Wednesday, January 20, 2010
“Beware of the fog,” read Lori Jacob’s Facebook status Sunday. “It’s like something out of a horror movie!”
Jacob, a junior from Overland Park, said she was getting tired of the “fog and all the nasty weather.”
David Mechem, assistant professor of atmospheric science, said that lingering fog wasn’t uncommon, but that clarity was on the way.
“Fog is made up of small water droplets suspended in the air,” he said. “Basically it is clouds on the ground.”
He said the lasting fog came from a combination of three factors: a stable atmosphere, moisture and a cold surface. As long as these exist, so will the fog.
“What will start causing it to be less prevalent is moving into more of an active weather pattern, which is less supportive of fog,” he said. “It will most likely warm up and we’ll probably get some rain in the next few days.”
Jacob said she would prefer any other weather to the fog.
“I was out at night parking my car with a friend and there was some random guy standing on the corner with his dog,” she said. “It was so creepy.”
The fog, however, doesn’t just make walking outside “creepy.” Driving has also been a concern for students, faculty and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Driving tips from the Kansas Highway Patrol and Weather.com:
- You should never drive faster than you see.
- Expect to be able to come to a stop.
- Decrease following distance and speed.
- Don’t use bright lights as they will only reflect the light back.
- Listen for traffic because you may not be able to see it.
- Be patient. Don’t pass lines of traffic.
Jacob said that she was driving the other day with her friend and that they couldn’t make out any of the street signs through the fog.
“We screamed,” she said. “It was just too weird.”
She said that her 2008 Ford Focus had fog lights, but that they didn’t help much in the dark, especially when a person crossed the street wearing dark clothing.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol website, there have been eight auto accidents since Jan. 14 involving two or more vehicles, four of which involved a fatality. None of these reports, however, have been directly linked to the fog.
Edna Buttler, Kansas Highway Patrol technical trooper, said fog-related accidents were preventable.
“Inattentive driving is the number one cause of crashes in Kansas,” she said. “But if everyone drives for the weather, they should be fine.”
— Edited by Kirsten Hudson
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