Arizona, 2004

Dense Fog in Arizona, December 10 to 15, 2004

December 10 to 15, 2004 · NWS FGZ · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Dense fog formed in the Little Colorado River Valley, Chinle Valley, and portions of the White Mountains between December 10th and December 15th. The visibility was less than 1/4 mile across large areas for portions of the period.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 FGZ wrote it up.

Dense fog formed in the Little Colorado River Valley, Chinle Valley, and portions of the White Mountains between December 10th and December 15th. The visibility was less than 1/4 mile across large areas for portions of the period. The visibility was down to 30 feet in Tuba City at times. Holbrook had visibility down to 50 yards at times.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, White Mountains

When
December 10, 5:00 AM MST to December 12, 8:00 PM MST
Where
White Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.398, -109.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County

When
December 10, 6:00 AM MST to December 15, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.400, -110.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County

When
December 11, 4:00 PM MST to December 15, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.620, -111.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County

When
December 11, 7:00 PM MST to December 15, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.396, -109.489 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Chinle Valley

When
December 13, 3:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Chinle Valley forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.398, -109.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, December 2004

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: 5432399, 5432400, 5432401, 5432402, 5432403.