Foggy Conditions Usher In Christmas Week In Austin Area

AUSTIN, TX — Patch fog is expected to obscure road conditions on Monday and Tuesday, according to meteorologists.

While Monday is forecast to be sunny with a high near 71 degrees, nightfall will be marked with patchy fog after 2 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. The low will dip to 44 degrees, with nearly negligible wind blowing at around 5 mph.

Tuesday also will bring with it patchy fog before 10 a.m., according to forecasters. Beyond that, it's expected to be mostly sunny with a high near 72 degrees. Light south wind will increase to between 5 mph to 10 mph, but gusts of up to 20 mph are possible.

The National Weather Service offer tips on driving in fog:

• Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.
• Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on. Use fog lights if you have them.
• Never use your high-beam lights. Using high beam lights causes glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
• Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
• To ensure you are staying in the proper lane, follow the lines on the road with your eyes.
• In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business and stop.
• If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don't mistakenly run into you.

The fog will have dissipated by Wednesday, according to the forecast, when mostly sunny conditions are predicted with a high near 72. Replacing fog as a meteorological aberration will be wind gusts as wind of up to 30 mph are expected Wednesday night. Thursday will be sunny with a high near 56, with wind gusts of up to 25 mph possible.

It's expected to get close to freezing on Thursday night, with a low of 34 degrees being forecast. The wind will have dissipated by then, as gusts of just 5 mph to 10 mph are expected.

Friday signifies the all-important Christmas Day forecast. The National Weather Service expects Friday to be mostly sunny, with a high temperature of 62 degrees. By nightfall, expect cloudy conditions with a low of around 38 degrees.