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

Sat Oct 24 14:24:24 PDT 2009

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

ISSUED: Saturday, October 24, 2009       2:30 PM      Nick Yonker

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

Upper level ridge will continue building over the state today and tonight, further stabilizing the air mass.  Next frontal system will override the ridge Sunday as a warm front spreads clouds over the area during the day with light rain beginning during the mid to later afternoon.  Moisture will continue spreading eastward over the Cascades Sunday night.  Increasing wind flow from the southwest will slowly improve smoke dispersion.

    OUTLOOK (MONDAY - WEDNESDAY)

Ridge slides to the east early Monday giving way to the cold front and upper level trough.  Expect a fairly generous amount of moisture over the region.  Cooler air will move in aloft to destabilize the air mass and lower snow levels.  Upper trough moves by to the east Tuesday but with a strong northwesterly jet stream over the region, cool showers will continue with the snow level lowering to near 3000 ft.  Air mass will be quite unstable.  The next upper level ridge starts building in Wednesday but with chilly air remaining over the region, the air mass will remain mostly unstable.  However, decreasing wind will worsen smoke dispersion from the dispersion of Monday and Tuesday.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 1600 ft by late morning.
Transport wind SSE to SSW at 6 - 10 mph.
Surface wind light and variable but favors SE to S and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind increases to SSW to SW at 14 - 28 mph.
Surface wind increases to S to SW at 9 - 15 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind SW to WSW at 16 - 30 mph.
Surface wind SW to WSW at 10 - 16 mph.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 2000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind SSE to SSW at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind light and variable but favors SE to S and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1700 - 2700 ft.
Transport wind increases to S to SW at 10 - 22 mph.
Surface wind increases to SSE to SSW at 5 - 9 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1500 - 2500 ft.
Transport wind S to SSW at 14 - 28 mph.
Surface wind S to SSW at 8 - 12 mph.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 2000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind SSW to WSW at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind light and variable but favors SE to SW and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1000 - 2000 ft.
Transport wind increases to SW to W at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind increases to S to SW at 8 - 12 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1000 - 1800 ft.
Transport wind SSW to WSW at 12 - 22 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 - 2000 ft by late morning.
Transport wind light and variable but favors S to SW.
Surface wind light and variable but favors SE to SW and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 1300 - 2300 ft.
Transport wind increases to S to SW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind increases to SSE to SW at 4 - 8 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 1000 - 1700 ft.
Transport wind SSW to WSW at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind becomes light and variable but favors SE to SW and controlled by local terrain.

OUTLOOK:

MONDAY
In the north mixing height 3000 to 4000 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  In the south mixing height 1800 to 2800 ft during the morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind WSW to W at 12 - 22 mph.  Surface wind SW to W at 6 - 12 mph.

TUESDAY
Mixing height above 5000 ft throughout the day.  Transport wind NW to N at 10 - 20 mph.  Surface wind NW to N at 6 - 12 mph.

WEDNESDAY
Mixing height above 5000 ft throughout the day.  Transport wind NW to N at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming light and variable 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 Sunday, October 25, 2009.
=================================================================

Coast Range

Zone 601, 612, 615, 616 west of and R8W
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.  North of Tillamook in Zone 601, use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S in Zone 616.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 602 and 603
No burning allowed.  North of T3N in Zone 602, use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Units may be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.

Zone 616 east of R9W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T29S.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 618, 619, and 620
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.  South of T35S in Zone 620 units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 15 miles apart, and 15 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Cascades

All zones except zone 611
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.  Avoid ignitions north of T24S in Zone 616.

Zone 611
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.

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