Dense fog advisory issued for Monday morning commute

Manatee A dense fog is greeting most who are on the road early Monday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory for the area Monday that will remain in effect until 9 a.m.

Due to the fog, visibility has been reduced in some areas to a quarter-mile or less. Drivers should use caution, keep a safe distance and use low beam headlights.

The area of fog is expanding south of Interstate 4, but conditions are expected to improve by around 9 a.m., according to the NWS.

As of 6:30 a.m., Florida Highway Patrol’s live traffic map indicated patches of fog along Interstate 75 at mile marker 212 and on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

A crash has been reported at Honore Avenue and Fruitville Road in Sarasota County, no roadblock was reported in the area, according to FHP.

Once the fog clears, Monday will be partly sunny with a high near 77, according to the NWS, a welcomed warm day after a cold snap last week.

By Monday night, scattered showers are likely, with the possibility of thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Tuesday will see a continuation of the showers, but mostly before the afternoon with a high of 72, according to the NWS. Fog is expected to return Tuesday as well.

Highs will dip back into the 60s for Wednesday and Thursday, but it should be mostly sunny. By Friday and through the weekend, forecastors call for mostly sunny days with highs back in the 70s.

This story was originally published January 22, 2018 at 6:42 AM with the headline "Dense fog advisory issued for Monday morning commute."