NEW ORLEANS — Yes, Superfog is a real condition as defined by the National Weather Service.
It's a combination of dense fog and smoke and it was present in southeast Louisiana Monday morning and contributed to near-zero visibility in some places, closing the Causeway for two and a half hours during morning rush and likely the main factor in a massive, two-dozen-or-more vehicle pileup on I-55 that so far is responsible for at least two deaths and multiple injuries.
In the Super Fog conditions, visibility is often less than 10 feet.
WWL-TV Meteorologist Alexa Trischler said that with wildfires and marsh fires burning in southeast Louisiana, plus an increase in atmospheric moisture, it's a recipe for a hazardous commute and that is what we saw Monday morning.
Worse yet, there is a chance these conditions could also be present again Tuesday - a frightening thought for commuters.
"The question is will this happen again on Tuesday morning? The short answer is yes," said Trischler. "The ingredients are there: high moisture content and smoke particles from the fires. Plus, winds will still be calm tomorrow morning. This can create a foggy commute on both the north and south shores of Lake Pontchartrain."
Winds will be increasing by late Tuesday which helps to prevent fog by mixing the air more efficiently. Because wind speeds will be higher starting Wednesday, mornings should not be as foggy the rest of the week.
The National Weather Service defines Super Fog as: Super fog forms when a mixture of smoke and moisture released from damp smoldering organic material such as brush, leaves and trees, mixes with cooler, nearly saturated air. Visibility is lowered to less than 10 feet. Under light wind conditions, super fog meanders through low terrain areas such as creek beds or drainage ditches. Super fog can be very dangerous when present over highways, and has been the cause of several large, multi-vehicle pileups.