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

Sun Apr 19 14:12:44 PDT 2009

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

ISSUED: Sunday, April 19, 2009       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

A broad upper level ridge will continue over the Pacific northwest Monday.  A weak thermal trough will settle in east of the cascades.  Higher pressure offshore will give generally north-northwest winds except in the Rogue Valley where morning winds will be northeast before switching to north-northwesterly.  Mixing heights along the coast and in the coast range will be suppressed with highest mixing heights and best smoke dispersal conditions in the southern Cascades.

    OUTLOOK (TUESDAY - THURSDAY)

The upper ridge flattens in response to an upper level low moving across the northern Gulf of Alaska on Tuesday.  Pressure gradients will be quite flat.  Transport winds will be generally north to north-northwest.  By Wednesday an upper level trough will be approaching, temperatures aloft will be cooling and the atmosphere will be destabilizing for better smoke dispersal condition.  The trough will still be to the northwest on Thursday with more cooling aloft for better smoke dispersal conditions but any rain should hold off until late Thursday.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1100 - 2100 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind increases to WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 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 1200 - 2200 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 3200 - 4200 ft.
Transport wind increases to NNW to N at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind increases to NNW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind NNW to NNE at 10 - 16 mph.
Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height 1000 - 1700 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 1900 - 2900 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind increases to NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind NNW to NNE at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 1700 - 2700 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING
Mixing height 1000 - 1600 ft.
Transport wind increases to NNW to NNE at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

OUTLOOK:

TUESDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 2000 ft by late morning rising to 2700 to 3700 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming NW to N at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming NW to N at 6 - 12 mph during the afternoon.

WEDNESDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2900 to 3900 ft by late morning rising to 3800 to 4800 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 6 - 12 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind NW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 6 - 12 mph during the afternoon.

THURSDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2900 to 3900 ft by late morning and through the afternoon.  Transport wind W to NW at 4 - 8 mph.  Surface wind NW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming W to NW at 6 - 10 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 20, 2009.
=================================================================

Coast Range

Zone 601, 612, and 616 east of R9W
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Higher tonnage is possible south of Waldport in Zone 612.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 602, 603, and 620
No burning allowed.  Some burning is possible south of T17S in Zone 603.  Call the forecaster.  Some burning allowed south of the Rogue River in Zone 620.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 615
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 west of R8W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 618 and 619
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)

Cascades

Zone 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 611, 617, and 623
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.  Verify transport winds away from SSRA if burning within 10 miles of the SSRA in Zone 605 and 606.

Zone 610
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 620 and 622
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)

==============================================================
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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