A dangerous ‘super fog’ could roll into New Orleans just in time for Super Bowl LIX set to be held at they city’s Caesars Superdome stadium Sunday.
This weather phenomenon occurs when fog droplets mix with smoke particles, creating an exceptionally dense fog that causes visibility to drop to near zero feet.
The looming super fog could result from warm temperatures, humid air and smoke from a large marsh fire burning about 30 miles from the Big Easy.
Although the game will be held indoors, fans traveling to New Orleans to see the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles could have a very difficult time getting there as driving conditions may turn deadly.
While super fog is uncommon, it’s not unheard of, especially in New Orleans. This city typically experiences two super fog events per year.
In October 2023, a bout of this dense fog caused a 160-car pile-up on Interstate 55 that left eight people dead and dozens injured. And in December 2024, the city had a super fog event that caused a 40-car pile-up which hospitalized 33 people.
Tourism officials predict roughly 100,000 people to travel to New Orleans for the Super Bowl this weekend.
Meteorologists predict the super fog could form across southeastern Louisiana the next two days leading up to and including Super Bowl Sunday.
In October 2023, a bout of ‘super fog’ in New Orleans caused a 160-car pile-up on Interstate 55 that left eight people dead and dozens injured. Meteorologists predict that similar conditions could roll into the Big Easy this weekend, just in time for Super Bowl LIX
This weather phenomenon occurs when fog droplets mix with smoke particles, creating an exceptionally dense fog that causes visibility to drop to near zero feet. Interstate 10 in New Orleans, November 2023
‘Visibility could drop to less than a quarter of a mile at times — or less during super fog — particularly in the hours before sunrise,’ FOX Weather reported.
The game will start at roughly 6:30pm ET on Sunday.
This dense fog could make driving treacherous along the Interstate 10 that connects New Orleans to all other states along the southern border from California to Florida.
A video from FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell showed dense, low-lying fog already gathering around New Orleans Friday morning.
Smoke from marsh fire burning roughly 30 miles away in the rural community of St. Charles Parish is what will make a super fog event possible this weekend.
Louisiana authorities are closely monitoring the blaze, but because it is located in difficult terrain, there is little firefighters can do to extinguish it before game day.
Unseasonably warm temperatures are another factor driving up the risk of super fog.
Although the game will be held indoors, fans traveling to New Orleans to watch the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles could have a very difficult time getting there as driving conditions may turn deadly. New Orleans; December 2024
While super fog is uncommon, it’s not unheard of, especially in New Orleans. This city typically experiences two super fog events per year. New Orleans; November 2023
in December 2024, New Orleans had a super fog event that caused a 40-car pile-up which hospitalized 33 people
FOX Weather forecasted a high of 80 F for Saturday, and 79 F for Sunday, which is 10 to 15 degrees above normal for early February.
Aside from the super fog threat, travelers should not encounter other major problems along Interstate 10 or Interstate 55, which connects New Orleans to all states directly north including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois.
But those traveling home from the Big Easy after Sunday could encounter a storm system what is expected to move through the mid-South early next week.
Wintery precipitation could fall as far south as the southern Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic, with thunderstorms expected along the Gulf Coast and into the Tennessee Valley, FOX Weather reported.
That storm will come on the heels of another major winter storm that is on track to hit 27 states across the Midwest and Northeast this weekend.
