Dense fog caused tragic 150+ car pile-up in New Orleans. Could ‘super fog’ come to SC?
The blanket of dense fog blamed for the multi-vehicle collisions that left seven dead, dozens injured and stranded over 150 motorists on a highway near New Orleans left drivers some 700 hundred miles away wondering: Could this happen in South Carolina?
Super fog was the culprit that created the impenetrable smog in Louisiana. Unlike fog itself, super fog is the treacherous mingling of smoke and moisture released from damp smoldering organic material with cooler, nearly saturated air. But according to the National Weather Service’s Charleston Office, South Carolinians don’t have much to worry over in the way of super fog.
The Louisiana tragedy was set off by the coalescing of smoke from marsh fires burning in the region and dense fog that developed Monday morning, causing near-zero visibility.
But in the Palmetto State, conditions such as those that birth super fog are unusual, said Meteorologist Jonathan Lamb on Tuesday morning. Typically, the state doesn’t get much widespread smoke on the ground, the Charleston-based weather expert said.
“It’s more often toward the end of the day, if there’s still some smoldering or lingering fires,” Lamb said. “So it’s generally near any kind of wildfire or any kind of burning activity at nighttime when you also have the conditions for fog development.”
In many of South Carolina’s national forests, state parks and preserves, prescribed burns are professionally set to maintain diverse habitats and reduce fuels that could lead to a damaging wildfire. But because burn managers plan in advance to ensure smoke will rise up and dissipate, and not linger near the ground, Lamb said it’s rare that prescribed burns would lead to a super fog event.
However, in the event of a wildfire that produced widespread smoke and mixed with the cooler spring or fall weather, super fog could be possible.
With enough moisture in the air during the spring and fall months and dwindling nighttime temperatures, conditions are ripe for fog production. And fog, even without the “super” qualifier, is hazardous, Lamb said.
“It doesn’t have to be super fog for it to be dangerous to drive in,” he said. “Normal, dense fog can still be very treacherous. And so is super fog... it’s interesting, but it’s not the main thing to be worried about.”
Fog can creep up quickly for drivers and visibility reduction can happen fast, with little-to-no warning. On highways, in particular, cars are interspersed with 18-wheelers and larger commercials vehicles that take more time to slow, which is often part of the problem in a chain reaction of crashes, Lamb said.
The precautions to take aren’t arduous. Just like when there’s a downpour — slow down and stay focused.
