Dense fog advisory affecting South Alabama until Sunday morning, visibility as low as 1/4 mile
On Sunday at 5:56 a.m. the National Weather Service released a dense fog advisory in effect until 9 a.m. for Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler, Crenshaw, Escambia and Covington counties.
The weather service says to be ready for, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”
“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” comments the weather service. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.”
Navigating fog: Safety tips by the weather service
If a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility often drops to just a quarter-mile or less. These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.
If driving through fog becomes inevitable, remember these safety guidelines:
Reduce speed:
Slow down and allocate extra travel time to reach your destination safely.
Visibility matters:
Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.
Avoid high-beams:
Refrain from using high-beam lights, as they create glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
Maintain safe gaps:
Maintain a generous following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifting traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to staying in the correct lane.
Zero visibility protocol:
In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.
Limited parking options:
If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.
By adhering to these recommendations from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your well-being.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.