Be prepared for dense fog in parts of Pennsylvania through Friday morning

At 3:51 a.m. Friday, a weather warning was issued by the National Weather Service for dense fog until 8 a.m. for Westmoreland Ridges, Fayette Ridges and Higher Elevations of Indiana, as well as Mercer, Venango, Forest, Lawrence, Butler, Clarion, Jefferson, Beaver, Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington, Greene, Westmoreland, Fayette and Indiana counties.

“Areas of fog, locally dense, are expected this morning. Visibility will be reduced to a quarter mile or less in some spots. Use caution when traveling and be alert for rapid changes in visibility,” the weather service said.

Weather service guidance for navigating foggy conditions

If you must drive through fog, remember these safety guidelines:

Moderate your speed:

• Slow down and reserve extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility is important:

• Make sure your vehicle is visible to others by using low beam lights, which also activate your taillights. If available, use your fog lights.

Avoid high beams:

• Do not use high beams as they cause glare that obscures your view of the road.

Keep a safe distance:

• Maintain a significant following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

• To ensure you stay in the correct lane, use the lane markings on the road as a guide.

Zero visibility protocol:

• In situations where visibility is near zero due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and find a safe location, such as the parking lot of a nearby business, to pull over and come to a stop.

Limited parking options:

• If there is no parking available, pull your vehicle as far to the side of the road as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except the hazard lights, activate the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your taillights are not on, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

Adhering to these Weather Service recommendations will help you navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your well-being.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service from United Robots, which uses machine learning to gather the latest data from the National Weather Service.