Fog Socks It to John Wayne One More Time

For the second straight day, flights at John Wayne Airport were delayed Monday by dense, patchy morning fog that forecasters say will linger and could cause problems for travelers again today. The fog will likely be driven out Wednesday by an incoming storm, but it too could cause travel delays.

Monday morning travelers were inconvenienced as about 20 flights were delayed by fog. The airport opened at 7 a.m., but none of the dozen arriving flights were allowed to land until shortly after 9 a.m. Many were diverted to other area airports, including Long Beach and Los Angeles, airport spokeswoman Pat Ware said.

About 10 departing flights also experienced delays. Only two airplanes had taken off by 9 a.m. and seven were on the runway awaiting clearance from the control tower, Ware said.

Wendell Cox, 46, a pricing manager for Union 76, left his Mission Viejo home early Monday for the airport, expecting delays when he awoke to fog.

Cox, who was going to Sacramento for a business meeting, fidgeted as he stood in line at 9:30 a.m. at the America West check-in counter, asking about his flight, which was to take off at 9:05. The Boeing 737 that was to take Cox and some 100 others to the state Capitol had yet to arrive at John Wayne; it had been delayed on the ground in Sacramento because of conditions in Orange County.

“I’ve got a meeting set up at noon,” Cox said. “They said a plane took off from Sacramento for here at 9:30 a.m. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes or so, so we should leave here about 10:45 a.m. I may be OK. I’m not too worried because my meeting is right at the airport.”

Cox’s plane finally took off at 11:22.

Also at the mercy of the weather was Mary Jane Gardner, 70, who read a newspaper to pass the time. She was going home to Lakeport in Northern California.

“I’m really anxious to get home because my first granddaughter was born two months ago and she’s just adorable,” said Gardner, a pianist who had lived in Laguna Beach for 30 years and was visiting Orange County to perform at a couple of parties. “My son will be expecting me three hours earlier than I’ll actually get there.”

With weather-related delays expected for the next two days, airport officials advised travelers or those meeting flights to call their airlines in the morning to check whether departure times have changed or arriving flights have been diverted.

But if you are “on a departing flight at 7 a.m., you really don’t have any choice,” but to show up, Ware said. “You have to be here early to check-in. You’ll just have to wait to see what the weather is like.”

Ware said holiday-related travel will pick up Thursday and reach its peak on the weekend.

A 30% to 40% chance of showers is predicted Wednesday with skies clearing Thursday. Friday will be mostly sunny.

A slight chance of rain is predicted Christmas Eve with skies clearing Christmas Day, said Curtis Brack, a forecaster with WeatherData, which provides forecasts for the Times.

Temperatures through the week will be in the 60s and low 70s throughout Orange County. Thursday and Saturday will be cooler, especially in the inland valleys, where highs are expected to be in the upper 50s.

Forecasters said the coastal fog is the product of a counterclockwise wind pattern currently centered near Santa Catalina Island. That pattern is making the typical patchy fog, which is common this time of the year, denser and more widespread in coastal areas, Brack said.

Despite the difficult visibility conditions, motorists seemed have to escaped major problems. Kari Keul, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Traffic Management Center in Santa Ana, said no weather-related accidents were reported Monday morning.

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Dealing With Fog

Airport officials advise travelers and those meeting people at the airport to call airlines to check whether flights will be delayed or diverted to other airports. California Highway Patrol officers advise motorists to:

* Drive with headlights on, but not with high beams

* Reduce speeds

* Avoid crossing traffic when possible, such as making left turns across lanes when oncoming cars may not be visible

* Roll down windows to listen for traffic that can’t be seen

* Use wipers and defrosters

* Be patient, don’t pass

* Don’t stop on the freeway or on heavily traveled roads

* Move away from your vehicle if it is stalled

* Consider postponing a trip until the fog clears

Sources: John Wayne Airport, California Highway Patrol

* GOODBY, EDDIE

Crews start to tear down Eddie Martin Terminal at John Wayne Airport. B3

Conditions: Low visibility again delays, diverts flights. Today could bring more of the same.