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Forecast Calls For Less Fog

Posted Jan 10, 2008 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 10, 2008 at 10:36 AM

A shift in the weather should reduce the chance of fog on Friday morning and into next week. There still may be some patches of fog away from the coast, but they should not be as thick or widespread.

The weather service does not expect visibility to fall as much as it has lately.

An approaching cool front is forecast to bring clouds that would prevent temperatures from falling low enough overnight to produce the fog. Clouds trap heat radiating from the ground at night and keep temperatures from dropping to the level at which moisture condenses and creates fog.

After the front comes through and is reinforced by another that may move in during the weekend, dry air will replace the more humid mix that’s been present lately.

Enough moisture to form widespread fog probably won’t return until next week, possibly as late as Wednesday.

The weather service did caution that any smoldering fires in the area of the Green Swamp in Polk County near U.S. 27 could spill smoke over roads and mix with patches of fog, creating visibility of only a few feet. Some blame a thick mixture of smoke and fog for Wednesday’s deadly series of collisions on Interstate 4.

The combination of smoke and fog creates a mix that is more dense than either separately.