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

Sun Nov 1 14:58:12 PST 2009

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

ISSUED: Sunday, November 1, 2009       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

      ** Stable Pattern - Poor Smoke Dispersal Conditions through Mid-Week **

Upper level heights hold strong in spite of a short wave moving into British Columbia on Monday.  The atmosphere will remain very stable for poor smoke dispersal conditions except for possible brief marginal conditions mid afternoon.  Mixing heights will remain low.  Surface pressure gradients flat for light winds.  Except for some morning fog in the valleys hazy fall sunshine will rule.

    OUTLOOK (TUESDAY-THURSDAY)

The upper ridge builds on Tuesday and surface high pressure increases over the region.  Generally sunny and pleasant weather will continue with light winds and poor smoke dispersal conditions.  Wednesday will be a near repeat of Tuesday with very low mixing heights although winds aloft will increase a bit from the southwest.  Real improvement will not occur until at least Thursday when smoke dispersal conditions will be fair with an upper trough approaching.  This will cool temperatures aloft to help destabilize the atmosphere a bit.  In addition transport winds will be stronger from the south by Thursday.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height 1000 - 1600 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable but favors Light SW northwest Oregon
light NW to W elsewhere and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 1700 - 2700 ft.
Transport wind increases to W to NW at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 1000 - 1800 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable but favors NW to W. and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1500 - 2500 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 1000 - 1900 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable but favors NW to W. and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1800 - 2800 ft.
Transport wind increases to NNW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind increases to NNW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind N to NE at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind becomes light and variable but favors NW to W. and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 1100 - 2100 ft.
Transport wind light and variable.
Surface wind light and variable but favors NW to W and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind increases to NW to N at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind increases to NW to N at 5 - 9 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind becomes light and variable.
Surface wind becomes light and variable but favors NW to W and controlled by local terrain.

OUTLOOK:

TUESDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1200 to 2200 ft by late morning and through the afternoon.  In the Coast Range transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming NE to E at 10 - 16 mph during the afternoon.  In the Cascades transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming NE to E at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind NE to E at 4 - 8 mph.

WEDNESDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 1700 ft by late morning rising to 1800 to 2800 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind SSE to SW at 5 - 9 mph.  Surface wind light and variable.

THURSDAY
Mixing height 1300 to 2300 ft during the morning rising to 3500 to 4500 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind S to SW at 10 - 22 mph during the morning becoming SSW to SW at 8 - 12 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Monday, November 2, 2009.
=================================================================

Coast Range

***Avoid ignitions before 11:00am. in all zones.***

Zone 601, 612, and 616 east of R9W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 602 and 603
No burning allowed.  Higher tonnage is possible south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.  Call the forecaster.

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

Zone 616 west of R8W
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 620
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Higher tonnage is possible south of the Rogue River.  Call the forecaster.

Cascades

***Avoid ignitions before 11:00am. in all zones.***

Zone 605, 606, 620, and 622
No burning allowed.

Zone 607, 608, 609, 616, 617, and 623
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.  South of T30S in Zone 616 units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart.  South of T30S in Zone 617 units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart.

Zone 610 and 611
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 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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