3 people killed in crash as fog comes on thick in parts of Northern California

Fog blanketed the lower elevations of Northern California on Saturday morning, with visibility reduced to a quarter mile or less in some areas before dissipating, according to the National Weather Service.

The visibility was blamed in the death of at least three people following a multi-vehicle pileup in Butte County overnight.

In the greater Sacramento area, visibility ranged from three-quarters of a mile to 5 miles, while Stockton and parts of Yuba and Sutter counties experienced extremely low visibility around a quarter-mile.

Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento, said that the fog covered areas all across the Sacramento Valley, from Butte County south to Merced and Madera counties.

After Friday’s rain and lingering moisture, periods of clearing throughout the night allowed for evaporation into low clouds and fog. The low clouds caused overcast skies, Rogacheski said.

Rogacheski cautioned motorists to drive slowly and maintain space between cars during low-visibility situations. Drivers should use low-beam headlights be extra vigilant for bike lights or other reflectors on the roads’ shoulders, the meteorologist advised.

California Highway Patrol in Oroville responded to a fatal multi-vehicle collision on Highway 99 south of Hinaman Drive in Biggs. The crash, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning and involved five tractor-trailers and five other vehicles, led to the roadway’s closure between Spruce Street and Biggs East Highway in Butte County.

Drivers are asked to choose a different route, as the closure is expected to last into the early afternoon, according to Caltrans.

Meanwhile, fog will remain in the morning forecast on Sunday, weather service officials said.

This story was originally published November 14, 2020 at 8:50 AM with the headline "3 people killed in crash as fog comes on thick in parts of Northern California."