How to Prepare for Summer’s Severe Weather: Fog & Frost

Flickr / Daniel Parks

In the last post of the series, we’re here to talk about the dangers of fog and frost. For the most part, these weather conditions are only truly dangerous when you’re driving, so that’s what we’ll focus on today.

When tiny water droplets are suspended in the air, right above the earth’s surface (fog), visibility can be drastically reduced. When this atmospheric moisture crystallizes directly on the ground and exposed objects and temperatures fall below freezing (frost), the ground can become very slippery.

During the summer season, in most parts of Canada, frost is a lot rarer than fog. But when driving during either of these weather conditions, it’s wise to reduce your speed. If you’re driving through marshy areas or low wetlands, fog can become increasingly thick and prevalent, so you’ll want to slow right down to a crawl. Otherwise, you could easily end up hitting a pedestrian or driving off the road.

If conditions are extremely bad and you want to play it really safe—which is never a bad idea—you may even want to consider pulling off the road and parking for a while, until the weather clears up a little.

Of course, your decision to pull over and stop is probably dependent on a few factors, such as…

• Not needing to be anywhere, by any particular time
• Or, having the ability to change plans (eg. a way to communicate with people who may be waiting for you)

• A blanket if it’s late out and you want to pull over and nap for a while
• Food, if you’re hungry
• Water, for when you get thirsty
• A good book to keep you entertained
• Games or toys, if you have kids with you

We recommend outfitting your vehicle with all of the items that you might need, even during a low-risk emergency such as waiting in your car for safer road conditions. Why not start with an auto safety kit and add the other items as you think of them?

We hope you’ll consider your safety carefully—as well as that of your passengers—whenever you’re driving, and that you’ll visit our online store for any of your emergency preparedness or adventure needs!

Please also take a moment to check out some of our other blog posts on similar topics!