Fog!

As weather patterns have changed over the years, the dense tule fog we used to get in the winter has become a rare thing. I remember days, even weeks, of unbroken fog that drove people mad; now fog is something people comment on in an excited voice, almost as if they're talking about a double rainbow.

The last couple of nights have been foggy and eerily quiet. Yesterday the fog lasted all morning and I took the opportunity to drive out to the Yolo Bypass off Interstate 80 that separates Davis from West Sacramento (and Sacramento) on the other side of the Sacramento River. With the opening of the Sacramento Weir last Tuesday for the first time in 11 years, the Bypass has become an inland sea. While the fog made it impossible to see very far, the partially submerged trees made for hauntingly beautiful photographs.

Tree silhouette along Interstate 80

The beginning of the Yolo Causeway on Interstate 80


Trees looking like a pencil drawing

Looking east towards Sacramento

The levee along the Yolo Bypass is a popular place to walk but yesterday morning I saw nobody.

Yolo Bypass levee barely visible in the fog

My wife and I went back today to walk our faithful black lab, and the visibility was much better. In the photo below, the buildings you see in the distance to the left of the trees are in downtown Sacramento:


Here is a panorama of the fields on the Davis side of the levee, the levee, and the flooded Yolo Bypass on the left:


Last night I took advantage of the fog to take photos around the neighborhood. It felt odd standing outside next to a tripod with nobody else around.

Just across the street, looking west

Our street, looking north

Bambusa chungii 'Barbellata' in the front yard

'Desert Museum' palo verde in the driveway

'Desert Museum' palo verde in the driveway

Cul-de-sac across the street to the south

Cul-de-sac across the street to the south

'Sonoran Emerald' palo verde
'Desert Museum' palo verde along the street
Mistletoe in the City-owned 'Bradford' pear tree--about the only time the mistletoe is attractive

Comments

  1. Great fog photos, Gerhard, especially the night ones of your own garden! We get a lot of fog here, I love it and would miss it if it ever went away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did miss the fog in recent years. Glad it's back this year. Very foggy this morning. The fog turned blood red earlier as the sun was rising.

      Delete
  2. My sister from Davis who is visiting me enjoyed these very much. She had fun seeing places she knew. The high yesterday was 46F? Cold for you. Tomorrow she wants to visit the Bypass while it is up, but I understand more more rain is forecast. Good luck. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a coincidence! It must have been strange for your sister to travel to Southern California just to see photos of home :-).

      Lots more rain in the forecast - 3 1/2 inches between Wednesday and Sunday.

      Delete
  3. I always find fog a little eerie, if not downright sinister - maybe I was scarred by too many scary movies as a child. It does make for intriguing photographs, though, especially in the night views.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love horror movies so I know exactly what you mean. Who can forget The Fog (1980) or The Mist (2007), the latter one of the most underrated horror movies of the last 10 years.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful photos--I love what fog does to landscapes. All the water in the Yolo bypass--just amazing. Now another series of rain storms predicted for the end of this week--more! It seems like our big El Nino year has finally arrived, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny, this wasn't even supposed to be an El NiƱo year. We're now getting the rain they predicted for LAST year!

      Delete
  5. Re. opening the weir: it really has been wet there, hasn't it? Is your garden still waterlogged? It's been a mild winter here so far (again).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The puddles in our garden are gone. Just in time for the next onslaught!

      Delete
  6. Beautiful photographs. I am flooded with memories of living in Sacramento and visiting Davis where friends lived, driving to the bay area etc. I hear you are getting a lot of rain and the snow pack is the best it has been in years. I hope your garden is not to overwhelmed with the changes. I was trying to explain Tule fog to my husband. I am sharing your post with him : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurin, I'm so glad my photos brought back memories of your years in Sacramento. Tule fog has been rare in recent memory but has made a big comeback this year. It's foggy again today.

      Delete
  7. I'm a big fan of fog but have never seen night photos like these...fantastic!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment