to the decline in data.
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1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST
FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646
A strong jet stream just to the north
of the region will keep a few showers around on Wednesday. Winds will be brisk from S-SW at the surface
and strong from SW-WSW for transport winds.
Mixing heights will be good despite freezing levels rising to 5-6000
feet. Temperatures will climb to seasonable.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Thursday will be similar
to Wednesday with a few showers and a strong jet north. Winds will be from SW-WSW at the surface and
WSW for transport winds. Temperatures will
reach above average. Mixing heights will
lower but stay mostly good.
Friday will have dry weather during
the daytime as the jet moves south some.
Surface winds will be from SW-WSW.
Transport winds are expected from WSW, stronger in central zones. Mixing heights will be good with above
seasonable temperatures.
A few showers are expected Saturday as
the jet stream shifts and upper-level ridging builds. Winds will turn to
come from NW with seasonable temperatures.
Mixing heights will be fair to good.
Dry weather lasts into
early next week.
2. DISPERSION
WEDNESDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Mixing height
below 800 ft early rising to 3000 - 4000 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises above 5000 ft
then lowers to 1000 - 2000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
SSW to WSW at 12 - 24 mph during the morning.
Transport wind increases to SW to WSW at 18 - 30 mph during the
afternoon then decreases to SSW to WSW at 10 - 22 mph during the evening.
Surface wind S to
SW at 6 - 10 mph throughout the day.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising to 2300 - 3300 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises above 5000 ft
then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind S
to SW at 10 - 18 mph during the morning.
Transport increases to SSW to WSW at 12 - 24 mph during the afternoon
then shifts to SSE to SSW and decreases to 4 - 8 mph during the evening.
Surface wind SSE
to SSW at 4 - 8 mph.
OUTLOOK:
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 3200 to 4200 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind SSW to WSW at
9 - 15 mph during the morning becoming SW to WSW at 13 - 25 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind SSW to WSW at 4
- 8 mph.
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 to 3500 ft by late morning rising to 3500 to
4500 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WSW to WNW at 10 - 22 mph. Surface
wind SSW to WSW at 4 - 8 mph.
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind WNW to NNW at
9 - 15 mph. Surface wind WNW to NNW at 6
- 10 mph.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON
ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Wednesday, March
11, 2026.
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Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SSW through W
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles to the
SSW through W in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. 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 SSE through
WSW of SSRAs. For units that will
smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles
to the SSE through WSW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
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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.