SMI West (Smoke Management Instructions) State Forester's Smoke Management Instructions

Wed Sep 22 14:57:07 PDT 2010

SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS

SALEM FORESTRY WEATHER CENTER

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY

ISSUED: Wednesday, September 22, 2010       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

    THURSDAY

A weak upper disturbance moves into British Columbia during the day.  This will support a weak Pacific cold front dragging into northwest Oregon during the day.  This should produce some light rain in the northern coastal zones otherwise look for dry weather.  Mixing heights will be high enough to allow for fair smoke dispersal conditions most areas.  Winds should be generally southwesterly in the north and light westerly in the south.

    OUTLOOK (FRIDAY-SUNDAY)

An upper level low settles into the Gulf of Alaska about 600 miles west of the Queen Charlotte Islands on Friday. Southwesterly flow aloft ahead of this system will bring in warmer air at higher altitudes and suppress mixing heights for a couple of days.  Winds will be generally light and variable.  Saturday will see the flow aloft back to more southerly and mixing heights will be suppressed and smoke dispersal conditions will only be marginal.  Sunday the flow veers to more southwesterly again and mixing heights improve somewhat.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING

Mixing height 2100 - 3100 ft.

Transport wind SSW to WSW at 8 - 14 mph.

Surface wind S to SW at 4 - 8 mph.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 2500 - 3500 ft.

Transport wind SW to W at 10 - 16 mph.

Surface wind SW to W at 6 - 12 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.

Transport wind similar to afternoon.

Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING

Mixing height 2000 - 3000 ft.

Transport wind SSW to SW at 8 - 14 mph.

Surface wind SSW to SW at 8 - 14 mph.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 2800 - 3800 ft.

Transport wind becomes light and variable.

Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

EVENING

Mixing height 1200 - 2200 ft.

Transport wind increases to N to SSW at 5 - 9 mph.

Surface wind similar to afternoon.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING

Mixing height 2000 - 3000 ft.

Transport wind light and variable.

Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 2500 - 3500 ft.

Transport wind increases to W to NW at 8 - 14 mph.

Surface wind increases to W to NW at 8 - 14 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height lowers below 1000 ft.

Transport wind becomes light and variable.

Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING

Mixing height 2500 - 3500 ft.

Transport wind light and variable.

Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON

Mixing height 3000 - 4000 ft.

Transport wind increases to SW to WNW at 6 - 12 mph.

Surface wind increases to WSW to WNW at 8 - 12 mph.

EVENING

Mixing height 2100 - 3100 ft.

Transport wind becomes light and variable.

Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

OUTLOOK:

FRIDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1700 to 2700 ft by late morning rising to 2700 to 3700 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable.  Surface wind light and variable.

SATURDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 2000 ft by late morning rising to 2400 to 3400 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind light and variable.  Surface wind SSE to SW at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming light and variable during the afternoon.

SUNDAY

Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1000 to 1800 ft by late morning rising to 3000 to 4000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind SSW to WSW 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 Thursday, September 23, 2010.

=================================================================

Coast Range

Zone 601, 612, and 616 east of R9W

Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 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 10 miles apart, and 12 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 10 miles apart, south of the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.

Zone 615 and 616 west of R8W

Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 618

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

Zone 619

Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 620

Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T35S.  Call the forecaster.

Cascades

Zone 605 and 606

Units should be 500 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 607, 608, 609, 616, 617, 620, 622, and 623

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

Zone 610 and 611

Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous

Units should be 750 tons or less, spaced 10 miles apart, and 12 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.

Nick Yonker
Meteorology Manager
Oregon Department of Forestry
503-945-7451
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/smi_west/attachments/20100922/c730182e/attachment.html>