Dense Fog in Illinois, September 17, 2014

Name: Dense Fog in Illinois, September 17, 2014
Start: 2014-09-17T02:00
End: 2014-09-17T08:00
Location: Illinois

September 17, 2014 · NWS PAH · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

The combination of clear skies and light winds resulted in widespread dense fog across southern Illinois. Visibility was one-quarter mile or less at times.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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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Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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 PAH wrote it up.

The combination of clear skies and light winds resulted in widespread dense fog across southern Illinois. Visibility was one-quarter mile or less at times. High pressure extended from Pennsylvania southwest across the Ohio Valley.

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 16, 10:58 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 16, 10:58 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1158 PM CDT Tue Sep 16 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 208 PM CDT TUE SEP 16 2014

(Note to customer: This section includes a discussion covering both
the short and long term forecast periods).

Surface High pressure migrates east across the mid to upper Ohio
river valley tonight-tmrw. Some weak warm air advection returns,
mainly in the Semo Ozarks, around the High's backside, with small
rain chances Wednesday.

Afterwards, upper ridging/heights rising leads to a more robust
warmup as high pressure to the east pumps warm southerlies across
the mid MS/lower OH valley. Temps will return to summer like 80s
by this weekend, with lows and dew points likewise climbing back
to more summer like humidity levels in the 60s.

This will all occur ahead of a developing front that will approach
Saturday, and then sweep into the region with high chance cat Pops
from Sat night-Sun night. After this system's passage, we cool
back to seasonal temps for early next week.

&&

.AVIATION...
Issued at 1158 PM CDT TUE SEP 16 2014

With this issuance, added a mention of MVFR fog to each of the TAF
sites through 12z Wednesday. Also, added MIFG for KCGI and KPAH to
handle ground fog issues in the 5nm radius around the airports.
Otherwise, slowed down timing of lower clouds and precipitation
mention at KEVV.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IN...NONE.
KY...NONE.
&&

SYNOPSIS...DH
AVIATION...Smith

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 16, 6:25 PM CST, 7 hours 35 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
725 PM CDT TUE SEP 16 2014

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-171000-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
725 PM CDT TUE SEP 16 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE REGION SATURDAY
NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY BE A CONCERN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 17, 12:43 AM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
143 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
110>112-114-171045-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-STODDARD-SCOTT-
MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION...
MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO...
CARMI...CARBONDALE...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN...
JONESBORO...VIENNA...GOLCONDA...ELIZABETHTOWN...CAIRO...
MOUND CITY...METROPOLIS...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG...POSEYVILLE...
EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE...ROCKPORT...HICKMAN...CLINTON...
BARDWELL...WICKLIFFE...PADUCAH...MAYFIELD...SMITHLAND...BENTON...
MURRAY...MARION...EDDYVILLE...CADIZ...PRINCETON...MORGANFIELD...
DIXON...MADISONVILLE...HOPKINSVILLE...HENDERSON...OWENSBORO...
CALHOUN...GREENVILLE...ELKTON...PERRYVILLE...MARBLE HILL...
CAPE GIRARDEAU...BLOOMFIELD...SIKESTON...CHARLESTON...NEW MADRID
143 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014

...AREAS OF FOG FORMING EARLY THIS MORNING...

THE COMBINATION OF CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS HAS RESULTED IN
AREAS OF FOG. THE FOG WAS MOST WIDESPREAD IN SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS. VISIBILITIES WERE LESS THAN A MILE FROM MOUNT VERNON TO
CARMI...MOUNT CARMEL...AND HARRISBURG.

THE FOG WILL CAUSE LOCALLY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS THROUGH THE
MORNING COMMUTE TO WORK OR SCHOOL. PARTS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...ESPECIALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 57...WILL EXPERIENCE THE
MOST WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS.

ELSEWHERE...THE FOG HAS BEEN MORE PATCHY...BUT THE TREND WILL BE
FOR INCREASING COVERAGE OF FOG THROUGH SUNRISE.

YORK

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Alexander

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Alexander forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Edwards

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Edwards forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Franklin

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Gallatin

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Hamilton

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.082, -88.539 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Hardin

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Jackson

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Jefferson

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.301, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Johnson

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.460, -88.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Massac

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Massac forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Perry

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Pope

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Pulaski

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Saline

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Union

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Wabash

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Wabash forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Wayne

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.430, -88.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, White

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Williamson

When: September 17, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Williamson forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.730, -88.930 (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

Every storm in Illinois in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, September 2014

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 541442, 541443, 541444, 541445, 541446, 541447, 541448, 541449, 541450, 541451, 541452, 541453, 541454, 541455, 541456, 541457, 541458, 541459, 541460.