A persistent tule fog blanketed California's Bay Area and Central Valley during winter 2025, making for some stunning photography.
Season 2 (2026)
Locally Known
"Tule fog" is named after a tall native grass that grows in the Central Valley's freshwater marshes.
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Thick Soup
The size of the fog, its location and thickness have ebbed and flowed daily since November 2025.
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Wide Footprint
With its scope extending as far north as Redding and Bakersfield to the south, the fog made national headlines.
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Familiar But Not Like This
Tule fog is common in the Central Valley during winter, but it often only lasts for 5-6 days of gray, not weeks.
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Also Known As
Tule fog is a regional name for the meteorological effect called "radiation fog" in other parts of the world.
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Water: It's What Fogs Crave
Throughout the fall in 2025 the Central Valley received an unusually high amount of rain, helping to fuel the fog.
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Not Going Anywhere
A long-lasting high pressure system along the coast also acted like a lid trapping the fog along the ground surface.
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Welcome Back Old Friend
Fog in the Central Valley has occurred less frequently since the late 1970s making this phenomenon more unique.
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