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

Thu Dec 10 14:18:02 PST 2009

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

ISSUED: Thursday, December 10, 2009       2:30 PM      Nick Yonker

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

Cold, northerly flow aloft is gradually slipping to the east as a minor trough and front move up from the southwest.  The trough and front moving in will end the arctic air mass of the past week and usher in the normal maritime air mass.  Expect moisture to slowly move up from the south tomorrow with a chance of snow or freezing rain in the northern interior valleys Friday night.  Air mass will remain very stable with cold air remaining trapped under the warmer air moving in aloft.  Wind flow will start picking up from the SE to S over the southern part of the region but remain quite variable and somewhat offshore in the north.  Look for continued poor smoke dispersion for another day.

    OUTLOOK (SATURDAY - MONDAY)

The trough and front move in early Saturday beginning the warming and destabilization process of the air mass.  Expect mostly rain below 5000 ft except in the north valleys where freezing rain could still be a problem through the day.  By Sunday the air mass should be mostly scoured with mixing heights rising to 5000 ft in the afternoon.  Cooler air will move in aloft bringing the snow level down to 2000 - 3000 ft.  An upper ridge will move in on Monday to start stabilizing the air mass again.  Moisture decreases.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind light and variable but favors E to SE.
Surface wind light and variable but favors NE to SE and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1000 - 1700 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 similar to afternoon.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind light and variable but favors SE to S.
Surface wind light and variable but favors SE to S.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind ESE to SSE at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind increases to ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1000 - 2000 ft.
Transport wind SE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind SE to SSW at 5 - 9 mph.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft.
Transport wind light and variable but favors SE to S.
Surface wind light and variable but favors SE to S.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind increases to ESE to S at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind increases to ESE to S at 4 - 8 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind SE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind ESE to SSE at 4 - 8 mph.

OUTLOOK:

SATURDAY
In the north mixing height below 1000 ft during the morning rising to 1500 to 2500 ft during the afternoon.  In the south mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1300 to 2300 ft by late morning rising to 2300 to 3300 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind SE to SSW at 6 - 12 mph.  Surface wind ESE to SSE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming light and variable during the afternoon.

SUNDAY
Mixing height 2800 to 3800 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind WSW to WNW at 6 - 10 mph during the morning becoming SW to W at 10 - 16 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming SSW to W at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.

MONDAY
Mixing height above 5000 ft during the morning lowering to 3800 to 4800 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind S to SSW at 10 - 16 mph.  Surface wind SE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Friday, December 11, 2009.
=================================================================

Coast Range

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in Zone 616 and 620.***

Zone 601 and 612
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 602 and 603
No burning allowed.

Zone 615, 616, 618, 619, and 620
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Avoid burning directly upwind of the North Bend/Coos Bay SSRA.

Cascades

***Avoid ignitions before 10 a.m. in Zone 611, 616 and 622.***

Zone 605 and 606
No burning allowed.

Zone 607, 608, 609, 620, and 623
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.

Zone 610, 611, and 622
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 617
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 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.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/smi_west/attachments/20091210/8e999b46/attachment.html>