Sunday, July 26, 2026, started murky in Raleigh, with a blanket of dense fog dropping visibility to a quarter mile or less in low-lying neighborhoods and temperatures stuck in the upper 60s. The early commute slowed to a crawl in spots, especially on bridges and along river corridors where the fog banked up the worst. Forecasters say the gloom should lift by mid-morning, giving way to partly sunny skies and a more comfortable high near 84°F.
Dense Fog Advisory In Effect
The National Weather Service has a Dense Fog Advisory in place until 9:00 AM EDT Sunday, warning that visibility may fall to a quarter mile or less and that driving could be hazardous in patches. Drivers are urged to ease off the gas, stick with low-beam headlights, and leave extra room to brake. According to NWS Raleigh, area terminals, including Raleigh-Durham International Airport, may deal with sub-VFR conditions this morning, with an improvement to MVFR or VFR by mid-morning as the fog burns off.
Afternoons And The Week Ahead
Once the fog lifts, look for a partly sunny afternoon, a high near 84°F, and light southwest winds, with only a small chance for an isolated shower. Monday, July 27, 2026, is expected to turn up the heat with highs near 90°F, and Tuesday, July 28, 2026, looks to be the hottest day of the stretch as readings climb into the low 90s. That gradual warmup will help prime the atmosphere for more widespread showers and storms later in the week.
Storms Tuesday Could Be Strong
Showers and thunderstorms are likely Tuesday afternoon into the evening, and a few storms could bring gusts up to about 22 mph along with locally heavy downpours. An isolated severe storm cannot be ruled out. If your plans involve being outside Tuesday night, you may want to shift them earlier in the day or move indoors and keep an eye on any watches or warnings that may be issued. For timing and more detail, check NWS Raleigh.
What This Means For The Triangle
The Triangle has been stuck in a loop of foggy starts and brief cool breaks this week, and our coverage yesterday walked through the same slow-clearing setup. For background on how recent clouds and showers have been affecting the morning commute, see our earlier story Foggy Wake-Up And Cool Showers. As temperatures climb later in the week, keep water handy and plan to head indoors if storms roll through your part of the Triangle.
We will update this post if advisories change. If you are heading out this morning or traveling on Tuesday, check your airline or the latest NWS forecast before leaving and build in some extra time for the commute. Take it slow in the fog and keep your phone charged so you can receive weather alerts on the go.
