SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED:
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST
FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646
A weakening upper-level
trough will provide rain and mountain snow late tonight through Thursday
evening. Rainfall amounts will only
reach near 0.05”. Freezing levels will
be down to 4-5000 feet early before rising as the system departs. Temperatures will be near seasonable and
mixing heights will improve. Light
surface winds will turn to come from WNW-NNW.
Transport winds are expected from NW-NNW.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Friday will be dry with a few high
clouds as upper-level ridging builds.
Mixing heights will lower as warm air moves in aloft. Light surface winds will be from S-WSW and
variable at times. Transport winds will
come from WSW. Temperatures will rise above
average.
Dry weather continues
on Saturday with mid to high level clouds. The upper-level ridge will support
temperatures well above average. Light
surface winds from S will be variable at times.
Transport winds will come from SW.
Mixing heights will be fair.
Clouds increase gradually on Sunday but the weather stays dry. Light surface winds will be from S-SSW while
transport winds will come from SSW-SW. Temperatures
will climb well above seasonable. Mixing
heights will be suppressed. Showers
return for Monday.
2. DISPERSION
THURSDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Mixing height
below 800 ft early rising to 2300 - 3300 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 2800 - 3800
ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph throughout the morning and afternoon. Transport wind shifts to
NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to
NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon and evening.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Mixing height
below 800 ft early rising to 2300 - 3300 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 2500 - 3500
ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph throughout the day.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to WNW to NNW at 4 - 8
mph during the afternoon and evening.
OUTLOOK:
FRIDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1200 to 2200 ft by late morning rising to 2200 to
3200 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind light and variable during the morning becoming SW to W at 4 - 8 mph during
the afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable.
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 2300 to 3300 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 4 -
8 mph. Surface wind light and variable.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
1000 to 2000 ft during the morning rising to 2100 to 3100 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 4 -
8 mph. Surface wind light and variable.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON
ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Thursday, November
20, 2025.
==================================================================
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the WNW through
NNE 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.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the NW through N
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles to the W
through N in or near drainages leading to 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.