California – Headlights glow dimly through a gray curtain this morning as dense fog settles over the Sacramento Valley. Taillights fade quickly, road lines blur, and drivers are forced to slow as visibility drops block by block.
According to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, a Dense Fog Advisory remains in effect until 11 a.m. Visibility may fall to one-quarter mile or less, especially across the Central and Southern Sacramento Valley and the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Calm winds and saturated air allow fog to thicken before sunrise, creating hazardous travel conditions.
The advisory includes Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Chico, Marysville, Yuba City, and Oroville. Major routes like Interstate 5, Highway 99, and Highway 50 are most affected during the early commute. Drivers may encounter sudden “fog walls” where visibility drops rapidly within a few hundred feet.
Temperatures hover near 39°F this morning, keeping the fog dense and slow to lift. While conditions improve late morning, patchy fog may linger longer in low-lying areas and near rivers. Wet pavement and reduced depth perception increase rear-end collision risks, especially during peak traffic hours.
Drivers should slow down, use low-beam headlights, and leave extra following distance. Avoid sudden braking, and be alert for stopped vehicles ahead. To be fair, this is classic valley fog, but it remains one of the region’s most dangerous winter hazards.
By afternoon, skies brighten with partial sunshine and highs climbing into the upper 50s. Tonight brings increasing clouds and a chance of rain late, followed by a milder midweek pattern. Wednesday turns partly sunny, while Thursday and Friday trend warmer and quieter.
Looking ahead, NOAA’s 6–10 day outlook shows near-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures into early February, favoring fewer fog events after this stretch.
Until then, take the morning commute seriously. How thick is the fog where you’re driving in the Sacramento Valley?
Five-Day Outlook for Sacramento, California
- Today: Dense fog early, then partly sunny. High near 57.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny. High near 58.
- Thursday: Partly sunny. High near 58.
- Friday: Mostly cloudy. High near 60.
- Saturday: Mostly cloudy. High near 61.
