At 5:55 a.m. on Monday, the National Weather Service issued a report predicting dense fog for Berkshire County until 9:00 a.m.
“Locally dense fog is present around rivers, marshes, lakes and wetlands this morning. The dense fog is affecting the Schoharie Valley, Hudson Valley, including parts of the Capital Region, Lake George Saratoga Region, eastern Mohawk Valley, Berkshires, Litchfield Hills and southern Vermont. Visibility has decreased to less than a mile and locally to less than a quarter mile. Motorists are advised to slow down, use low beam headlights and maintain more distance from other motorists. The fog should clear by 9 a.m.,” the weather service said.
Weather service advice on navigation in fog
If you must venture outside in foggy weather, follow these safety tips from the weather service:
Reduce speed:
- Drive slower and allow more time for your journey to reach your destination safely.
Visibility priority:
- Make sure your vehicle is visible to others by turning on your low beam headlights, which will also activate your tail lights. If you have fog lights, use them.
Avoid high beam:
- Avoid using your high beams as they will blind you and make it more difficult to see what is on the road ahead.
Maintain a safe distance:
- Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you to allow for sudden stops or changes in traffic patterns.
Stay on your lane:
- Follow the road markings to stay in the correct lane.
Zero visibility protocol:
- If visibility is almost zero due to thick fog, turn on your hazard lights and find a safe place, such as the parking lot of a nearby business, to stop.
Limited parking:
- If no designated parking space is available, move your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once you stop, turn off all lights except the hazard lights, apply the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal, making sure your tail lights are off. This will reduce the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
If you follow the weather service’s recommendations, you can navigate more safely in fog, reduce the risk of accidents and increase your well-being.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service from United Robots that uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
