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

Mon Nov 9 14:32:28 PST 2009

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

ISSUED: Monday, November 9, 2009       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

A trough in the Gulf of Alaska will move closer to the Pacific Northwest giving southwesterly flow aloft over the region.  The atmosphere should be fairly unstable and mixing heights will be close to 5000 feet or above for fair to good smoke dispersal conditions.  Expect some scattered showers, mainly north.

    OUTLOOK (WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY)

The upper level trough moves west to east across the Pacific Northwest during the day.  Subsidence behind the trough starts to stabilize the atmosphere.  Mixing heights will fall and smoke dispersal conditions become less favorable.  By Thursday temporary ridging aloft suppresses mixing heights and smoke dispersal conditions further deteriorate. Mixing heights will be in the 1500 to 2000 foot range most areas.  A strong upper trough approaches Friday and cooler air aloft with this system helps destabilize the atmosphere and improve burning prospects.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height 2500 - 3500 ft.
Transport wind S to SSW at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind SSE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 4000 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind increases to SSW to WSW at 15 - 25 mph.
Surface wind SSW to WSW at 9 - 15 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind SSW to WSW at 5 - 9 mph.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind S to SW at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind S to SW at 8 - 12 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 4000 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind SSW to WSW at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind SSW to WSW at 8 - 12 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1800 - 2800 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind S to SW at 5 - 9 mph.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height 3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind S to SW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind SSE to SW at 5 - 9 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind shifts to SW to W at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind shifts to SW to WNW at 6 - 12 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind shifts to S to SW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind S to SW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind S to SW at 5 - 9 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind SSW to WSW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

EVENING
Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind becomes light and variable.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

OUTLOOK:

WEDNESDAY
Mixing height 1300 to 2300 ft during the morning rising to 2600 to 3600 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind S to SW at 6 - 12 mph during the morning becoming W to NNW at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind S to SW at 5 - 9 mph during the morning becoming light and variable during the afternoon.

THURSDAY
Mixing height 1200 to 2200 ft throughout the day.  Transport wind WSW to NW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming light and variable during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable.

FRIDAY
Mixing height 1900 to 2900 ft during the morning rising to 4100 to 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind WSW to NW at 4 - 8 mph.  Surface wind light and variable.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
=================================================================

Coast Range

Zone 601 and 612
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  North of Tillamook in Zone 601, use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)

Zone 602 and 603
Units should be 300 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  North of T3N in Zone 602, use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Units may be 750 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.

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

All zones except zone 611
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.

Zone 611
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.

==============================================================
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/20091109/40ea1bbf/attachment.html>