Actions

Why has it been so foggy lately?

news 5

By: Katie McGraw

Posted

and last updated

It has been very foggy for the last two days, with very low visibility across the area.

Why has this fog been so relentless?

Well, it first started to form on Tuesday night as a round of rain faded away and warm air filtered into the area. The warm air over the melting snowpack helped the fog to develop Tuesday night and continue into Wednesday.

Visibility dropped to less than a quarter of a mile in many locations. The fog mixed out for several hours when widespread rain rolled into NE Ohio Wednesday morning. However, once the rain started to move out, the fog started to redevelop Wednesday afternoon and evening. The fog was thick and widespread overnight and into Thursday morning.

A stationary front is draped over the northern portions of our viewing area. It is causing a wide range in the temperatures across Northeast Ohio on Thursday, with communities along the lakeshore in the 30s and 40s, but it is in the 50s farther south. There are also only light winds around 5 mph or less for most communities. This front has kept the weather dreary and for the (advection) fog to remain dense throughout the first half of the day. Advection fog forms as moist air moves over colder surfaces. The colder temperatures along the lakeshore condensed all of the moisture in the air and caused the fog to linger, lasting the longest along the lakeshore.

DENSE FOG will likely be lingering well into the afternoon/evening today. Therefore, the dense fog advisory will remain in effect for the entire viewing area until 10 pm. Visibilities could drop below 1/4 mile. My entire drive along I-90 from the east side was incredibly foggy! pic.twitter.com/gZbY4x7T26
— Katie McGraw (@KatieMcGrawx) January 25, 2024

Visibility has gradually improved this afternoon, but patchy dense fog will be possible until rain returns tonight. The widespread rain will mix out the fog after 7 o'clock this evening. Rain will continue into tonight. After the rain clears tomorrow morning, it looks like some patchy fog will be possible again, but as of Thursday afternoon, it does not appear to be as widespread or as dense.