Elizabeth City, NC – Dense fog is spreading across northeast and eastern North Carolina tonight, reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less in several areas and creating hazardous travel conditions through early Saturday morning. The National Weather Service offices in Wakefield and Newport/Morehead City issued Special Weather Statements late Friday warning of rapidly changing visibility on roadways.
According to the National Weather Service in Wakefield, fog developed late Friday across Northampton, Hertford, Gates, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Bertie, Chowan and Perquimans counties. Communities from Ahoskie and Edenton to Elizabeth City, Knotts Island and Corolla may see thick patches of fog before conditions begin to lift near sunrise as a warm front moves north.
Farther south, the Weather Service in Newport reports that fog is dense in spots across Martin, Pitt, Washington, Dare, Greene, Beaufort, Hyde, Duplin, Lenoir, Jones, Pamlico and Craven counties, extending through Onslow County and the Outer Banks, including New Bern, Greenville, Morehead City, Jacksonville, Ocracoke, Rodanthe, Nags Head and Hatteras Village.
Forecasters say visibility is generally between one-half and one mile but may suddenly drop to one-quarter mile or less, especially along low-lying areas, inland waterways and coastal routes. Drivers may encounter sudden shifts in visibility along U.S. 17, U.S. 158, N.C. 12 and surrounding regional roads.
Motorists are urged to slow down, increase following distance and use low-beam headlights only when entering fog. Conditions are expected to improve shortly after sunrise Saturday.
