SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Tuesday,
March 17, 2026
2:30 PM Gary Votaw
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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
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
A large and strong ridge
is over the region causing W flow aloft.
Mostly sunny skies on Wednesday will push temperatures to around 20oF above seasonal
levels. Good mixing is expected by afternoon with SW-W winds.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Little change is expected Thursday and Friday. Partly to mostly sunny
skies keep daytime temperatures near 20oF above normal. Good mixing
is expected each afternoon with SW winds on Thursday trending W by Friday.
A cold front is
expected to pass through on Friday night followed by an upper trough on
Saturday. They will cause little or no precipitation but conditions will be mostly cloudy and much
cooler, temperatures near seasonal levels. Burning conditions will be very good with NW
transport winds.
2. DISPERSION
WEDNESDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 1500 - 2500 ft during the morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 4000 - 5000
ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind SW
to WSW at 12 - 24 mph during the morning.
Transport wind increases to SW to W at 16 - 30 mph during the afternoon
then decreases to WSW to WNW at 6 - 10 mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to SW to W at 6 - 10
mph during the afternoon then becomes light and variable during the evening.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 2000 ft during the morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 4000 - 5000
ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind S
to SW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning.
Transport increases to SW to WSW at 10 - 16 mph during the afternoon
then shifts to E to SE and decreases to 5 - 9 mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to SSE to SW at 4 - 8
mph during the afternoon then becomes light and variable during the evening.
OUTLOOK:
THURSDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1300 to 2300 ft by late morning rising above 5000
ft during the afternoon. In the west
transport wind SSW to WSW at 10 - 18 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at
18 - 32 mph during the afternoon. In the
east transport wind S to SW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 10 - 16 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming S to SW at 6 - 10 mph during the
afternoon.
FRIDAY
Mixing height below
1000 ft early rising to 2500 to 3500 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft
during the afternoon. Transport wind WSW
to WNW at 10 - 20 mph. Surface wind SSW
to WSW at 6 - 10 mph.
SATURDAY
Mixing height 1500
to 2500 ft early rising to 3000 to 4000 ft by late morning rising to 4200 to
5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind WNW to NNW at 10 - 18 mph. Surface
wind W to NW at 6 - 10 mph.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Wednesday, March
18, 2026.
==================================================================
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Delay
ignitions until 11 a.m. Follow
standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SW
through WNW of SSRAs. For units that
will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 30
miles to the SSW through WNW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. No additional restrictions necessary.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Delay
ignitions until 11 a.m. 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 30 miles
in all directions of SSRAs. Watch for
shifting transport winds. 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.