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

Wed May 5 14:38:28 PDT 2010

SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Wednesday, May 5, 2010       2:30 PM      Pete Parsons

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

    THURSDAY
The cold upper-level trough that has brought numerous showers and unseasonably low snow levels to the region will shift eastward.  Clearing skies and decreasing winds will allow low-level inversions to form early in the morning.  However, daytime heating should allow for fair to good afternoon mixing.  A very weak ridge, in a cool and drier northwesterly flow aloft, should limit afternoon convection.  There will be a chance of mountain showers, but generally look for partly to mostly sunny skies with temperatures recovering to within a few degrees of normal.

    OUTLOOK (FRIDAY-SUNDAY)
Westerly flow aloft, on Friday, will turn progressively more southwesterly Saturday and Sunday.  An upper-level trough is forecast to move over the region Sunday afternoon with the flow aloft turning northwesterly Sunday night.  Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy with near-normal temperatures.  The chance of showers will increase each day.  Nighttime inversions may hold residual smoke close to the ground, through the early morning hours, but daytime heating will provide fair to good afternoon smoke dispersal conditions.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 3000 - 4000 ft by late morning.

Transport wind light and variable but favors N and controlled by local terrain.

Surface wind light and variable but favors N and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 4000 - 5000 ft.

Transport wind increases to N to NE at 8 - 12 mph.

Surface wind increases to N to NE at 6 - 12 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1500 ft after sunset.

Transport wind NNW to NNE at 10 - 16 mph.

Surface wind NNW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING

Mixing height below 1500 ft early rising to 3000 - 4000 ft by late morning.

Transport wind NW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

Surface wind NW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 4000 - 5000 ft.

Transport wind N to NE at 8 - 14 mph.

Surface wind N to NE at 8 - 14 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft after sunset.

Transport wind similar to afternoon.

Surface wind N to NE at 6 - 10 mph.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 3400 - 4400 ft by late morning.

Transport wind NE to E at 6 - 12 mph.

Surface wind NE to ENE at 8 - 12 mph.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height rising above 5000 ft.

Transport wind increases to N to NE at 9 - 15 mph.

Surface wind NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1500 ft after sunset.

Transport wind similar to afternoon.

Surface wind NNW to NE at 5 - 9 mph.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 4000 - 5000 ft by late morning.

Transport wind NNW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

Surface wind light and variable but favors N to NE and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height above 5000 ft.

Transport wind NNW to NNE at 9 - 15 mph.

Surface wind increases to NNW to NNE at 8 - 12 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1500 ft after sunset.

Transport wind NNW to NNE at 6 - 12 mph.

Surface wind NNW to NNE at 5 - 9 mph.

OUTLOOK:

FRIDAY

In the north mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 2200 to 3200 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  In the south mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 3600 to 4600 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NE to E at 6 - 12 mph during the morning becoming NNW to N at 8 - 14 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind NE to E at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming NNW to N at 8 - 12 mph during the afternoon.

SATURDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 4100 to 5000 ft by late morning rising above 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming NW to N at 5 - 9 mph during the afternoon.

SUNDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 4000 to 5000 ft by late morning and through the afternoon.  Transport wind NW to N at 6 - 10 mph.  Surface wind NW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming NW to N at 8 - 14 mph during the afternoon.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA

These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Thursday, May 6, 2010.

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Coast Range

Zone 601, 612, 615, 616 west of R8W, 618, 619, and 620

Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Avoid burning directly upwind of coastal SSRAs.

Zone 602 and 603

Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Avoid ignitions north of Forest Grove/Hillsboro or Sheridan/Willamina in Zone 602.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T17S in Zone 603.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 616 east of R9W

Units should be 1500 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 and 606

Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Verify transport winds away from SSRA if burning within 10 miles of the SSRA.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T20S in Zone 606.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 607 and 608

Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 609, 610, 611, 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 617 units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart.

Zone 616

Units should be 1200 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.  South of T30S units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart.

Zone 620 and 622

Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous

Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)

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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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