Get Ready for Foggy Mornings!
🌫️ FOG SEASON IS HERE!
Get Ready for Foggy Mornings!
Alrighty, folks…
IT’S FOG SEASON! 🌫️
Yep.
You heard me right.
As we head into fall, get ready for those foggy mornings to become much more common from now through October.
And you might be wondering…
🤔 WHY IS IT FOG SEASON?
Well, it’s actually pretty simple.
We’re coming out of summer, and we still have a LOT OF MOISTURE hanging around.
All that summer humidity doesn't just disappear because the calendar says September.
Our dew points can remain relatively high, which means there’s still plenty of moisture available near the surface.
Then along comes a nice, clear, dry air mass from Canada.
And that's when things get interesting.
🌙 THE NIGHTS ARE GETTING LONGER
We’re losing daylight now, and the nights are getting longer.
In many areas, we’re gaining roughly three minutes of nighttime each night around this time of year.
And what does a longer, clearer night give us?
MORE RADIATIONAL COOLING!
The ground and air near the surface can cool off more efficiently under clear skies.
And when that temperature drops close to the dew point…
🌫️ BOOM!
FOG!
It's basically the atmosphere saying:
“Hey, I’ve got too much moisture. Let’s turn some of it into a cloud!” 😂
Except the cloud is sitting right on the ground.
🏞️ WHY DO RIVER VALLEYS LOVE FOG?
Now here's where it gets really interesting.
If you live around rivers, lakes, or low-lying valleys, you probably see this a LOT more often.
Why?
Because water doesn't cool down nearly as quickly as the land does.
So those rivers and lakes can remain relatively warm as the nights start getting colder.
That warmer water provides moisture — and some additional heat — to the air immediately above it.
Meanwhile, the air around it is cooling.
And eventually, that air can reach its dew point.
🌫️ HELLO, RIVER VALLEY FOG!
That's why you can wake up on a beautiful, crystal-clear fall morning and see fog sitting right along the river.
And here's something really cool:
🛰️ LOOK AT THE SATELLITE!
On a clear morning, take a look at a satellite image.
You can sometimes actually TRACE THE RIVER SYSTEMS by looking at where the fog has formed.
You'll see these long, winding ribbons of fog following the valleys.
It's almost like Mother Nature took a white marker and said:
“Here's the river!” 😂
🍂 THANKS, SUMMER!
So as we head into fall, remember…
SUMMER ISN’T QUITE DONE WITH US YET.
We've still got all that leftover moisture from summer hanging around.
The nights are getting longer.
The skies can be clear.
The surface cools.
The dew point is still relatively high.
And eventually…
THE ATMOSPHERE SAYS, “TIME TO MAKE FOG!” 🌫️
So if you're heading out early in the morning over the next several weeks, especially around rivers, lakes, and valleys…
Don't be surprised if you run into some fog.
🌫️ IT’S FOG SEASON!
And honestly, I'm okay with it.
It’s one of those signs that fall is finally arriving.
So thank you, summer, for all the humidity.
We just can't seem to get rid of you! 😂
And that's my blog for this Monday!
WELCOME TO FOG SEASON! 🌫️🍂