SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY
NOTE: Fall season smoke management forecasts and
instructions will end for 2009 with this bulletin. A forecaster will remain available weekdays
for consultation throughout the winter.
Regular, daily forecasts will begin again in the spring when burning activity
increases.
ISSUED: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 2:30 PM Jim Little
1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623
** Dry and Stable
Period Tomorrow and Friday**
**
Unfavorable Smoke Dispersal Conditions **
** Air
Stagnation Advisory issued for
Pacific Northwest Weather will be dominated by an
upper ridge through the end of the week.
On Thursday the axis of that ridge will be right along the
Oregon/Washington Coast. Subsiding air
with the ridge will make for very stable atmospheric conditions.
At the surface higher pressure over eastern
OUTLOOK (FRIDAY-SUNDAY)
The upper ridge continues to move eastward Friday
but little change is expected with respect to smoke dispersal conditions. Computer models are inconsistent on how the
pattern will break down but there is an increasing chance of precipitation
later Saturday and Sunday as weak disturbances move in from the west. This should help to improve smoke dispersal
conditions.
2. DISPERSION
Zone 601, 602, 603 and 612 (
MORNING
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind NE to E at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind NE to E at 4 - 8 mph.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind increases to E to SE at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind increases to ESE to SE at 10 - 16 mph.
Surface wind increases to E to SE at 6 - 12 mph.
Zone 615-620 (
MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind ESE to SSE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind becomes light and variable.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind E to SE at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1000 - 1500 ft.
Transport wind becomes light and variable.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind increases to E to SE at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind increases to E to SE at 5 - 9 mph.
OUTLOOK:
FRIDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1000 to 1700 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind E to SE at 6 - 10 mph. Surface wind E to SE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming light and variable during the afternoon.
SATURDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1600 to 2600 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind E to SE at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming S to SW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind light and variable.
SUNDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 2000 ft by late morning rising to 2000 to 3000 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind light and variable. Surface wind light and variable.
3. BURNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Thursday, December 24, 2009.
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Zone 601, 602, 603, 612, 618, and 619
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.) Avoid burning directly upwind of coastal SSRAs.
Zone 615 and 616 west of R8W
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616 east of R9W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 620
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Cascades
Zone 605, 606, 620, and 622
No burning allowed.
Zone 607, 608, 616, 617, and 623
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 609, 610, and 611
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Siskiyous
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
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4. SPECIAL NOTE:
Call the smoke management duty forecaster at (503) 945-7401 to
discuss burning. Please do not call individual's numbers to
discuss daily burning. If the forecaster is not available,
leave a message and he will return your call as soon as possible.
Avoid calling between 2 to 2:30 p.m.
The forecast is available on the Internet at:
http://oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml/#Smoke_Management
Please ensure your units have been planned and accomplished by checking:
http://oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/SMP/dailysmoke.shtml
5. STANDARD GUIDANCE MATRIX:
* Greater than 5000 ft mixing height: No burning within 5 miles of
downwind SSRA. Maximum 100 tons per mile from downwind SSRA.
Example: 500 ton maximum allowed if burned 5 miles from downwind SSRA.
* 3000 - 5000 ft mixing height: No burning within 10 miles of
downwind SSRA. Maximum 75 tons per mile from downwind SSRA.
Example: 750 ton maximum allowed if burned 10 miles from downwind SSRA.
* Less than 3000 ft mixing height: No burning within 15 miles of
downwind SSRA. Maximum 50 tons per mile from downwind SSRA.
Example: 750 ton maximum allowed if burned 15 miles from downwind SSRA.
* All exceptions must be coordinated with the duty forecaster
prior to ignition.