Raleigh residents woke up to a blanket of fog this morning, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing a Dense Fog Advisory that cautioned of visibility dropping to a quarter mile or less in areas. The Dense Fog Advisory, which was in effect until 9 AM EST, covered a large swathe of North Carolina's Piedmont and Sandhills regions, including both urban centers and rural locales. Motorists were advised to drive with care, reducing speed and increasing following distances, particularly around school zones where the risks are compounded by the presence of children and school buses.
The conditions were expected to improve by mid-morning, but not before creating potential headaches for early commuters. The Dense Fog Advisory by the NWS suggested that those hitting the roads "slow down, use your low beam headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you" to safely navigate the reduced visibility. Such precautions were particularly urged for areas to the west of the US-1 corridor, where the fog was thickest.
Beyond the morning fog, the NWS Raleigh forecast called for a shift to partly sunny, then gradually becoming fully sunny skies today, with a high near 71 degrees – a significant and welcome change to the earlier obscured conditions. Through the week, the weather is expected to stay mostly in the favorable zone, with partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies and highs fluctuating between the mid-40s to mid-70s. However, rain chances are set to pick up starting Friday night with uncertainties lingering into the weekend.
While no hazardous weather is projected post-fog through the coming days, residents should still keep an eye out for potential changes. The Hazardous Weather Outlook advises to "listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards." With a 70% chance of rain anticipated by Saturday night and another shot of rain on Sunday, it's easy to see NWS' point in maintaining a watchful eye on our often unpredictable skies. Moreover, North Carolinians have been reminded to not only just prepare for immediate weather concerns but to always be ready to adapt to quickly changing conditions.
