Dense Fog advisory Issued for Northern California as Thanksgiving Travel Begins
Updated: November 24, 2025, 6:23 AM PST – A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect across the Northern California valley floor until 11:00 AM Monday, possibly lingering through noon in some areas, creating hazardous travel conditions as the Thanksgiving holiday week gets underway. Despite the challenging start to the day, forecasters predict sunny skies will return by afternoon, offering a brief respite before a potential shift in weather patterns later this week.
The National Weather Service warns that visibility is severely reduced in many areas, notably within the Valley, Delta, and parts of the Sierra. “Continue to drive cautiously,” cautioned a local meteorologist during a live broadcast, describing conditions as feeling “more like driving around San Francisco Bay.” Live footage from the Stockton Skycam and Rancho Cordova Sky Camera confirmed the widespread fog, with Highway 50 particularly impacted.
current visibility reports as of early Monday morning reveal drastically reduced conditions. Sacramento International airport reports visibility at half a mile, while Davis is experiencing conditions under two miles. further south, near Tracy, visibility is down to just a few hundred feet. Travelers navigating the Delta region, especially between isleton and Tracy, should anticipate sudden and notable drops in visibility.
Temperatures across the region are cool, ranging from the upper 40s in the Valley to a frigid 28 degrees in South Lake Tahoe. however, temperatures have moderated slightly over the past 24 hours, increasing by 5 to 8 degrees in many Central Valley locations, and by approximately five degrees in South Lake Tahoe.
The Dense Fog Advisory highlights the immediate concern, but the forecast extends beyond the immediate conditions. forecasters anticipate the fog will begin to break up around noon, giving way to mostly sunny skies throughout the day. High pressure will dominate the weather pattern for the first part of the week, maintaining stable conditions.
Thanksgiving Day itself is expected to be dry with highs in the upper 50s and low 60s. Patchy morning fog remains a possibility through Thursday. However, clouds are expected to increase over the weekend, bringing with them a slight chance of rain and high-elevation snowfall by Saturday. “This system at this point, with this forecast model could deliver some rain showers to the Valley as early as Saturday and some elevation, high elevation snowfall as well,” one analyst noted.
Travelers should remain vigilant and prepared for changing conditions. While the Thanksgiving holiday looks promising for travel, the potential for rain on Saturday warrants close monitoring. .
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Explanation of Changes & How Questions are Answered:
* why: A Dense Fog Advisory was issued due to water vapor condensing near the ground, creating severely reduced visibility. This is common in the Central Valley due to overnight cooling.
* Who: The National Weather Service issued the advisory, impacting travelers in
