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

Mon Mar 30 14:24:51 PDT 2009

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

ISSUED: Monday, March 30, 2009       2:30 PM      Jim Little

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

An upper level cool trough moves over the region on Tuesday,  bringing periods of rain but also keeping mixing heights quite high.  Transport winds will be generally from the west-northwest.  Smoke dispersal conditions will be excellent.

    OUTLOOK (WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY)

Another Pacific weather system approaches from the northwest on Wednesday.  A warm front will initially suppress mixing heights a bit, but by early Thursday morning a trailing cold front will push through western Oregon for destabilization and higher mixing heights.  Higher pressure begins to build Friday, flow Friday will be onshore or northwesterly and smoke dispersal conditions will deteriorate a bit.

2.  DISPERSION

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

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to WNW at 12 - 22 mph.
Surface wind S to SW at 10 - 18 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to WNW at 12 - 24 mph.
Surface wind SW to W at 10 - 16 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height 4200 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind SSW to W at 6 - 10 mph.

Zone 605-611 (North Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW at 18 - 32 mph.
Surface wind SSW to WSW at 8 - 14 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W at 19 - 33 mph.
Surface wind WSW to WNW at 10 - 18 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height remains above 5000 ft.
Transport wind decreases to W to WNW at 13 - 25 mph.
Surface wind SW to WNW at 6 - 12 mph.

Zone 615-620 (South Coast Range):

MORNING
Mixing height 4300 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to WNW at 5 - 9 mph.
Surface wind light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind WNW to NW at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind increases to WNW to NNW at 6 - 10 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height remains above 5000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind becomes light and variable and controlled by local terrain.

Zone 616-623 (South Cascades):

MORNING
Mixing height 4400 - 5000 ft.
Transport wind WSW to WNW at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind WSW to NW at 6 - 10 mph.

AFTERNOON
Mixing height above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to NW at 10 - 20 mph.
Surface wind WNW to NW at 10 - 16 mph.

EVENING
Mixing height remains above 5000 ft.
Transport wind W to NW at 8 - 14 mph.
Surface wind W to NW at 6 - 10 mph.

OUTLOOK:

WEDNESDAY
In the north mixing height 3700 to 4700 ft during the morning lowering to 3100 to 4100 ft during the afternoon.  In the south mixing height 2400 to 3400 ft during the morning rising to 3500 to 4500 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind SW to W at 4 - 8 mph during the morning becoming SSW to WSW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon.  Surface wind light and variable during the morning becoming SSW to W at 6 - 10 mph during the afternoon.

THURSDAY
In the north mixing height 3200 to 4200 ft throughout the day.  In the south mixing height 2500 to 3500 ft during the morning rising to 3200 to 4200 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind WSW to WNW at 10 - 18 mph.  Surface wind WSW to WNW at 10 - 16 mph during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 10 - 18 mph during the afternoon.

FRIDAY
Mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 3200 to 4200 ft by late morning rising to 4100 to 5000 ft during the afternoon.  Transport wind W to NW at 5 - 9 mph.  Surface wind W to NW at 5 - 9 mph.

3.  BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE WESTERN OREGON AREA
These instructions are valid for burning conducted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009.
=================================================================

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.

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 the Siuslaw River in Zone 603.  Call the forecaster.  Higher tonnage is possible south of T35S in Zone 620.  Call the forecaster.

Zone 615
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Zone 616 west of R8W
Units should be 1200 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.

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

Zone 619
Units should be 2000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Cascades

Zone 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 616, 617, 622, and 623
Use standard guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)  Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.  From T15S through T20S in Zone 608 units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart.

Zone 610, 611, and 620
Units should be 1000 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.

Siskiyous
Units should be 1500 tons or less, spaced 5 miles apart, and 10 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.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/smi_west/attachments/20090330/2e195bd1/attachment.html>