SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Thursday, February 12, 2026 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh

1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646

Though dry weather is in the forecast, the pattern will start to change away from upper-level ridging to more troughs and chances for rain. Flow aloft will be from W then SW as the ridge shifts east on Friday. Light surface winds will be from SSE-SSW. Transport winds will come from S-SSW. Temperatures will be above seasonable. Mixing heights will be fair.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION

A few showers with mountain snow are expected to develop on Saturday. Flow aloft will come from SW with an upper-level trough offshore. Winds will be from SSE-SSW. Temperatures will be near seasonable and freezing levels decrease to near 5000 feet. Mixing heights will improve some.

Sunday will be dry with flow aloft from SW and an upper-level low in California. Freezing levels will be down to 4-5000 feet and mixing heights will be high. Winds are expected from S.

Showers and mountain snow increase through the day on Monday. Flow aloft will come from S with troughing offshore. Winds will increase from SSE-SE with seasonable temperatures. Mixing heights will rise high. More rain and mountain snow is expected midweek.

2. DISPERSION

FRIDAY

Zone 640, 642, and 644 West of R35E:

Mixing height below 500 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 2300 - 3300 ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.

Transport wind S to SW at 8 - 12 mph.

Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to S to SW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon and evening.

Zone 637, 643, 645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:

Mixing height below 500 ft early rising to 1500 - 2500 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises to 2000 - 3000 ft then lowers below 1000 ft during the evening.

Transport wind SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph throughout the day.

Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon and evening.

OUTLOOK:

SATURDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2400 to 3400 ft by late morning rising to 3200 to 4200 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind SSE to SW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming S to SW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming SE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.

SUNDAY

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 SSE to SSW at 8 - 12 mph. Surface wind SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph.

MONDAY

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 SE to S at 10 - 18 mph during the morning becoming ESE to SSE at 15 - 29 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind ESE to SSE at 4 - 8 mph.

3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON ZONES 637-646

- Valid for burning done Friday, February 13, 2026.

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Zone 640, 642, and 644 West of R35E:

Delay ignitions until 10 a.m. Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the S through WSW of SSRAs. For units that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 25 miles to the S through WSW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. No additional restrictions necessary.

Zone 637, 643, 645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:

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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.