SMI West (Smoke Management Instructions) Western Oregon Smoke Management Instructions

Sun Apr 12 14:13:24 PDT 2009

SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Sunday, April 12, 2009       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

The cold front that passes through the region Sunday evening ushers in a cool upper level trough that will bring numerous showers to the area Monday.  Snow level will likely be near three thousand feet in the north and three to four thousand feet in the south.  Greatest precipitation totals will be in the north.  Transport winds will be generally westerly except  northwesterly in extreme southwest Oregon.  With the cool air aloft mixing heights will give good to excellent smoke dispersal conditions.

    OUTLOOK (TUESDAY - THURSDAY)

The upper level trough axis will move east of the Cascades on Tuesday but cold impulses moving down from the north will keep showers going throughout the day.  Transport winds will be generally northwesterly.  By Wednesday the showers will be mostly over except over the Cascades.  A dryer northerly flow aloft takes over in advance of an upper level ridge offshore.  On Thursday that ridge will move over the region  for dry weather but much suppressed mixing heights and only poor to fair smoke dispersal conditions.

2.  DISPERSION

Zone 601, 602, 603 and 612 (North Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to WNW at 10 - 18 mph.
Surface wind SSW to WSW at 8 - 12 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to WNW at 12 - 24 mph.
Surface wind WSW to WNW at 9 - 15 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 3300 - 4300 ft.
Transport wind W to NW at 15 - 25 mph.
Surface wind WSW to NW at 6 - 10 mph.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind SW to W at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind SW to W at 5 - 9 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to W at 12 - 24 mph.
Surface wind shifts to W to NW and increases to 10 - 16 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 2900 - 3900 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind W to NW at 6 - 12 mph.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to WNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind W to NNW at 6 - 10 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to NW at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind WNW to NNW at 9 - 15 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind WNW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to NW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind W to NW at 6 - 12 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to WNW at 10 - 16 mph.
Surface wind WNW to NW at 10 - 16 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height remains above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to NW at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind WNW to NNW at 6 - 12 mph.

OUTLOOK:

TUESDAY
In the north mixing height 4200 to 5000 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  In the south mixing height 3700 to 4700 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind WNW to NNW at 8 - 14 mph.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph during the afternoon.

WEDNESDAY
Mixing height above 5000 ft throughout the day.  Transport wind WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.  Surface wind WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.

THURSDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning and through the afternoon.  Transport wind SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming SSW to W at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind SSE to SSW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Monday, April 13, 2009.
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Coast Range

Zone 601 and 612
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Restrict units in or near corridors to 500 tons or less.

Zone 602, 603, and 620
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Avoid burning in or near corridors.  Higher tonnage is possible south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.  Call the forecaster.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T35S in Zone 620.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 615
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 west of R8W
Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 east of R9W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Restrict units to 500 tons or less south of T30S.

Zone 618
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)

Zone 619
Units should be 2000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Cascades

Zone 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 616, 617, 622, and 623
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.  From T15S through T20S in Zone 608 units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart.

Zone 610, 611, and 620
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

==============================================================
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.

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