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

Tue Apr 20 14:51:00 PDT 2010

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

ISSUED: Tuesday, April 20, 2010       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

Upper air charts show a closed low over eastern California/western Nevada and an upper trough moving through British Columbia for Wednesday.  Flow aloft over the region will be northerly and showers will slowly decrease during the day.  Showers will be most numerous over the Cascades.  The snow level could drop briefly to 2500 feet during the morning hours then rise during the day.  Mixing heights should remain quite high for good smoke dispersal conditions with a generally northwesterly transport wind.

    OUTLOOK (THURSDAY-SATURDAY)

On Thursday surface high pressure noses in from the southwest.  Weather should be mostly dry and maximum mixing heights between four and five thousand feet for fair to good smoke dispersal conditions.  Transport winds will be north to northwesterly.  On Friday surface high pressure continues to push in from the southwest, suppressing mixing heights somewhat.  A short wave moving across the Gulf of Alaska could bring some light rain to the northwest part of Oregon Friday evening.  By Saturday low level flow will go offshore for dry weather.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind NNW to N at 16 - 30 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 12 - 22 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind NNW at 18 - 32 mph.
Surface wind NW to NNW at 13 - 25 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 2500 - 3500 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 2800 - 3600 ft.
Transport wind NW to NNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 8 - 12 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising above 5000 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 10 - 20 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind NW to NNW at 9 - 15 mph.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind NNW to N at 10 - 22 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 10 - 18 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 14 - 28 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 12 - 24 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind NNW to N at 12 - 24 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 10 - 18 mph.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 2700 - 3700 ft.
Transport wind NNW to N at 13 - 25 mph.
Surface wind NNW to N at 12 - 22 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 4000 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING
Mixing height 3100 - 4100 ft.
Transport wind NNW to NNE at 10 - 18 mph.
Surface wind NNW to N at 10 - 16 mph.

OUTLOOK:

THURSDAY
In the Coast Range mixing height 2900 to 3900 ft during the morning rising to 3500 to 4500 ft during the afternoon.  In the Cascades mixing height 2200 to 3200 ft during the morning rising to 4000 to 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NNW to NNE at 8 - 12 mph.  Surface wind NNW to NE at 5 - 9 mph during the morning becoming NNW to N at 9 - 15 mph during the afternoon.

FRIDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1800 to 2800 ft by late morning rising to 3600 to 4600 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to NW at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable.

SATURDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 3100 to 4100 ft by late morning rising to 4000 to 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable.  Surface wind light and variable.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
=================================================================

Coast Range

Zone 601 and 612
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Restrict units in or near corridors to 500 tons or less.  Higher tonnage is possible south of Waldport in Zone 612.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 602, 603, and 620
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Avoid burning in or near corridors.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T17S in Zone 603.  Call the forecaster.  Higher tonnage is possible south of the Rogue River in Zone 620.  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 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 east of R9W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Restrict units to 500 tons or less south of T30S.

Cascades

Zone 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 611, 617, and 623
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.  South of T30S in Zone 617 units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart.

Zone 610
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  South of T30S units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart.

Zone 620 and 622
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 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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