A weather alert was issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 6:41 a.m. for dense fog until 10:15 a.m. for Berkshire County.
“Patchy dense fog will continue across portions of eastern New York and adjacent western New England through the morning commute. Portions of the Hudson, Mohawk, Housatonic and Connecticut River Valleys will be most susceptible to this patchy dense fog. Visibility may drop to one quarter of a mile or less in some of these areas. Motorists should anticipate significant reductions in visibility this morning when traveling within or through these areas, and should allow for increased braking distance and use low beam headlights when encountering low visibilities. The fog is expected to gradually dissipate between 8 and 10 a.m. this morning,” says the weather service.
Guidance from the weather service for navigating foggy conditions
If you must venture out in foggy conditions, keep these safety tips from the weather service in mind:
Reduce speed:
- Slow down and allocate extra time for your trip to reach your destination safely.
Visibility priority:
- Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which automatically activate your taillights. Utilize fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them.
Avoid high-beams:
- Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Keep a safe distance:
- Keep a considerable following distance to account for sudden stops or shifts in traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
- To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.
Zero visibility protocol:
- In situations of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a secure location, such as a nearby business’s parking lot, to pull over and come to a stop.
Limited parking options:
- If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
By adhering to these weather service recommendations, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
