Southeast Alabama under a dense fog advisory Sunday

Southeast Alabama under a dense fog advisory Sunday

The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory at 2:23 p.m. on Saturday valid for Sunday between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. for Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston counties.

The weather service states, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”

“Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility,” adds 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 in fog becomes unavoidable, remember these safety tips:

Reduce speed:

  • Slow down and allow 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 available, employ your fog lights.

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.

Keep your distance:

  • Maintain a significant following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

  • To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.

Zero visibility protocol:

  • In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.

Limited parking options:

  • If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these weather service recommendations, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing 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.