Dense Fog — Pinellas, Florida

1996-12-27 · Pinellas, Florida

Wider weather episode

Dense fog developed across West and Southwest Florida from mainly the Gulf Coast east to the Interstate 75 corridor during the predawn through late morning. Visibilities dropped to near zero at a few locations but consistently were reported 1/8 of mile over West and Southwest Florida observational sites through mid morning.Patchy dense fog lingered along coastal waterways and bays of West Central Florida through late morning. At 11:20 AM EST, motorists, heading northbound on the Pinellas county side of the Sushine Skyway Bridge, descended from the center span in sunshine and unlimited visibility into a patch of dense fog near sea-level. A chain reaction of vehicle accidents occurred on the northbound lane followed by a similar chain reaction of accidents by rubber-neckers in the southbound lane. In total, fifty-four vehicles were involved in the fog related accident. Of the fifty-four vehicles, 38 were automobiles, 11 were pick-up trucks and 5 were semi-tractor trailer trucks. One 69 year old female fatality occurred when her vehicle was crushed between a car carrier and a flatbed truck. Thirty (30) persons were injured in the mishap.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5580109. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.