A rare winter phenomenon possibly contributed to a 30-car crash involving a dozen semi-trucks on Wednesday in Washington state.
The crash was reported early Wednesday morning on eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 in Washington near Kittitas Valley. According to a report from ABC News, state police said the highway could remain closed for up to 12 hours as the wreckage is cleared. Conditions were slick, and it was possible freezing fog caused black ice to form on the roadway.
Freezing fog, also known as rime ice, is a rare winter-related event that is true to its name. The condition occurs when fog forms and the weather is cold enough that the water droplets freeze on contact.
Farmer’s Almanac reported that freezing fog is considered rare because specific circumstances are required for the fog to form. The fog consists of “supercooled” water droplets, which means the moisture remains liquid despite temperatures being below freezing. The droplets then freeze to the surfaces they touch, similar to freezing rain but in a fog form. The report said the fog is common on mountaintops or in damp and frigid regions such as Antarctica.
Despite some reports calling the fog rare, National Weather Service (NWS) Science Operations Officer Ed Townsend told Newsweek it isn’t uncommon in Washington, specifically in higher elevation areas. NWS also reported limited visibility of only a quarter mile for Ellensburg, which was a few miles away from the crash.
Townsend said police haven’t officially announced what caused the wreck yet.
Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the massive crash, according to Fox Weather. An ambulance was among the vehicles that crashed, and one of the crashed semis appeared to be carrying thousands of apples, sending the fruits skittering across the slick highway.
It was the second time in five days that people in the Kittitas Valley region experienced freezing fog. Last week, the NWS issued a freezing fog advisory for the same region. The NWS said freezing fog contributes to black ice and vehicles should only travel on roads if necessary. If travel is necessary, NWS urged drivers to use “extreme caution” as black ice is difficult or impossible to see and is “particularly dangerous”.
Freezing fog also seemed to be an issue in Kennewick, Washington, on Wednesday, which Fox Weather reported is 100 miles east of the I-90 crash. In Kennewick, state troopers responded to 15 crashes caused by freezing fog, according to the article.
NWS reported that fog will freeze instantly on any surface it touches, including tree branches, stairs, rails, sidewalks, roads or vehicles. The fog conditions also endanger flights, as a thin layer of ice can form on the plane unless it has been treated.
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