SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Friday, January 30, 2026 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh

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* Special Protection Zone (SPZ) provisions apply from November 15 through February 15. Prescribed burning is not allowed in an SPZ from December 1 through February 15 on days when the daily woodstove “Ordinance” is either “Red,” “Exempt Wood Burning Device,” or “No Burning Period.” Burning is allowed inside of SPZs all other days, but please use extra precautions and limit forestland burning to units that will not worsen air quality within nearby SSRAs. *

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1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639

SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION

Saturday will be mostly dry with just a few showers to the far north. Upper-level ridging will shift east and flow aloft will come from SW. Temperatures will climb well above average. Mixing heights will lower with warming air aloft. Winds will be from SSE-SSW, light at the surface.

Rain moves in early and sticks around much of the day on Sunday as a weak front moves inland. Rainfall amounts will range from 0.10-0.25”. Snow levels drop some to 4-5000 feet. Temperatures will be near or above average. Mixing heights will briefly improve. Winds will come from S-SW.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION

Some showers last into Monday in northern zones with amounts mostly to 0.10”. Flow aloft will come from W with upper-level ridging over California. Light surface winds will come from S in northern zones and be variable in southern zones. Transport winds will be from S-SW north and light from S-WSW south. Temperatures will rise above seasonable. Mixing heights will be fair.

Tuesday will be dry and more stable weather with SW flow aloft from the upper-level ridge south of the region. Light surface winds will be variable and mostly offshore. Transport winds will come from SE-S. Mixing heights will be suppressed. Dry and stable weather continues into midweek.

2. DISPERSION

SATURDAY

Zone 601-612 and 639 (North Coast Range and Cascades):

MORNING

Mixing height below 500 ft early rising to 1000 - 1500 ft by late morning.

Transport wind SSE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.

Surface wind ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 1300 - 2300 ft.

Transport wind S to SW at 9 - 15 mph.

Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.

Transport wind similar to afternoon.

Surface wind becomes light and variable but favors S and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 615-623 (South Coast Range and Cascades):

MORNING

Mixing height below 500 ft early rising to 1000 - 1500 ft by late morning.

Transport wind SSE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.

Surface wind ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 1100 - 2100 ft.

Transport wind similar to morning.

Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.

Transport wind similar to afternoon.

Surface wind becomes light and variable but favors S and controlled by local terrain.

OUTLOOK:

SUNDAY

In the Coast Range mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1900 to 2900 ft by late morning rising to 2500 to 3500 ft during the afternoon. In the Cascades mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 2500 to 3500 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind S to SW at 8 - 14 mph. Surface wind SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph.

MONDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 1800 ft by late morning rising to 1500 to 2500 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind SSE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 8 - 12 mph during the afternoon. Surface wind light and variable.

TUESDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1000 to 1700 ft during the afternoon. Transport wind ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph. Surface wind light and variable.

3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA

- Valid for burning done Saturday through Monday, January 31 through February 2, 2026.

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For Saturday:

Coast Range

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. in all zones.***

Zone 601

Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of Tillamook, use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below.

Zone 602 and 603

Units should be 300 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of T3N in Zone 602, use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Units may be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.

Zone 612

Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 615, 616 west of R8W, 618, 619, and 620

Use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Avoid burning directly upwind of the North Bend/Coos Bay SSRA.

Zone 616 east of R9W

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S - call the forecaster.

Cascades

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. in all zones.***

Zone 605, 606, and 616

Units should be 600 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 607, 608, 639, 610, and 623

Use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.

Zone 611 and 617

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 620 and 622

Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m.***

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

For Sunday:

Coast Range

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. in all zones.***

Zone 601 and 612

Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of Tillamook in Zone 601, use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below.

Zone 602 and 603

Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of T3N in Zone 602, use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Units may be 900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.

Zone 615, 616 west of R8W, 618, 619, and 620

Use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Avoid burning directly upwind of the North Bend/Coos Bay SSRA.

Zone 616 east of R9W

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S - call the forecaster.

Cascades

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. in all zones.***

All zones except zone 611

Use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate. From T18S through T22S in Zone 608 units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart. Avoid ignitions north of T24S in Zone 616.

Zone 611

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m.***

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

For Monday:

Coast Range

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. in all zones.***

Zone 601

Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. North of Tillamook, use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below.

Zone 602 and 603

Zone 612, 615, and 616 west of R8W

Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S in Zone 616 - call the forecaster.

Zone 616 east of R9W

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S - call the forecaster.

Zone 618, 619, and 620

Use standard guidance matrix - see section 5 below. Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate. South of T35S in Zone 620 units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Cascades

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m. in all zones.***

All zones except zone 611

Zone 611

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. Complete ignitions by 3:30 p.m.***

Units should be 900 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

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4. SPECIAL NOTES:

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

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 they will return your call as soon as possible.

Avoid calling between 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.

The forecast is available on the Internet at:

http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/

Daily/smi.htm

Please ensure your units have been planned and accomplished by

checking: http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Burn.aspx

A map of planned and/or accomplished burns is located at:

http://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html

?id=a7e321dc8fc444b7a33fbc67bc673a3b

The forecast/instruction telephone recording is: (503) 945-7400.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the email list for this

product, please go to the link:

http://weather.smkmgt.com/mailman/listinfo/

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.

Example: 300 tons allowed if burned 5 miles from a downwind SSRA.

* 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.