[californiadisasters] Relevant Here Due To All The Hwy Disasters

Tule fog is real trouble in the Valley

By John Lindsey | 

Anyone who lives in or drives through the San Joaquin Valley during the late fall or winter months will inevitably have harrowing experiences with tule fog.

Fog is water vapor that has condensed onto microscopic particles in the air and formed a cloud at ground level.

When much of Earth's heat is radiated out to space, usually on clear, windless nights, it cools the moist, dense and heavier layer of air near the valley's floor.

When air temperature decreases, humidity levels increase and the valley begins to take on a grayish tint.

When the air has reached its dew point temperature, the relative humidity is at 100 percent. Water droplets become visible to the naked eye. At that point, tule fog can rapidly develop.

The air in the San Joaquin Valley usually contains more particulates or pollution than the air coming off the Pacific Ocean. Consequently, the fog is often thicker than fog forming along our coastline.

Visibility can suddenly decrease to near zero in only a few feet. Vehicles following too close to each other and traveling too fast into the great gray unknown can lead to massive chain-reaction mishaps.

Read more: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/01/15/1445045/tule-fog-is-real-trouble-in-the.html#ixzz1BWHcDuDs

--
Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
Read our blog at http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/derkimster

__._,_.___

Be sure to check out our Links Section at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/links
Please join our Discussion Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters_discussion/ for topical but extended discussions started here or for less topical but nonetheless relevant messages.

Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___