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

Sat May 23 14:20:42 PDT 2009

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

ISSUED: Saturday, May 23, 2009       2:30 PM      Jim Trost

The weather/smoke management office will be closed Sunday for the Memorial Day holiday.  A forecaster will be available Monday to prepare an instruction for Tuesday and to assist in planning for Tuesday's burning.  Recommend against burning on Sunday and Monday.

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

West to southwest flow aloft over the Pacific Northwest brings warm dry weather to western Oregon.  In the low levels light onshore flow continues to bring morning clouds to the west side of the Coast Range.  Some of these clouds seep through the corridors into the interior valleys.  Cool air near the surface with warmer, subsiding air aloft keeps mixing limited, especially over the coastal zones.  Light northerly transport continues.  Tendency in the lowest levels to onshore transport.  Poor night and morning dispersion but heating brings generally fair dispersion along the coast and good dispersion in the interior during the day.

    OUTLOOK (MONDAY - WEDNESDAY)

Not a lot of change through mid-week.  If anything, the upper level pattern tends to a stronger ridge and more limited mixing.  This could set up increased offshore transport in the mornings but heating pulls the low-level flow onshore in the afternoons.  Dispersion limited as a result, so burning will remain somewhat restricted.

2.  DISPERSION

Zone 601-603, 612 and 615-620 (North and South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height 2400 - 3400 ft.
Transport wind WNW to NNW at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 2800 - 3800 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING
Mixing height falls below 1000 ft after sunset.
Transport wind WNW to NNW at 10 - 18 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.

Zone 605-611 and 616-623 (North and South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 2600 - 3600 ft.
Transport wind WNW to NNW at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 3600 - 4600 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height drops below 1000 ft after sunset.
Transport wind NW to NNW at 10 - 16 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.

OUTLOOK:

MONDAY
In the Coast Range mixing height below 1000 ft early, 1700 to 2700 ft by late morning, and 2900 to 3900 ft during the afternoon.  In the Cascades mixing height below 1000 ft early, 3600 to 4600 ft by late morning and through the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable during the morning, becoming WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable, becoming WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.

TUESDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early, 2800 to 3800 ft by late morning, and 3400 to 4400 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NW to N at 4 - 8 mph.  Surface wind light and variable, becoming WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.

WEDNESDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early, 2400 to 3400 ft by late morning, and 3200 to 4200 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind N to NE at 8 - 12 mph in the morning and NNW to N at 8 - 14 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind NNW to NE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning and WNW to NNW at 6 - 12 mph during the afternoon.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Sunday, May 24, 2009.
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Throughout western Oregon, recommend against burning over the Memorial Day holiday.

Coast Range

Zone 601, 612, and 616 east of R9W
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Restrict units in or near corridors to 300 tons or less.  South of Waldport in Zone 612, units may be up to 750 tons.  Restrict units to 300 tons or less south of T30S in Zone 616.

Zone 602 and 603
Units should be 300 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.  No burning in or near corridors.  South of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603, units may be up to 500 tons.

Zone 615
Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 west of R8W
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

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

Zone 620
No burning allowed.  South of the Rogue River, a few small units, 400 tons or less, may be burned if spaced 10 miles apart and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.
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Cascades

Zone 610
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 620 and 622
Units should be 300 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

All Other Zones
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs and recreation areas for smoke to dissipate.  Verify transport winds away from SSRA for units within 10 miles of the SSRA in Zone 605 and 606.  South of T30S in Zone 616 and 617, units should be 300 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart.
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Siskiyous
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)

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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.

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