Sunday, August 8, 2010

Locally Dense Fog Sunday Morning


With clear skies and light winds overnight, locally dense fog has developed in south-central Virginia up to the Richmond metro. You can see it in the visible satellite image above, with the fog extending into eastern North Carolina and South Carolina. Visibilities are being reduced below a quarter mile in spots, especially in lower-lying areas and along rivers, creeks, and streams. Use caution if you must drive early this morning. Keep your headlights on the normal beam setting, slow down, and allow extra space between you and surrounding vehicles. I expect the fog to dissipate after 9 a.m. as the surface air begins mixing while temperatures warm up in the region. The fog might be a nuisance, but it has developed as a result of good low-level moisture in the ground and near the surface after last week's heavy downpours. Most of the state is still in moderate to severe drought, but the fact we've even been able to get some fog developing a couple days after the storms means those rains helped the soil moisture in south-central Virginia.