Sacramento, CA – A blanket of thick fog cloaks the Central Valley this morning, dimming headlights and muting the skyline from Stockton to Marysville. Streetlights glow softly through the haze as commuters crawl along I-5 and Highway 99, where visibility has dropped to less than a quarter-mile.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a Dense Fog Advisory in effect until 11 a.m. PST Friday, warning of dangerous travel conditions from the Carquinez Strait to the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Visibility could fluctuate rapidly, especially in low-lying areas and near rivers. The fog may thin briefly by late morning as light winds and sunshine help it burn off.
Once the haze lifts, the region turns calm and mild. Expect highs near 56°F Friday afternoon, climbing to the upper 50s and low 60s through Sunday under mostly sunny skies. Lows will hover in the low 40s, with patchy fog returning each morning through the weekend — a familiar early-December weather pattern for the Sacramento Valley.
Drivers should slow down, use headlights, and leave extra distance between vehicles during the morning commute. Air travel delays are also possible at Sacramento International Airport due to reduced visibility before 10 a.m.
Looking ahead, early December could bring a cooler Pacific pattern across the western U.S., with colder air filtering south by the first week of the month — a “winter tease” that could signal frost and even light mountain snow in the Sierra foothills next week.
Seen fog on your route this morning? Drop your travel updates or photos from the valley below.
Five-Day Outlook for Sacramento, CA:
- Friday: Dense fog early, then sunny, high 56°F; low 42°F.
- Saturday: Patchy fog, mostly sunny, high 57°F; low 42°F.
- Sunday: Partly sunny, high 58°F; low 41°F.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, high 68°F; low 44°F.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny, high 67°F.
