Thick Morning Fog Expected to Return

Heavy fog that blanketed coastal and inland areas early Tuesday, causing minor flight delays at John Wayne Airport and creating hazardous driving conditions, is expected again today, officials said.

Patchy, thick fog is expected along the coastal areas through the early morning before giving way to mild Santa Ana winds, mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s and low 80s for the next few days, said meteorologist Dean Jones of WeatherData Inc., which provides weather information for The Times.

“The fog will be dense in some areas but the next few days should be really nice,” Jones said.

Visibility was reduced to about 600 feet early Tuesday, delaying departures from John Wayne Airport, said American Airlines general manager Doug Scherff. Planes generally require 1,600 feet of visibility, he said.

“It was close to zero visibility,” said Diane Reesman, spokeswoman for Long Angeles International Airport, who said several planes were delayed between 6 and 8 a.m., when the fog began to lift.

Neither airport reported serious problems related to the fog.

Commuters should plan to leave home earlier to avoid rushing along freeways as patchy fog reduces visibility this morning, said California Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Saville. While the fog did not cause any major problems on area freeways Tuesday, Saville said it could create dangerous driving conditions--especially if motorists are driving too fast.

“People need to remember that when you have patchy fog, it goes from being pretty clear to being blanketed with it and that’s when people hit the brakes,” Saville said.

Motorists are advised to drive carefully and maintain a safe distance between other cars.

“Don’t be in such a hurry,” Saville said.