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

Wed Apr 21 14:54:58 PDT 2010

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

ISSUED: Wednesday, April 21, 2010       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

An upper level low pressure area, centered over southern Nevada, is maintaining a very cool air mass over Oregon and continuing to circulate enough moisture over the region for widely scattered showers.  The flow aloft will dry out and turn northwesterly, tonight and Thursday, as the upper level trough slides southeastward to over Utah.  Onshore flow will keep skies mostly cloudy through Thursday morning with slow clearing in the afternoon.  Mixing heights should be near 4000 feet with north-northwesterly transport winds.  The freezing level will rise to near 8000 feet by Thursday afternoon.

    OUTLOOK (FRIDAY-SUNDAY)

A weak weather system will push into southern British Columbia on Friday, with increasing clouds and a chance for light rain late in the afternoon...mainly northern zones.  Transport winds will turn more westerly in the northern zones with higher mixing heights. An upper level trough is forecast to slide across eastern Washington and northern Idaho on Saturday with the flow aloft turning northwesterly.  A weak upper-level ridge is forecast to move over western Oregon Sunday for dry and warmer weather.  Mixing heights will drop to around 3000 feet with surface and transport winds becoming more northerly.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 8 - 12 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 3600 - 4600 ft.
Transport wind NW to N at 12 - 22 mph.
Surface wind NW to N at 10 - 20 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 2300 - 3300 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind NW to N at 8 - 14 mph.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 2000 - 3000 ft.
Transport wind light and variable but favors NNW.
Surface wind light and variable but favors NNW and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height rising to 3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind increases to NW to NNE at 6 - 12 mph.
Surface wind increases to NNW to N at 8 - 12 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 3200 - 4200 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.
Transport wind N to NE at 10 - 18 mph.
Surface wind N to NE at 10 - 16 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 3500 - 4500 ft.
Transport wind NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 mph.
Surface wind NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 2100 - 3100 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind NW to NNE at 6 - 10 mph.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 2500 - 3500 ft.
Transport wind NNW to NNE at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height 3300 - 4300 ft.
Transport wind NNW to NNE at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.

EVENING
Mixing height 1900 - 2900 ft.
Transport wind N to NE at 10 - 16 mph.
Surface wind NNW to NE at 6 - 12 mph.

OUTLOOK:

FRIDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning rising to 3800 to 4800 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to WNW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon.

SATURDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2500 to 3500 ft by late morning rising to 3500 to 4500 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable during the morning becoming WSW to NW at 4 - 8 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable.

SUNDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1500 to 2500 ft by late morning rising to 2500 to 3500 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 Thursday, April 22, 2010.
=================================================================

Coast Range

Zone 601, 612, and 616 east of R9W
Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 8 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.  Restrict units to 500 tons or less south of T30S in Zone 616.

Zone 602 and 603
Units should be 300 tons or less, spaced 8 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.

Zone 615
Units should be 2000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 west of R8W
Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

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

Zone 620
Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Higher tonnage is possible south of the Rogue River.  Call the forecaster.

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 500 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart.

Zone 610
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.  South of T30S units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart.

Zone 620 and 622
No burning allowed.

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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