Freezing Fog
Fog that froze on contact with roads, vehicles or structures. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest freezing fog episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 502
- Deaths
- 28
- Injuries
- 75
- Damage
- $3.6 million
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.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Freezing Fog in Tennessee, December 1, 2011Areas of freezing fog formed along lakes and rivers throughout Middle Tennessee during the morning hours of December 1st. With temperatures in the 20s, patches of ice formed on an overpass in Hendersonville.
- Dense Fog and Freezing Fog in Montana, December 15 to 18, 2023High pressure led to stable conditions and cold pool formation across the Northern Rockies. This led to a prolonged period of dense fog.
- Heavy Snow and Freezing Fog in New Mexico, December 2 to 3, 2011After a very strong back door frontal passage on December 1st, which plowed through the eastern plains and westward through the gaps of the central mountain chain toward the Arizona border, much cooler temperatures were in place across the state.
- Freezing Fog in Iowa, January 10, 2023Dense fog developed across portions of eastern Iowa overnight on the 9th and into the 10th, with visibilities to a quarter mile at times through the mid morning. Freezing fog resulted in slippery pavement.
- Freezing Fog and Dense Fog in Montana, December 21 to 22, 2023Dense fog impacted a number of locations in western Montana, leading to black ice on roadways and impacts at area airports.
- Freezing Fog in Arkansas, December 31, 2013Temperatures fell well below freezing during the predawn hours of December 31st near and along the Red River in Miller County and across portions of Howard County in Southwest Arkansas.
- Freezing Fog in New Mexico, November 30, 2013A strong ridge of high pressure and melting snow cover over the Four Corners region set the stage for a lengthy duration of low clouds and freezing fog.
- Dense Fog and Freezing Fog in Minnesota, January 24 to 29, 2024Minnesota State Patrol reported a fatal automobile collision between a Freightliner M2 Straight freight truck and a Toyota Prius at the intersection of Olmsted County Highway 30 and Olmsted County Highway 8 near 08:45 CST on January 24th.
- Freezing Fog in Missouri, January 17 to 18, 2017Freezing fog overnight and into the morning hours of January 18, 2017 caused several accidents on local roadways. The most notable incident occurred when a vehicle slid into another vehicle, causing one fatality and one injury.
- Freezing Fog in Maryland, December 31, 2007Areas of dense fog developed across portions of north-central Maryland during the early morning hours of December 31st. Visibilities were often reduced to a quarter mile or less.
- Freezing Fog in Minnesota, December 20 to 21, 2014A woman was killed in a December 20th traffic accident near Pilot Mound (Fillmore County) that occurred on icy roads. The icy roads developed from moisture that was deposited on the roads from fog with temperatures below freezing.
- Freezing Fog in Washington, December 10, 2024Prolonged stratus under an upper level ridge pattern brought periods of freezing fog and light freezing drizzle across the region. Locations across the region reported amounts of trace to 0.1 of ice accumulation.
- Freezing Fog in North Dakota, November 1, 1996A 41 yr. old man drowned when his pickup was blown into a slough. The man was driving along highway 200 near Hurdsfield when he came to a low spot on the highway with bodies of water on either side of the highway.
- Freezing Fog in Michigan, November 24, 2006A high pressure system set up a favorable situation for fog formation. Light winds off of Lake Erie and Lake St Clair carried a marine layer of low clouds and dense fog inland across the Detroit area, mainly along and south of I-94.
- Freezing Fog in Tennessee, December 21, 2009Clear skies and light winds allowed fog to develop during the early morning hours of December 21st, 2009. Temperatures dropped slightly below freezing shortly before sunrise resulting in freezing fog. Numerous car accidents occurred from the freezing fog.
- Freezing Fog in Kentucky, January 18, 2010Dense freezing fog occurred over most of western Kentucky as a result of high pressure over the Lower Ohio and Mid Mississippi Valleys. Light winds, high humidity, and areas of clear sky associated with this high caused dense fog to form.
- Freezing Fog in Washington, December 8 to 9, 2011High pressure produced stagnant conditions which led to freezing fog and snow grains in the Tri-Cities area. A one vehicle accident on slippery Interstate 84 caused a fatality to the driver.
- Freezing Fog in Kentucky, December 1, 2011Patchy dense freezing fog contributed to a fatal accident on the Kentucky Highway 1682 bypass near Hopkinsville. A 62-year-old woman was killed when she lost control of the truck she was driving.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 9 to 10, 2011A large area of snow occurred along and to the east of a well-defined surface low pressure trough. East of the surface trough, northeasterly surface winds kept cold air in place. Warmer air moving in aloft created conditions favorable for heavy snow.
- Freezing Fog in New Mexico, February 10 to 11, 2012Freezing fog developed across much of the eastern plains of New Mexico during the early morning hours of the 11th. Fog continued through much of the day as temperatures struggled to reach the freezing mark behind an arctic front.
- Freezing Fog in Washington, November 27, 2013Strong high pressure in place with a moist boundary layer produced prime conditions for radiation fog. Temperatures dipped into the mid-twenties overnight into the early morning hours with dense fog reported.
- Freezing Fog in Idaho, December 17, 2014A 23 year old Washington man was killed in a one vehicle rollover on interstate 86 near milepost 56 and the Pocatello Regional Airport in Power County on December 17th at around 6:30 am.
- Freezing Fog in Oregon, December 12, 2020At around 9:10 AM PST on 12/12/20, a pickup truck on Highway 97 just north of the OR/CA border crossed the median and hit a southbound semi-truck. The driver of the pickup was killed, and his passenger and the semi-driver were seriously injured.
- Freezing Fog in Idaho, December 17, 2022A fatal accident occurred on December 17th at 715 Pm MST on S 15th St E in Idaho Falls near Sandy Downs. It was suspected weather may have been a factor as low visibility in fog and icy roads may have occurred.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Freezing Fog in Washington, January 13 to 25, 2009
- Freezing Fog in Tennessee, December 1, 2011
- Freezing Fog in North Dakota, February 1 to 3, 2021
- Winter Storm and Freezing Fog in Montana, January 18 to 24, 2010
- Freezing Fog and Dense Fog in Montana, December 21 to 22, 2023
- Dense Fog and Freezing Fog in Kentucky, February 2, 2019
- Dense Fog and Freezing Fog in Montana, December 15 to 18, 2023
- Freezing Fog in Arkansas, December 31, 2013
- Freezing Fog in Oregon, February 27, 2012
- Freezing Fog in New Mexico, November 30, 2013
- Freezing Fog in Kansas, January 17 to 18, 2010
- Freezing Fog in Missouri, January 17 to 18, 2017
- Dense Fog and Freezing Fog in Minnesota, January 24 to 29, 2024
- Freezing Fog in Idaho, January 24 to 25, 2015
- Freezing Fog in Maryland, December 31, 2007
- Freezing Fog in Minnesota, December 20 to 21, 2014
- Freezing Fog in Washington, November 25 to 26, 2023
- Freezing Fog in Washington, December 10, 2024
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 71 | 0 | 0 | |
| Texas | 55 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kentucky | 45 | 3 | 1 | $90,000 |
| Illinois | 41 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missouri | 27 | 1 | 4 | $20,000 |
| Montana | 24 | 3 | 7 | $364,000 |
| New Jersey | 21 | 0 | 0 | |
| Alabama | 20 | 0 | 0 | |
| North Carolina | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Mexico | 17 | 4 | 1 | $50,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tennessee | 12 | 3 | 17 | $500,000 |
| Indiana | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| Louisiana | 11 | 0 | 0 | |
| Washington | 10 | 3 | 14 | $2.0 million |
| Iowa | 9 | 2 | 0 | |
| South Carolina | 8 | 0 | 3 | |
| Oklahoma | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Idaho | 8 | 2 | 1 | $10,000 |
| South Dakota | 7 | 0 | 3 | |
| California | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| North Dakota | 6 | 1 | 0 | $385,000 |
| Virginia | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arkansas | 6 | 1 | 7 | $65,000 |
| Wyoming | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Hampshire | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maryland | 4 | 1 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Oregon | 4 | 1 | 2 | $50,000 |
| Delaware | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Michigan | 3 | 1 | 10 | |
| Nevada | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 | 3 | $40,000 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 2 | 2 | $20,000 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| New York | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Virginia | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
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.