Dense Fog in California, February 3, 2005

Name: Dense Fog in California, February 3, 2005
Start: 2005-02-03T02:00
End: 2005-02-03T08:00
Location: California

February 3, 2005 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Valley. During the first half of the month, other than the mornings of the 2nd and 3rd, patchy fog plagued the Central and South Valley due to the moist conditions from much above normal rainfall through the winter.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

Widespread dense fog developed primarily in the Central San Joaquin Valley on the morning of the 3rd but extended well into the Southwest S.J.Valley. During the first half of the month, other than the mornings of the 2nd and 3rd, patchy fog plagued the Central and South Valley due to the moist conditions from much above normal rainfall through the winter.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 2, 1:30 PM PST, 12 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 2, 1:30 PM PST, 12 hours 30 minutes before

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Event by event

3 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Sw S.J. Valley

When: February 3, 2:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: Sw S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Dense Fog, W Central S.J. Valley

When: February 3, 3:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: W Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Dense Fog, E Central S.J. Valley

When: February 3, 3:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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

Every storm in California in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2005

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: 5442189, 5442187, 5442188.