California, 2016

Dense Fog in California, November 2, 2016

November 2, 2016 · NWS HNX · 4 events in 1 county or zone

Area of high pressure moved over the central California region creating favorable conditions for nighttime and early morning radiational fog development for parts of the San Joaquin Valley.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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.

Area of high pressure moved over the central California region creating favorable conditions for nighttime and early morning radiational fog development for parts of the San Joaquin 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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 1, 12:40 PM PST, 14 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 1, 12:40 PM PST, 14 hours 15 minutes before
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Event by event

4 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, E Central S.J. Valley

When
November 2, 2:55 AM PST to 8:45 AM PST
Where
E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS

Between 0255 PST and 0845 PST the Merced/Castle Airport (KMER) AWOS reported visibility less than 1/4 mile.

Dense Fog, E Central S.J. Valley

When
November 2, 5:15 AM PST to 9:25 AM PST
Where
E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Between 0515 PST and 0925 PST the Merced Airport (KMCE) ASOS reported visibility less than 1/4 mile.

Dense Fog, E Central S.J. Valley

When
November 2, 6:00 AM PST to 8:20 AM PST
Where
E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Between 0600 PST and 0820 PST the Madera Airport (KMAE) ASOS reported visibility less than 1/4 mile.

Dense Fog, E Central S.J. Valley

When
November 2, 6:36 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where
E Central S.J. Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Spotter report of less than 1/4 mile visibility near Chowchilla.

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 California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2016

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: 666392, 666386, 666389, 666393.