Drivers warned to slow down as dangerous, thick fog blankets Fresno, Valley post-Christmas
Drivers making their way back to the central San Joaquin Valley were being warned Monday of a safety risk during a foggy post-Christmas morning.
The visibility during dense fog in Fresno and most of the Valley was a quarter mile or less — as low as 200 feet — and deemed a “high transportation risk,” according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.
Visibility was expected to be a problem until at least lunchtime for Interstate 5 and highways 99, 180 and 41 in Fresno, but also 198, 43 and 152, meteorologists said.
A fatality was reported just after 7 a.m. Monday where highways 198 and 41 intersect, the California Highway Patrol said. Few details were immediately available for the solo vehicle crash, including whether fog was a factor, but CHP confirmed at least one passenger died.
The weather service warned drivers to slow down, use low beam lights and to avoid following too close on the highway.
The forecasts for the week call for highs a few degrees above 50 and lows just below 50.
Rain was also expected in the region beginning Monday night, according to the service.
Fresno could get an inch or 1.5 inches from 10 p.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Wednesday, projections say.
A similar amount of rainfall could be seen in cities from Modesto to Arvin though there a few drier pockets were predicted towards the southwest in Coalinga down to the Grapevine.
Tioga Pass may see as much as 30 inches of snow in that same amount of time, and about an inch was forecast in Yosemite Valley.
At least one more storm is expected before the New Year.
This story was originally published December 26, 2022 at 8:55 AM.
