Traffic Alert: Dense Fog Expected for Wednesday Commute Across D.C., Baltimore Metro

Commuters hitting the road early Wednesday morning should be prepared to drive through dense fog conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

A dense fog advisory has been issued for parts of the region until 7 a.m. Wednesday. The advisory includes communities across Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland, including the D.C. and Baltimore metro.

Visibility is expected to be around one-quarter of a mile.

"Areas of dense fog will cause sudden reductions in visibility and dangerous driving conditions," according to the National Weather Service statement.

Tips for driving in the fog, from the weather service:

• 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.

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