South Alabama in the Grip of Thick Fog This Friday Morning, Drivers Face Dangerous Low Visibility and Hazardous Travel Conditions

Published on December 26, 2025

South Alabama were greeted Friday morning by an unsettling weather phenomenon: thick, dense fog stretching across much of the region, sharply reducing visibility on major highways and local roads alike. Government meteorological authorities confirm that visibility in multiple counties dropped to as little as one quarter of a mile, prompting an official Dense Fog Advisory from the National Weather Service (NWS). The fog shrouded communities from the Gulf Coast inland, creating hazardous conditions for the early morning commute and travel at sunrise.

According to the NWS product released overnight, the Dense Fog Advisory was in effect until 10:00 a.m. Friday for portions of south central and southwest Alabama, the northwest Florida Panhandle, and southeast Mississippi, where moisture and cooling created an atmospheric blanket of fog. Drivers are urged to adjust their travel plans and exercise extreme caution until the advisory lifts.

Dense fog forms when warm, moisture‑laden air at ground level cools sufficiently that water vapour condenses into tiny droplets suspended in the air, blanketing the region in a thick mist. The NWS issues a Dense Fog Advisory only when widespread fog is expected to reduce visibility to one quarter mile or less, posing serious risks for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

By dawn Friday, many stretches of Interstate corridors and rural routes running through counties such as Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee were enveloped in near‑whiteout conditions, authorities confirm. This level of fog significantly hinders a motorist’s ability to see other vehicles, signage, and even the road ahead, increasing the likelihood of collisions if caution is not exercised.

Local law enforcement agencies and traffic officials have echoed the NWS advisory, urging motorists to slow down, use low‑beam headlights — not high beams — and allow extra space between vehicles to mitigate accident risk. Emergency services have reiterated that many fog‑related accidents occur when drivers maintain normal speeds or fail to adjust to the rapidly worsening visibility conditions.

In addition to the advisory zone covering much of South Alabama, surrounding areas also reported patchy dense fog early Friday. A weather briefing from a Birmingham station noted visibility down to a quarter mile in some locations, emphasizing that the fog could linger into the mid‑morning hours before dissipating.

The advisory response is rooted in guidance from weather.gov, which outlines that a Dense Fog Advisory indicates widespread fog reducing visibility to hazardous levels and making travel difficult. Officials emphasise basic safety steps: if driving, reduce speeds, use your vehicle’s fog lights and low beams, and if conditions worsen severely, consider pulling off the road to a safe area until visibility improves.

This weather pattern comes amid generally warmer‑than‑average conditions for the end of December across the Deep South. While winter would normally bring colder nights, the current air mass over the region contains higher moisture content, aiding fog formation as temperatures fall overnight. Meteorologists say these conditions are not unusual during transitional seasonal periods but can still catch commuters off guard if unprepared.

Across South Alabama, the early Friday fog transformed familiar streets into surreal veils of white, prompting local social media posts showing eerily blanked‑out landscapes and cautious travellers creeping along slowly lit roads. Drivers travelling from suburban or rural areas into central city hubs were advised to delay travel until after the advisory period ended, or to leave significantly earlier with heightened awareness.

The National Weather Service and local authorities are continuing to monitor atmospheric conditions closely. While fog is expected to thin later Friday morning as temperatures rise under daylight, commuters are reminded that fog can re‑form in pockets across shaded roadways or low‑lying areas. Persisting fog into the late morning could still impact school bus routes, delivery services, and commercial traffic.

This fog advisory highlights an underappreciated but real weather risk that can quickly transform routine traffic into dangerous situations. Officials reference past events where dense fog triggered multi‑vehicle collisions due to dramatically reduced visibility, underscoring the importance of heeding official warnings and adjusting travel behaviour accordingly.

As the morning progresses and the sun’s warmth gradually disperses the fog, authorities expect full visibility to return across the region by late morning. However, residents are reminded to check weather.gov and local NWS office updates for any changes or extensions to the advisory, especially in areas where lingering moisture could sustain fog longer than forecast.

For now, South Alabama’s Friday morning travel narrative remains one of patience, preparedness, and cautious driving as dense fog envelopes roads and communities until conditions brighten and visibility safely improves. Be sure to stay tuned to local meteorological updates and follow all safety recommendations if you must travel during the advisory period.