Weather leaves airport in a fog

Deepa Bharath

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Dense fog in the late night and early morning

caused flight delays and forced pilots to land their planes by

instruments alone, officials said Tuesday.

Tuesday’s first flight from John Wayne took off at 7:50 a.m. -- 50

minutes late -- said Ann McCarley, an airport spokeswoman. She said no

arrivals were possible before 9 a.m. and incoming airplanes circled the

airport until it was safe for them to land.

Monday night posed tough flight conditions as well, she said. Pilots

were flying under “instrument conditions” between 10 and 11 p.m. Monday

and four aircraft had to be diverted -- two each to Los Angeles and

Ontario.

Dense fog is a normal weather condition in Southern California during

the fall and winter months, said meteorologist Dan Atkin of the National

Weather Service.

Two days ago, a fog warning was issued to Orange County’s coastal

areas, mostly for the benefit of drivers, he added.

“December is usually when we have the most dense fog,” he said.

The condition will persist over the next few days, and inland areas in

north Orange County will probably experience worse fog than coastal

areas, said Atkin.

There were no fog-related incidents in the Newport Harbor area,

according to Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol officials based in

Newport Beach.

There were also no accidents reported on city streets or freeways,

said Newport Beach Fire and Marine Capt. John Blauer.

However, he said, commuters would be well-advised to take normal

precautions, like slowing down while driving on slippery roads or in

dense fog.

While it is rare for recreational boats to be out of the harbor this

time of the year, Blauer said, those that do venture out must be prepared

with navigation equipment to help them find their way back.

“If they don’t have that equipment,” he said, “we suggest they stay

back in the harbor.”