FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Longtime Central Valley drivers say this year’s fog is unlike what they have seen in the past, with thick, persistent conditions lingering through entire days and creating hazardous driving conditions across the region.
“The fog this year, for some reason, it’s been a whole lot thicker,” said Sylvia Vargas, owner and instructor at the Learn 2 Drive Center.
The dense fog blanketed Fresno on Friday and surprised even veteran weather watchers.
ABC30 Chief Meteorologist Kevin Musso described it as unprecedented in recent memory, saying, “This is the most dense fog I have seen in years — probably decades.”
Vargas said the fog brings back memories of earlier decades.
“Today resembles like the 80s and even the 70s with all this heavy fog,” she said.
The unusual conditions have forced Vargas to adjust how she teaches new drivers.
She said it has been many years since she has had to regularly prepare students to navigate such limited visibility.
“Our emphasis is to show them, you know, the correct way to drive in the fog,” Vargas said.
Law enforcement officials say the fog has contributed to several crashes this week.
The California Highway Patrol responded to multiple collisions caused by low visibility, including a crash on Highway 43 east of Laton involving four semi-trucks.
“One truck hit that trailer, and it caused a chain reaction,” said CHP Officer Anthony Daulton.
Another crash Friday morning left a teenager critically injured after the van she was driving collided with a semi-truck on Minnewawa Avenue. Officials did not say whether speed was a factor in the crashes, but they say the conditions serve as a reminder for drivers to slow down.
“What a lot of people don’t realize when it comes to fog is fog is moisture and moisture, and the fog is also gonna be on the roadway.”
Driving instructors say learning how to handle these conditions is essential, even if it can be intimidating.
“We want you to have that experience under your belt on how to keep yourself safe on the road,” Vargas said.
Safety experts recommend keeping headlights on at all times while driving in fog, even during the day, manually setting lights to low beams and using hazard lights if necessary. Drivers are also advised not to stop abruptly and to pull over only in safe locations when stopping is unavoidable.
Vargas said the advice she gives her students is the same guidance she gives her own children.
“I think that I might have more anxiety than her, the actual driver. Because I know what can happen out there…,” she said.
With thick fog expected to remain a part of Valley winters, officials urge drivers to stay alert, slow down and respect the dangers of reduced visibility.
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