Friday morning, March 6, Jacksonville rolled out of bed into a wall of thick, muggy fog that cut visibility to roughly a quarter mile in low-lying and coastal spots. Temperatures hovered in the mid-60s, and many drivers reported crawling commutes along I-95 and through river valleys. Beaches and boaters also have extra homework today, with winds expected to pick up later and patches of sea fog making early navigation a bit of a guessing game.
Fog and the commute
A Dense Fog Advisory was issued at 5:19 a.m. and runs until 9 a.m., and the National Weather Service also has a Rip Current Statement in effect for area beaches through late tonight. Forecasters say visibility could drop to around one quarter mile and surf may build into the 3 to 4 foot range. Drivers are urged to slow down, use low beams and leave extra stopping distance, and beachgoers are advised to stay close to lifeguards, according to NWS Jacksonville.
Beaches and boating
Beaches will see elevated to high rip-current risk through late tonight, so lifeguarded stretches remain the safest places to swim, and boaters are encouraged to avoid offshore travel where visibility stays poor. An earlier update tracked the same advisory and local conditions.
Afternoon heat and storm chance
Skies should turn sunnier by late morning with highs near 82 at the coast and in the mid-80s inland. A sea breeze will push inland this afternoon and could spark a few isolated showers or an inland thunderstorm between roughly noon and 4 p.m. Southeast winds will generally run 3 to 10 mph with gusts as high as 16 mph, according to NWS Jacksonville.
What to do
On the roads, give yourself extra time, stick with low beams in the fog and allow more braking distance. At the beach, swim near lifeguards and, if you are caught in a rip current, float and signal for help rather than trying to muscle straight back to shore. Boaters should stay ready for pockets of sea fog through the morning hours.
