Hailing from Southeast Michigan, I have experienced severe winter weather, but I do not think I have ever seen freezing fog. Since Michigan is a peninsula, the air becomes very humid in the summer, and so it is common to see fog over the lakes and roads in the evening.
Apparently, freezing fog occurs when tiny, supercooled liquid water droplets in fog freeze instantly on exposed surfaces, such as trees, when surface temperatures are at or below freezing, as in the photo above, courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This occurrence has been known to cause power outages and downed wires due to the weight of the ice. Well, I guess I have seen freezing fog!
I also have family and friends who moved to the Carolinas: family in North Carolina and a family friend in South Carolina. We love to take road trips. On our way south to North Carolina, we pass through Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. That route goes through the Blue Ridge Mountains and a section of the Appalachians.
Traveling to South Carolina. We go through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. This route takes us through the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which, in my opinion, is the prettier side.
Either side, I have had the white-knuckle experience while driving through the mountains, when the fog is not only as thick as the traffic but, to make matters worse, heading down the mountain while your foot is steady on the brake to maintain a comfortable speed. It is in those moments that I wish I had just flown!
While it does get cold sometimes in those mountains, it is not as common as it is in northern states with mountains. For example, I cannot imagine how it must feel to drive through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest after a winter storm in Oregon!
According to Peak Visor, Oregon has the following mountain ranges, “There are 4760 named mountain ranges in Oregon and approximately 3,764 mountains altogether. Generally, the state is divided into six areas: The Coast Range, the Willamette Lowland, the Cascade Mountains, the Klamath Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, and the Basin and Range region,”.
Here is a list of Oregon’s mountains:
- Cascade Range
- Mount Rainier
- Blue Mountains
- Rock Creek Butte
- Wallowa Mountains
- Sacajawea Peak
- Calapooya Mountains
- Pueblo Mountains
- Trout Creek Mountains
- Ochoco Mountains
- Mary’s Peak
- Strawberry Mountain
- Chehalem Mountains
- Bald Peak
- Elkhorn Mountains
- Klamath Mountains
- Mount Eddy
- Siskiyou Mountains
- Mount Ashland
- Bilk Creek Mountains
- Mosquito Mountain
- Mount McNeil
- Hart Mountain
Does freezing fog make roads icy
If I remember correctly, when there was freezing fog, there was also black ice. For those who do not live in a state or area that sees freezing temperatures, black ice is a transparent coating of ice, often found on roads or other paved surfaces. It’s particularly dangerous on overpasses or bridges because the wind and cold that whip across those elevated areas freeze faster.
From the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science, fog and icing can create treacherous road conditions, as, “Although the icing threat from frost is lessened by its slow accumulation and relatively minimal thickness, this is not true of fog-related roadway icing. Fog often forms on cold, clear nights as the temperatures drop to the dew point temperature. Fog contains large amounts of liquid water, and if a fog bank passes over a roadway that has cooled to a temperature below freezing, icing can be rapid and severe, with a thick coat of ice being deposited in minutes.
A number of serious icing accidents have occurred in Washington State as a result of fog-related icing. A typical scenario starts with a clear, cold night in which the surface rapidly cools. A light frost might form on the roadway, but nearby fog begins to form over a moist surface. The fog drifts over the road, and as it passes over the road surface a thick coating of ice is deposited. Thus, both motorists and road maintenance crews must be extra vigilant when fog forms on cold evenings when temperature drops below freezing at the surface or the mid-30s in the air immediately above,”.
What is the danger of freezing fog?
Freezing fog is not common. It happens when surface temperatures are at or below freezing and liquid water droplets in the fog freeze instantly upon contact. The danger of freezing fog poses significant hazards, including, as already mentioned, reduced visibility and, as I suspected, the rapid formation of black ice.
Let’s see what the experts have to say.
When discussing the dangers of freezing fog, the meteorologists over at The Weather Channel report that, “Tree branches, roads, sidewalks, railings, vehicles will all end up with a thin coating of ice.
A thin layer of ice can even form around airplanes, so de-icing will most likely take place if you are flying out of an airport that’s experiencing freezing fog.
The National Weather Service (NWS) will issue a freezing fog advisory if your area is impacted by freezing fog. In these instances, visibility is typically less than one mile.
In 2022, a 30-car pileup in Washington state was most likely due to freezing fog. If you ever hear that freezing fog has developed in your area, it’s best to stay off the roads until the conditions improve,”.
Now it’s all coming back to me – I am starting to really recall times when we have seen freezing fog in Michigan. One winter, while working at a restaurant bar, our whole staff came outside at 2:30 am to find that all our vehicles were covered in a thin sheet of ice, and we could not enter them. And because this was before remote starts, we needed to put an actual key in the lock and ignition to enter and start the vehicle!
Thankfully, the restaurant had some deicer on hand for situations like these. Some folks used a lighter to heat their keys, while others tried using whiskey from behind the bar. What we all knew NOT to do was to use boiling water, as that would cause severe damage. Another thing kids today have not had to troubleshoot!
What weather conditions cause freezing fog in the winter
In conclusion, freezing fog may be rare, but its sudden ice and reduced visibility make it a serious winter hazard. Whether driving through Michigan or the mountains, awareness and caution are key. Respecting these conditions helps keep both travelers and communities safe.