Shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, a deadly blanket of "Super Fog" began to cover an isolated area of Interstate 10 on the outskirts of New Orleans that led to a fatal multi-vehicle crash that claimed the life of one motorist and injured at least eight.
Dense fog combined with thick smoke from a nearby marsh fire to create near-zero visibility for those making their way eastbound and westbound on I-10 between Irish Bayou and Michoud Boulevard.
One such driver, Chase Ward, captured how quickly the "super fog" rolled in and the subsequent minutes following as visibility lowered toward 0 percent.
Approximately 07:30.00 a.m.
Approximately 07:36.00 a.m.
Approximately 07:37.00 a.m.
Approximately 07:37.30 a.m.
Approximately 07:37.35 a.m.
According to WWL-TV meteorologist Alexandra Cranford, the patchy nature of the fog on Tuesday can be more treacherous when it comes to traffic conditions.
"Fog that forms in patches can be more dangerous than widespread fog because drivers may be able to see fine just before they hit a pocket of fog through which they can barely see at all," Cranford explained. "This may cause drivers to slam on the brakes or hurtle into other cars."
Cranford said smoke enhances fog formation by providing many more particles in the air on which water vapor can condense. That leads to denser fog.
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