Dense Fog in Virginia, February 26, 2020

Name: Dense Fog in Virginia, February 26, 2020
Start: 2020-02-26T03:15
End: 2020-02-26T11:22
Location: Virginia

February 26, 2020 · NWS LWX · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Clearing skies and light winds in the presence of a saturated lower atmosphere led to the development of dense fog across portions of northern and central Virginia.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
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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: 13

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 LWX wrote it up.

Clearing skies and light winds in the presence of a saturated lower atmosphere led to the development of dense fog across portions of northern and central Virginia.

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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 25, 9:27 PM EST, 5 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 9:27 PM EST, 5 hours 48 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 25, 8:33 PM EST, 6 hours 42 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Augusta

When: February 26, 3:15 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Augusta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.109, -78.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Central Virginia Blue Ridge

When: February 26, 3:15 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Central Virginia Blue Ridge forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 37.879, -79.034 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Rockingham

When: February 26, 3:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Rockingham forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.481, -78.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Northern Virginia Blue Ridge

When: February 26, 3:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Virginia Blue Ridge forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.573, -78.412 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Nelson

When: February 26, 4:53 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Nelson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Albemarle

When: February 26, 4:53 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Albemarle forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.029, -78.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Greene

When: February 26, 4:53 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Western Loudoun

When: February 26, 4:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Western Loudoun forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 39.091, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Eastern Loudoun

When: February 26, 4:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Loudoun forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 39.091, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Culpeper

When: February 26, 4:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Culpeper forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.486, -77.956 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Northern Fauquier

When: February 26, 4:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Fauquier forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.739, -77.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Southern Fauquier

When: February 26, 4:55 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Fauquier forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.739, -77.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Frederick

When: February 26, 6:56 AM EST to 11:22 AM EST
Where: Frederick forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 39.195, -78.213 (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 Virginia in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, February 2020

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: 877697, 877703, 877698, 877702, 877699, 877700, 877701, 877695, 877696, 877704, 877705, 877706, 877707.