Surprise icing causes morning accidents
NEWS ARTICLE: Daily Mail Article
An unlikely culprit - freezing fog - caused bridges to ice over in the Charleston area, catching everyone (including me) completely off guard. There was no precip on the radar and temps were above freezing when I went to bed last night, which indicated 'all clear'. Some fog was being reported across the area, but since past freezing fog events had not created enough icing to cause problems, I didn't give it a second thought.
Of course, the Fort Hill Bridge was the scene of several accidents which eventually shut down the highway by 6AM. I'm in Pennsylvania now visiting my family for the holidays, but even if I had been at home I doubt I would have seen this coming.
Freezing fog is 'normal' fog that is occuring below 32F, which can deposit tiny water droplets on objects at the surface, which freeze on contact. The phenomenon is similar to freezing rain, but on a much lighter scale. It is rare for freezing fog to be thick enough to create icy road conditions.
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