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Motorists have been warned to be extra cautious while driving in 15 states where visibility has been affected by dense fog on Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued special weather statements for Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Dense fog advisories are currently in effect for parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Virginia.
Drivers in those states have been urged to travel with caution, including by slowing down, using headlights and maintaining extra distance from surrounding vehicles.
Here are details of the warnings and special weather statements that are in effect.
Iowa
A dense fog advisory remains in effect for the western counties of Lyon, Sioux, Plymouth and Woodbury until 10 a.m. CST on Thursday. Forecasters warn that low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous, and that the combination of dense fog and below-freezing temperatures could result in slick roads. Drivers are told to slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of distance in front of them.
Minnesota
A dense fog advisory remains in effect for Keweenaw and Northern Houghton Counties in the far north of the state until 9 a.m. EST on Thursday. The National Weather Service said dense fog will mostly be located inland of Lake Superior. Drivers are urged to slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of distance ahead of them.
Ohio
A dense fog advisory remains in effect for much of northern Ohio until noon on Thursday. Drivers are warned that visibility could drop to a quarter of a mile or less in dense fog. They are urged to slow down, use headlights and leave plenty of distance in front of them.
Kentucky
Special weather statements have been issued for western Kentucky. It warns that areas of dense fog have developed, limiting visibilities to a quarter of a mile or less. The National Weather Service says the fog will gradually thin on Thursday morning, but drivers should slow down, use low beam headlights, and allow extra time to reach their destination.
New York
Forecasters warn that patchy dense fog formed early Thursday morning near the eastern Great Lakes and parts of western New York. Those traveling early on Thursday morning in the western part of the state are warned to prepare for reduced visibility. "Be sure to increase your following distance behind vehicles and to use the low beam setting on headlights," the statement said.
North Dakota
Special weather statements have been issued for parts of eastern North Dakota. Areas of fog will occasionally reduce visibility to a quarter-mile over the Red River valley and parts of southeast North Dakota, the statement said. Travelers should be prepared for "rapidly changing" visibility and take extra care at intersections and railroad crossings.
Oregon
A dense fog advisory is in effect for the foothills of the northern Blue Mountains until 10 a.m. PST on Thursday. Drivers are warned that visibility could drop to a quarter of a mile or less at times of dense fog. They are urged to slow down, use headlights and leave plenty of distance in front of them.
Pennsylvania
A dense fog advisory is in effect for portions of northwest Pennsylvania until noon ET on Thursday. Drivers are warned that visibility could drop to a quarter of a mile or less at times of dense fog. They are urged to slow down, use headlights and leave plenty of distance in front of them.
North Carolina
Special weather statements are in effect until early Thursday for several counties in the western part of the state. Drivers in Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin Counties are warned that locally dense fog means visibility in some places is down to a few hundred feet. Motorists are urged to use "extreme" caution by traveling at a lower speed and by maintaining extra distance with surrounding vehicles.
Nebraska
A dense fog advisory remains in effect for Merrick, Nance, Polk, York, Fillmore, and Hamilton Counties in eastern Nebraska until 11 a.m. CST on Thursday. Forecasters warn that low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous. Drivers are told to slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of distance in front of them.
South Dakota
A dense fog advisory remains in effect until 10 a.m. CST on Thursday for Lincoln, Clay and Union Counties in the south of the state. Forecasters warn that the combination of dense fog and temperatures dropping below freezing in some locations may result in slick travel conditions. Drivers are told to slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of distance in front of them.
Tennessee
A special weather statement has been issued for northeastern Tennessee, warning of patchy dense fog on Thursday morning. Some locally dense fog is limiting visibility to a quarter-mile, and drivers are warned to slow down, use low-beam headlights and allow extra time to reach their destination.
Virginia
Dense fog advisories are in effect for parts of Virginia, including Chesapeake Bay, until 7 a.m. ET on Thursday. Drivers are warned that low visibility will make navigation difficult and those who must travel should proceed with caution, use proper fog signals and make sure all running lights are on.
West Virginia
Special weather statements have been issued for several counties in the state, in effect until early Thursday morning. A statement covering the southeast for Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe and Summers Counties says the combination of "decreasing clouds, light winds and moist soil conditions is allowing for the formation of locally dense fog," with visibilities in some places down to a few hundred feet. Motorists are urged to drive with "extreme" caution, travel at lower speeds and maintain extra distance with other vehicles.
Wisconsin
A special weather statement has been issued for the north central counties of Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Vilas, Waushara, and Wood. People have been urged to travel with caution as light freezing drizzle or snow on Thursday morning and temperatures close to freezing mean slippery roads and sidewalks are possible.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more