SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Thursday, March 26, 2026 2:30 PM Pete Parsons

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

SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION

A building but flat upper-level ridge will bring a dry and stable westerly flow aloft on Friday. After a frosty morning, sunny skies and warming aloft will help surface temperatures rebound to about 10-15°F above average in the afternoon. Morning inversions will give way to good afternoon mixing with SE-S surface and transport winds.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION

A mild, dry, and stable WSW flow aloft continues through the weekend. Sunny skies on Saturday will give way to increasing high clouds on Sunday. Morning inversions will yield to good afternoon mixing both days, with transport winds turning mostly SW-W.

Ridging weakens on Monday with increasing SW flow aloft directing the first in a series of Pacific weather systems ashore. Expect mostly cloudy skies with areas of light rain spreading from west to east. Temperatures cool back closer to average with excellent mixing and increasing SW winds.

2. DISPERSION

FRIDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 - 3000 ft by late morning. Afternoon mixing height rises above 5000 ft then lowers to 2000 - 3000 ft during the evening.

Transport wind SE to S at 9 - 15 mph during the morning and afternoon. Transport wind decreases to SE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph during the evening.

Surface wind ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph.

OUTLOOK:

SATURDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind SSE to SW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at 12 - 22 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.

SUNDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 to 3500 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind SSW to WSW at 10 - 20 mph during the morning becoming SSW to SW at 15 - 29 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind S to SW at 5 - 9 mph.

MONDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 3000 to 4000 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind SSW to SW at 18 - 32 mph during the morning becoming SSW to SW at 22 - 38 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind SSW to SW at 10 - 20 mph.

3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NORTHEAST OREGON ZONES 637-646

- Valid for burning done Friday, March 27, 2026.

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Delay ignitions until 11 a.m. Follow standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below - for burning units to the SE through SSW of SSRAs. For units that will smolder significantly through the night avoid burning within at least 15 miles to the SE through SSW in or near drainages leading to SSRAs. 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.