Fog to Keep Horning In on People’s Sleep

The dense fog that has rolled across coastal areas and some inland cities is expected to last a few more nights--disturbing the sleep of residents close enough to the beach to hear the electronic whine of foghorns.

“There’s nothing romantic about these alarms,” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Kerry Kingery, who works out of the Marine Safety Office in Long Beach.

“They are loud and obnoxious. We get a lot of nasty phone calls . . . at night from people that aren’t too happy to hear them.”

The alarms are controlled by the office in Long Beach; the Orange County alarms are in Dana Point, Newport Bay and Seal Beach’s Anaheim Bay.

The two- to three-second blasts every 15 to 30 seconds may sound louder at times, but it is only the wind that makes it seem that way, Kingery said. Because the equipment is so old, officials rely on the Harbor Patrol, airplane pilots, ship captains and beach residents to let them know when the fog has lifted enough to turn off the alarms.

“We tried to turn it off three times this morning,” Kingery said. “Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn’t. We need people to call us to tell us whether it’s on or off.”

The computer-activated alarms should continue into the weekend as a marine layer that has been affecting many parts of the county for the last few days comes back this evening after possibly producing some light rain this morning. Sunshine will return Saturday, but the marine layer will move back in Monday, along with another chance of rain.

Meteorologist Stacey Johnstone of WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times, said the last recorded rainfall in the area was March 8.

Bruce Lian of the California Highway Patrol said drivers haven’t had it too bad. The fog has made it a little hazy in the mornings, but it has been burning off quickly, he said. Lian cautioned drivers, however, to use common sense when visibility is low.

“It’s the basic stuff,” he said. “Use low beams, not high beams, reduce your speed, and--if at all possible--if you’re uncomfortable driving, you may want to pull off the freeway completely. Stay to the right, and be aware of slower-moving vehicles ahead of you.”