CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — As dense fog blankets the Central Valley, local businesses say fewer customers are venturing out, while drivers and transit operators are adjusting to hazardous conditions.
“I don’t wanna come out, but I have to come to work everyday,” said Dani Van Ness, manager of The Local in Old Town Clovis.
Van Ness said the fog has slowed the restaurant’s typical dinner rush, prompting changes to staffing throughout the evening.
Instead of the usual late-night crowd, workers are scheduled earlier to match customer patterns.
“We brought some people in earlier, so we get that early rush and then we’ve been phasing out earlier than we typically would because we’re not getting those people coming in at 8 o’clock anymore,” she said.
The fog is expected to linger through Saturday morning, with visibility dropping to a quarter mile or less, creating challenges not only for restaurants but also for people who make a living on the road.
“I’ve checked the cameras and there’s literally just a wall of fog that just hits,” said Josh Fielding, a manager with Sun Shuttle and Transit.
Fielding said the conditions can be difficult and at times frightening to navigate.
“It was honestly pretty scary, it was hard to even see just the lines of the road, I had to reduce the speed drastically,” he said.
Because of the limited visibility, the California Highway Patrol is urging drivers to take extra precautions and not rely solely on what they can see.
“When you come up to that intersection, roll down your window, and listen. Because if you can’t see vehicles coming, you can more than likely hear them coming,” said Officer Daulton of the California Highway Patrol.
Fielding said safety is especially critical for his operation, as most of his clients are adults with special needs. He told drivers to prioritize caution, even if it means arriving late.
“I’ve talked to our drivers, said, hey if you need 15, 20, 30 extra minutes that’s totally fine. Safety is the number one priority,” Fielding said.
With fog expected to persist, business owners and drivers alike say patience and caution will be key until conditions improve.
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