California dense fog advisories: 2 million people warned of ‘high transportation risk,’ check out highlighted areas

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have urged people in central California to avoid travel until dense fog in the area is diminished.

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have urged people in central California to avoid travel until dense fog in the area is diminished. On Wednesday, December 4, about two million people in central California were warned of "high transportation risk.”

California dense fog advisories: Travelers warned of ‘high transportation risk' (Unsplash)

Dense fog advisories have been issued for huge sections of California's San Joaquin Valley. This has affected transportation for more than two million residents and travelers. Critical travel corridors such as Interstate 5, State Route 99 and State Route 198, which are heavily trafficked by commuters and freight, are among the affected areas.

NWS meteorologist Brian Ochs told Newsweek that fog is common for this part of California during winter. "Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous," the NWS office in Hanford said in the dense fog advisory.

Highlighted areas

Dense fog advisories issued by the office on Wednesday morning covered much of the San Joaquin Valley from Fresno County southward. They remain in effect until 11 am Pacific time.

Among the specifically highlighted areas are Bakersfield, Buttonwillow, Lost Hills, Delano, Wasco, Shafter, Alpaugh, Richgrove, Selma, Fresno, Hanford, Corcoran, Lemoore, Visalia, Porterville and surrounding communities.

According to the advisories, dense fog may cause visibility to reduce to a quarter mile or less. "If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you," the advisory said.

The agency also warned motorists traveling through the affected corridors – particularly I-5, SR-99, SR-152 and SR-198 – to exercise extreme caution.

Driving in fog? Follow these safety tips

Here are a few safety tips that should be followed while driving in fog, as listed by the National Weather Service:

• Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.
• Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on. Use fog lights if you have them.
• Never use your high-beam lights. Using high beam lights causes glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
• Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
• To ensure you are staying in the proper lane, follow the lines on the road with your eyes.
• In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business and stop.
• If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don't mistakenly run into you.