SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED:
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
**************** Air Stagnation Advisory Information
****************
An Air Stagnation Advisory may be in effect for your
area (consult the link below for the latest information). Please take extra
precautions and limit forestland burning to units that will not worsen air
quality within nearby SSRAs.
* Current Air Stagnation Advisories: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/.
*
*********************************************************************
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST
FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646
Thursday will have continued stable
conditions with dry weather and a few high-level clouds. Flow aloft will be from S as upper-level ridging
slides east with a trough far offshore.
Winds will come from SSE-SE. Temperatures
climb well-above seasonable. Mixing
heights will be fair to poor.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Onshore flow returns on Friday with an
upper-level trough moving into California.
The weather will stay dry with high-level clouds. Light surface winds will be from SSE-SW. Transport winds are expected from SW-WSW. Warm air aloft will keep mixing heights low.
Saturday will have increasing clouds
late with a brief round of upper-level ridging.
Mixing heights will be fair to poor.
Winds will come from SSW-SW.
A changing weather pattern starts Sunday with SW flow aloft. Showers will increase late and overnight. Winds will be from S-SW with increasing
transport winds. Mixing heights will
improve. More showers and mountain snow
are expected early in the week.
2. DISPERSION
THURSDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Mixing height
below 300 ft during the morning rising to 1300 - 2300 ft during the afternoon
lowering below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
ESE to SSE at 6 - 10 mph.
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.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Mixing height
below 300 ft during the morning rising to 1300 - 2300 ft during the afternoon
lowering below 1000 ft during the evening.
Transport wind
ESE to S at 6 - 10 mph throughout the day.
Surface wind ESE
to S 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 during the morning rising to 1300 to 2300 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind light and
variable during the morning becoming SSW 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 1000 to 2000 ft during the
afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 4 -
8 mph. Surface wind light and variable.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 1700 ft by late morning rising to 2300 to
3300 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind S to SW at 8 - 12 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 10 - 22
mph during the afternoon. Surface wind
SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON
ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Thursday, February
5, 2026.
==================================================================
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 E through S of SSRAs. For units that
will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 30
miles to the E through SSW 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:
Delay
ignitions until 10 a.m.
Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to
the ESE through S of SSRAs. For units
that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least
30 miles to the ESE through S in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. 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.