5 Freeway through Grapevine was placed under a dense fog advisory by the National Weather Service on Wednesday at 5:46 p.m. The advisory is valid from 11 p.m. until Thursday Jan. 29, at noon. The NWS Hanford CA states to prepare for, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.” “Low vis ibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” according to the NWS. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.” The full list of affected locations includes: 5 Freeway through Grapevine Los Banos – Dos Palos Merced – Madera – Mendota Planada – Le Grand – Snelling West Side of Fresno/Kings Counties Caruthers – San Joaquin – Selma Fresno-Clovis Buttonwillow – Lost Hills – I5 Delano-Wasco-Shafter Hanford – Corcoran – Lemoore Visalia – Porterville – Reedley Bakersfield Southeast San Joaquin Valley South End San Joaquin Valley Tehachapi Buena Vista County Fog safety: Tips from the NWS for safe travels When a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility can plummet to a quarter-mile or less. These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible. If driving through fog becomes inevitable, remember these safety guidelines: Moderate your speed: Slow down and allocate extra travel time to reach your destination safely. Visibility priority: Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If available, employ your fog lights. Avoid high-beams: Refrain from using high-beam lights, as they create glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road. Maintain safe gaps: Maintain a generous following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifting traffic patterns. Stay in your lane: To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide. Visibility near zero: In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop. No parking options: If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you. By adhering to these recommendations from the NWS, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being. For more local weather alerts, visit our Weather Advisory page ...read more read less