Knoxville, TN – Early-morning commuters across East Tennessee and southwest Virginia are waking up to thick fog and reduced visibility Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
The agency issued a Special Weather Statement at 5:01 a.m. EDT warning of patchy dense fog stretching from the Tennessee Valley into western North Carolina and parts of southwest Virginia. Visibility has dropped to a quarter-mile or less in some areas, particularly in valleys and near bodies of water.
According to meteorologists, the fog is expected to lift gradually by around 9 a.m., as sunlight and warming temperatures mix out the moisture near the surface. Until then, drivers are urged to use low-beam headlights, reduce speed, and maintain safe following distances.
Counties affected include Knox, Anderson, Blount, Sevier, Jefferson, and Hamblen in Tennessee, as well as Cherokee and Clay in North Carolina and portions of Lee and Wise counties in Virginia.
Motorists traveling along Interstate 40, I-75, and I-81 should exercise extra caution during the morning commute, especially through low-lying and rural stretches where fog tends to linger.
