Dense Fog, E Central Sj Valley
- When
- February 5, 2:53 AM PST to February 6, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- E Central Sj Valley forecast zone
- Injuries
- 40 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $450,000
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Dense Fog in California, February 5 to 6, 2002
Dense Fog formation throughout the Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley occurred on both the mornings of the 5th and 6th. Fog was the most dense on the 5th when widespread visibilities as low as 50 feet were reported by the California Highway Patrol and a resulting multiple-vehicle accident involving 87 cars and trucks 20 miles southeast of Fresno left 3 dead and approximately 40 injured.
The toll
- Deaths
- 3
- Injuries
- 40
- Property damage
- $450,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS HNX wrote it up.
Dense Fog formation throughout the Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley occurred on both the mornings of the 5th and 6th. Fog was the most dense on the 5th when widespread visibilities as low as 50 feet were reported by the California Highway Patrol and a resulting multiple-vehicle accident involving 87 cars and trucks 20 miles southeast of Fresno left 3 dead and approximately 40 injured. (Photo courtesy of the Fresno Bee).
Event by event
4 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
Dense Fog, Sw Sj Valley
- When
- February 5, 4:00 AM PST to February 6, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Sw Sj Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Dense Fog, Se Sj Valley
- When
- February 5, 5:00 AM PST to February 6, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Se Sj Valley forecast zone
- Deaths
- 3 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
Dense Fog, W Central Sj Valley
- When
- February 5, 6:00 AM PST to February 6, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- W Central Sj Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
What these are
- Dense Fog
- Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Cold in District of Columbia, February 5, 2002
- Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Winter Storm in Alabama, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Winter Storm in Texas, February 5, 2002
- Winter Storm in Tennessee, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Winter Storm in Texas, February 5, 2002
- Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Winter Storm in Mississippi, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Texas, February 5, 2002
- Winter Storm in Kansas, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Arkansas, February 5 to 6, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, February 5 to 6, 2002
More
Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2002
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5282357, 5282358, 5282359, 5282356.