Mar 16, 2010 1:45 am
For decades researchers have postulated that fog typically forms in the early morning hours following a calm, clear night. But a new study shows that a higher percentage of fog incidences–at least in the Midwest–occur under overcast skies when rain has fallen overnight.
Dense fog forming in conditions that are not well understood increases the difficulty of forecasting fog accurately, according to Nancy Westcott, climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Fog is a safety hazard for ground and air travelers and can be particularly costly when air traffic is delayed.