Sacramento, California – Headlights glow like embers through thick gray air this morning as dense tule fog settles across the Sacramento Valley, shrinking visibility to just a few car lengths in spots. The calm, damp air feels heavy, and drivers are already slowing along familiar routes.
According to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, a Dense Fog Advisory remains in effect until noon. Visibility may drop to a quarter mile or less across central and southern Sacramento Valley, including Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Marysville, and Chico. The advisory stretches from the Carquinez Strait through the Delta and into the northern San Joaquin Valley.
Fog is thickest along I-5, Highway 99, and rural connectors near rivers and farmland. Wet pavement and reduced sightlines increase the risk of rear-end collisions during holiday travel. Officials urge drivers to slow down, use low-beam headlights, and leave extra following distance. To be fair, conditions can change quickly from block to block.
As the fog lifts later today, filtered sunshine returns with highs near 55. Skies turn partly sunny by afternoon, offering a brief break from winter gloom. Still, lingering moisture means damp roads could refreeze after dark in colder pockets, especially north of the metro.
Midweek weather begins to shift by Wednesday with more clouds and milder afternoons near 60. No widespread rain appears immediately, but the broader pattern shows unsettled weather increasing elsewhere across the country. For now, quiet conditions hold locally.
Drivers should plan extra time this morning and remain alert through midday. Seeing thicker fog where you are? Share what conditions look like on your commute.
Five-Day Weather Outlook for Sacramento, CA
MLK Day: Dense fog early, then partly sunny, high near 55
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, high near 57
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, high near 59
Thursday: Partly sunny, warmer, high near 61
Friday: Partly sunny, high near 59
