SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED: Friday,
June 20, 2025
2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
******************** Instruction Zones Update ***********************
The National Weather Service recently changed borders
and numbering of their fire zones. ODF will use the previous zone boundaries for smoke management and
not change with these updates.
A link to ODF’s smoke forecast zones is at the bottom
of the instructions in the Special Notes section. (https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/documents/smoke-forecast-zone-map.pdf)
*********************************************************************
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST
FORECAST AREA ZONES 637-646
SHORT-TERM
DISCUSSION
Saturday’s
showers could reach up to 0.25” totals but will likely to
remain lower. An upper-level low will be
overhead and moving east of the region.
Freezing levels will decrease to near 5000 feet. Winds will be more breezy
from W-NW. Temperatures will drop as
much as 20° below seasonable. Mixing
heights will be excellent.
Showers last into
early Sunday, followed by drier conditions.
Flow aloft will be light from N.
Temperatures will be warmer though still below average. Light winds will come from NNW-NNE. Mixing heights will be good.
EXTENDED
DISCUSSION
Monday starts a
trend of dry weather and warming temperatures.
Flow aloft will be light with broad upper-level troughing south and weak
ridging building across the region. Near
seasonable temperatures come with good mixing heights. Surface winds will be light and
variable. Transport winds will be light
from SSE-S and variable at times.
Dry weather continues Tuesday with temperatures
rising above average. Upper-level winds
will be light from W. Mixing heights
will be good. Light winds will be
variable.
2. DISPERSION
SATURDAY
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Mixing height
below 800 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning. Mixing height lowers to 1500 - 2500 ft during
the evening.
Transport wind W
to NW at 8 - 12 mph during the morning.
Transport wind increases to W to NW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon
then decreases to W to NW at 8 - 12 mph during the evening.
Surface wind WSW
to WNW at 4 - 8 mph throughout the day.
Zone 637, 643,
645, 646, and 644 East of R34E:
Mixing height
below 500 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning. Mixing height lowers to 2500 - 3500 ft during
the evening.
Transport wind
WSW to WNW at 4 - 8 mph throughout the morning and afternoon. Transport wind shifts to WNW to NNW at 6 - 10
mph during the evening.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain during the morning. Surface wind increases to WSW to WNW at 4 - 8
mph during the afternoon then shifts to WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph during the
evening.
OUTLOOK:
SUNDAY
In the west
mixing height 3000 to 4000 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during
the afternoon. In the east mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind NNW to NNE at
4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming N to NE at 6 - 10 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon.
MONDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind light and
variable during the morning becoming ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable.
TUESDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising above 5000 ft by late morning and through the
afternoon. Transport wind light and
variable. Surface wind light and
variable.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON
ZONES 637-646
- Valid for burning done Saturday through
Monday, June 21 through 23, 2025.
==================================================================
For Saturday:
Zone 640, 642,
and 644 West of R35E:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the W through NW
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles to the W
through NNW 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 WSW through
NNW of SSRAs. For units that will
smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 10 miles
to the WSW through NNW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. Verify transport winds away from SSRAs if
burning in any other direction. No additional restrictions necessary.
For Sunday:
Follow standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the NNW through NE
of SSRAs. For units that will smolder
significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles in all
directions of SSRAs. Verify transport
winds away from SSRAs if burning in any other direction. No additional
restrictions necessary.
For Monday:
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 15 miles in all
directions of SSRAs. 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.