South Bend, IN – Drivers across portions of the Midwest and Great Lakes region could face dangerously low visibility during the early morning commute as widespread dense fog spreads across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and parts of Michigan, reducing visibility to as little as one-quarter mile along several major highways.
According to the National Weather Service, Dense Fog Advisories remain in effect across large portions of northern Illinois, northern Indiana, central Ohio, and southwest Michigan early Thursday. Visibility across many communities has dropped to 0.25 miles or less, creating hazardous driving conditions along major transportation routes including I-90, I-94, I-65, I-70, and US-31.
In Illinois, the Chicago metropolitan area and surrounding counties including Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Kane may experience prolonged fog through the late morning and even into the afternoon. Cities such as Chicago, Naperville, Aurora, and Waukegan are seeing patchy to widespread dense fog that could slow travel along I-90 and I-94 corridors.
Across northern Indiana, drivers near South Bend, Elkhart, and Fort Wayne may encounter similar conditions through mid-morning. Portions of US-31 and I-69 could see sudden visibility drops as fog banks develop unevenly across the region.
Further east, central Ohio communities including Columbus, Springfield, and Newark are also under fog advisories through the early morning hours. Major highways such as I-70 and US-33 may experience sudden visibility reductions during the morning commute.
Officials warn that fog can form rapidly and vary greatly over short distances, creating sudden hazardous driving conditions.
Drivers are urged to slow down, increase following distance, and use low-beam headlights when traveling through fog. Visibility should gradually improve later this morning as daylight increases and light winds begin mixing the lower atmosphere.
