Millions of people in Southern California were warned of hazardous driving conditions on Tuesday morning as dense fog swathed the region. Newsweek has reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Los Angeles by phone for comment.
### Why It Matters
The NWS has issued dense fog advisories across several Southern California counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura. These warnings affect more than 10 million people, with significant implications for commuter and road safety throughout the region.
Low visibility conditions, sometimes reduced to less than a quarter mile, increase the risk of accidents and disrupt normal travel routines, particularly during the early morning. Consequently, residents and travelers are urged to exercise heightened caution until conditions improve.
### What To Know
The NWS advisories, in effect through mid-morning on Tuesday, cover a broad swath of California’s Southern and Central coastal regions. Impacted areas include major urban centers like Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Orange County, as well as significant stretches of Highways 1 and 101.
Visibility in affected zones may fall to one-quarter mile or less due to dense fog. The advisory specifically names Santa Barbara County, the southeastern coast, Ventura County beaches, Ventura County inland coast, San Luis Obispo County beaches, and several key cities such as Montecito, Goleta, Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Camarillo.
Additional warnings are in place for the Malibu coast, Los Angeles County beaches, Downtown Los Angeles, and surrounding communities.
To the south, the NWS San Diego office issued similar advisories for Orange County coastal areas, Orange County inland areas, and San Diego County coastal areas. This includes cities such as Garden Grove, Irvine, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Santa Ana, and San Diego itself.
Visibility is forecast to drop to a quarter mile or less until at least 8 a.m. local time.
### Safety Precautions
The primary hazard cited by all offices is low visibility, which could make driving conditions hazardous. In some areas, near-zero visibility is possible, particularly on highways and main roadways.
Commuters are especially vulnerable during the advisory period. Motorists are instructed to:
– Use headlights
– Slow down
– Leave ample distance between vehicles
If visibility becomes dangerously low, drivers are urged to pull off the roadway and turn off their vehicle lights until conditions improve.
### What People Are Saying
**NWS San Diego** in a post on X:
*”Patchy dense fog is expected for the coast and western valleys tonight into Tuesday morning.”*
**NWS Los Angeles** in a dense fog advisory:
*”If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you. If visibility becomes so poor and you must pull off the road due to thick and very dense fog, pull completely off the roadways and turn off your lights.”*
### What Happens Next
The dense fog advisories in California are scheduled to expire at 8 a.m. PST on Tuesday. As temperatures rise through the morning, the fog is expected to lift, gradually restoring normal visibility for motorists and pedestrians.
Residents and travelers should continue to monitor local weather updates and heed any further advisories from the National Weather Service.
https://www.newsweek.com/travel-warning-10-million-people-california-11028693
