Meteorologists Foresee Heavy Fog Through Middle of Next Week

The stubborn fog that has been covering the coast will continue to roll in this weekend and probably will last until the middle of next week, forecasters said Friday.

“Unfortunately, the fog will be increasing somewhat and will be moving farther inland,” said Curtis Brack of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

The fog, at its heaviest from 6 to 9 a.m., is coming from a cold air mass pushing its way across Central California. This mass has caused the winds coming off the ocean to blow east, bringing more moisture inland and resulting in fog.

Brack said it is unusual for Orange County to be plagued with such dense fog at this time of year, and the lack of heavy winds and rain is a contributing factor.

“Weather conditions have been so stable all during autumn that you have more fog than usual,” he said. “This is usually when you expect the storm season to be coming in for California.”

Temperatures are expected to drop this weekend as the fog moves inland, Brack said. High temperatures in the county are expected to range from the mid-60s along the coast to the mid-70s inland. Coastal low temperatures will be in the mid-40s, while low temperatures inland are expected to be in the mid-50s.

This latest spell of fog has not affected early-morning flights this week at John Wayne Airport, which had to cancel a flight and delay 15 others last month because of heavy fog.

“This time, there has been no impact,” airport spokeswoman Pat Ware said. “The fog has been so spotty that it’s hard to predict where it will be thick and blanketed in and where it’s going to be clear. Our control tower will determine if it’s too foggy for planes to land.”

California Highway Patrol officials urged drivers to use extra caution if they drive in the fog this weekend.

“Basically, if you don’t have to go anywhere, don’t,” CHP Officer Keith Bauer said. “It’s unsafe because your visibility is restricted. If you do drive, the basic rule is to slow down. Don’t try and out-drive your visibility.”

Last weekend, heavy fog contributed to the closing of Interstate 5 south of Orange County for nearly five hours after a car crash that killed an Irvine college student and triggered a string of accidents involving more than 100 vehicles.

“The fog doesn’t cause accidents, it’s driving too fast in the fog that does,” Bauer said. “Take precautions and slow yourself down. It’s just basically common sense. Be aware of other people and constantly check in front of you.”