Thousands of motorists across Texas were warned of potentially hazardous driving conditions as fog settled across the Lone Star state on Monday morning.
Some Texans can expect similar conditions on Tuesday morning as well, particularly along the I-27 corridor, National Weather Service (NWS) lead meteorologist Drew Koeritzer told Newsweek, although the incoming fog will be short-lived as a cold front brings drier air to the region later this week.
Why It Matters
Dense fog advisories across Texas are causing hazardous driving conditions, prompting authorities to warn thousands of residents and travelers to exercise caution on the roads. The NWS has issued multiple urgent updates throughout the state as visibility plummeted to as low as a quarter mile or less in many regions.
Such low visibility poses a considerable risk, potentially leading to accidents, vehicle pile-ups, and extended emergency response times. Motorists caught off guard by sudden drops in visibility may not have enough time to react, raising the stakes for driver and pedestrian safety statewide.
What To Know
The NWS issued several dense fog advisories affecting wide swathes of Texas early Monday morning, with NWS offices in Midland, Lubbock, Fort Worth, Houston, San Angelo, and San Antonio issuing the alerts. Impacted cities included Floresville, Pleasanton, Karnes City, La Grange, Cuero, Hallettsville, Pearsall, Gonzales, Silverton, Hale Center, Dimmitt, Crosbyton, Quitaque, Ralls, Floydada, Lockney, Hart, Plainview, Happy, and Tulia, among others.
Each advisory warned of visibility being reduced to one quarter mile—or even less in certain locations—making driving particularly dangerous.
In San Angelo and surrounding counties, the NWS specifically cautioned that low visibility would be especially severe along roadways like I-20.
“Expect areas of dense fog across the Big Country. The visibility will be less than 1/4 of a mile at times, especially around Sweetwater and Abilene,” NWS San Angelo said in the dense fog advisory.
The official precautionary guidance from the NWS across all advisories is clear: drivers in affected regions should slow down, use their low beam headlights, and maintain greater distance from other vehicles. In some locations, the fog was reported to be patchy, meaning sudden and unexpected visibility reductions could catch motorists off guard.
According to the NWS, the immediate impact is hazardous travel, particularly for commuters, commercial vehicles, and emergency responders.
What People Are Saying
NWS San Angelo in a dense fog advisory: “Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous. Motorists should be prepared to slow down when encountering dense fog.”
NWS Lubbock in a post on X: “Cool temperatures and light, easterly winds will give way to the development of fog area-wide tonight. Some of the fog could be dense, with visibility falling to one-quarter mile or less.”
What Happens Next
The dense fog advisories for most counties are set to expire at 10 a.m. CDT on Monday.
The NWS will continue to monitor conditions, and travelers are advised to stay informed of any possible updates or extensions to advisories through official channels such as weather.gov or local NWS forecast offices. Should the fog persist or other hazardous conditions develop, additional advisories or warnings may be issued.