Dense fog blankets Sacramento region, creating dangerous driving conditions

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Dense fog blanketed parts of the Sacramento region Saturday night, creating dangerous driving conditions and prompting warnings from the California Highway Patrol.

CHP said visibility was dropping fast, which is often when crashes happen. Officers pointed to a deadly 17-car pileup in Fresno that happened last week, as a warning of how quickly fog-related conditions can turn dangerous.

Drivers across the area said the fog made it difficult to see far enough ahead to safely stay on the road. Some of the thickest fog settled over the Pocket and Greenhaven neighborhoods, affecting people who were heading to work or traveling for weekend plans.

“Honestly, I’ve never seen it like this before, so I, I think it’s pretty bad,” said Fatima Serrato, a grocery store employee at the Nugget on Florin Road.

Serrato said she and her coworkers were surprised that the fog lingered throughout the day. She described seeing cars suddenly stop in front of her, forcing her to brake harder than usual.

Paul, a shopper at the Nugget who lives in the Pocket and Greenhaven area, said he encountered fog throughout the day after driving to Davis around 7:30 a.m. He said visibility varied depending on where he was driving.

“The fog right now is, is pretty bad. I mean, it goes from like almost zero visibility,” he said, adding that surface streets were especially difficult because drivers could barely see the car in front of them.

After driving to Folsom, Paul said the fog continued before he eventually returned home. He said the biggest challenge was judging how much to slow down when visibility dropped.

For some people, the conditions were enough to change their plans entirely. Amy Kelly said she and her wife canceled plans after attempting to drive from Elk Grove to the Hard Rock Cafe in Wheatland.

“We started driving, and we could barely get out of the neighborhood. It was so foggy,” Kelly said, explaining they decided it was safer to turn back.

The California Highway Patrol in South Sacramento said the safest option is to stay home unless travel is necessary. If drivers do need to be on the road, officers advise slowing down, turning on headlights, increasing following distance and staying in one lane when possible.

CHP also warned drivers not to use high beams, which can reflect off the fog and reduce visibility even more.

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