Thick, persistent fog has settled over Metro Vancouver in recent days, triggering official weather advisories, disrupting travel and raising new questions about how prepared Canada is for increasingly volatile coastal conditions.

As residents wake up to near zero visibility in one of the country’s busiest urban corridors, authorities are urging people to brace for impact while rolling out a mix of short term safety measures and longer term climate resilience planning.

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A blanket of fog over a major Pacific gateway

On the morning of December 31, 2025, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a fog advisory for Metro Vancouver, warning of widespread, near zero visibility from Horseshoe Bay in the north to Tsawwassen in the south and eastward toward Aldergrove.

Meteorologists linked the event to cool, humid marine air trapped under a stagnant ridge of high pressure, an atmospheric setup that can lock in low cloud and fog across the coastal plain for hours at a time.

The advisory, categorized at a yellow level, signaled hazardous travel conditions on some of British Columbia’s most heavily used commuter routes just as the region was closing out the holiday period.

Canadian broadcasters reported visibility reduced to a few dozen meters in pockets along Highway 99, the Fraser River crossings and road approaches to Vancouver International Airport, amplifying the risk of chain reaction collisions and sudden slowdowns.

Although fog is not unusual for the Lower Mainland in winter, the intensity and persistence of recent episodes have sharpened concerns among transport officials, who now treat dense fog events in the same operational tier as heavy snow, freezing rain and wind storms.

With Metro Vancouver functioning as a Pacific gateway for air, sea, rail and road traffic, the ripple effects can be felt far beyond the region’s skyline when visibility collapses.

Travel disruptions from tarmac to terminal

At Vancouver International Airport, low cloud ceilings and fluctuating visibility have forced controllers and airlines to slow the pace of operations on multiple mornings this season.

While the airport’s modern instrument landing systems allow many flights to continue in reduced visibility, the cumulative impact shows up in delayed departures, holding patterns and missed connections for travelers heading across Canada, into the United States and across the Pacific.

Recent fog and low cloud events along the West Coast prompted ground delay programs that linked Vancouver with other major hubs, including San Francisco, where a December spell of persistent marine fog led federal aviation officials to meter arrivals and accept longer waits between landings.

By design, these programs hold aircraft at their point of origin rather than stacking them above busy terminals, improving safety but stretching out travel times for thousands of passengers.

Inside terminals, the consequences of fog are familiar: departure screens filled with amber and red, longer lines at check in desks, pressure on airport hotels and growing stress among those trying to make tight holiday connections. Airlines operating at already high load factors during the festive period have limited flexibility to rebook travelers when fog and other coastal hazards stack up day after day.

Transit agencies have also been forced to adapt. Local bus operators and regional transit lines in Metro Vancouver have added travel time cushions to schedules on the foggiest mornings, while bridge authorities monitor key crossings for sudden slowdowns or collisions. For commuters and visitors alike, journeys that typically take 30 minutes can easily stretch to an hour or more when drivers drop their speeds to match what they can see ahead.

On the water, an invisible threat for ferries and shipping

For coastal communities around the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver Island, heavy fog arrives on top of a season already marked by powerful wind storms that have repeatedly shut down ferries and complicated marine logistics.

Throughout December 2025, BC Ferries issued a series of adverse weather notices as high winds forced cancellations on some of the busiest routes linking Metro Vancouver with Victoria, Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands.

When visibility collapses in the same region, captains face a different but equally serious challenge. Modern ferries operate with radar, GPS and electronic navigation charts, yet the combination of crowded shipping lanes, tight harbor entrances and recreational traffic along the coast requires more conservative margins when crews cannot easily see obstacles or small craft ahead.

Even when sailings proceed, fog often compels slower speeds, longer crossing times and occasional delays at terminals while vessels wait for visibility to improve.

Marine pilots guiding deep sea cargo vessels through the Port of Vancouver’s approaches report similar operational constraints. Dense fog can restrict movements in narrow channels, push port authorities to stagger arrivals and departures and complicate coordination with tugboats and barge operators.

For global supply chains that rely on just in time delivery of containers, grain, fuel and other bulk commodities, a day of fog induced slowdowns in one of North America’s largest ports can reverberate inland through rail yards and trucking corridors.

For coastal travelers looking to reach island communities or ski resorts via ferry connections, the message from operators has become more direct: check advisories early and often, build in extra time around sailings and be ready for last minute changes when coastal weather gangs up with fog to create unsafe conditions on open water.

Why this fog feels more hazardous than before

Scientists and veteran forecasters caution against attributing any single fog event solely to climate change, but they do highlight the way a warming atmosphere can alter the backdrop against which local hazards play out.

Warmer oceans off the Pacific coast can load the lower atmosphere with additional moisture, while more frequent blocking patterns in the jet stream allow high pressure ridges to sit over the region for longer stretches in winter.

Those ingredients increase the odds of stagnant, moisture laden air that cools overnight, condenses and forms widespread fog over the Fraser River delta, Burrard Inlet and other low lying basins around Metro Vancouver.

At the same time, rapid population and infrastructure growth in the region has placed more people and assets directly in the path of visibility related hazards, from multi lane highways and railway yards to expanded port facilities and sprawling airport operations.

The fog risk is also layered on top of other evolving threats. In recent winters, the South Coast has seen sequences of atmospheric river storms, out of season heat waves and severe wind events that have brought down trees, cut power and shut key routes. When fog arrives in the middle of this broader pattern of volatility, the effects can be amplified.

Crews already stretched by earlier storm responses may have less redundancy, and travelers scrambling to reschedule after wind cancellations can find themselves immediately confronting new rounds of disruption triggered by fog.

Public health experts note that although fog is not itself a pollutant, it can sometimes trap vehicle exhaust and other emissions near the surface, worsening air quality for those with respiratory conditions.

Combined with the safety risks of collisions, slips and falls in damp conditions and delays affecting access to healthcare and essential services, dense fog episodes carry a wider public health footprint than many residents might assume.

How Canada is responding: from advisories to adaptation

Canadian authorities have stepped up both communication and infrastructure responses as coastal weather hazards become more complex. Environment and Climate Change Canada now issues more frequent and targeted fog advisories that specify impacted neighborhoods and corridors rather than broad regional warnings.

These bulletins highlight not only the presence of fog but also its expected duration and any anticipated transitions to rain, wind or other hazards over the subsequent 24 to 48 hours.

On the ground, provincial and municipal transportation agencies have invested in upgraded road sensors, traffic cameras and variable message signs along major arteries.

These systems allow operators to spot rapid drops in visibility and push real time warnings to drivers, including recommendations to slow down, increase following distances and use headlights on low beam. In some corridors, adaptive speed limit systems are being calibrated to respond automatically to visibility reductions and surface conditions.

At Vancouver International Airport and other major Canadian hubs, investment in advanced navigation aids and runway lighting has been paired with more refined fog forecasting tools that draw on satellite data, lidar, coastal buoys and high resolution computer models.

The goal is to give airlines and air traffic controllers several hours of lead time before dense fog fully sets in, allowing them to preemptively space out arrivals, adjust departure banks and reduce the risk of last minute cancellations.

Along the coast, BC Ferries and other marine operators have broadened their use of simulation training and updated standard operating procedures for low visibility, including stricter thresholds for when sailings can proceed.

Port authorities in Vancouver and elsewhere are collaborating on regional hazard assessments that consider fog, wind, waves and sea level rise as interlocking challenges rather than isolated phenomena, aligning with Ottawa’s wider national adaptation strategy.

What travelers and locals can do right now

Authorities stress that even the best forecasting and infrastructure upgrades will not eliminate the dangers posed by sudden fog in a dense urban environment. For residents and visitors, personal preparedness and situational awareness remain the most effective tools to stay safe and mobile when the city vanishes behind a wall of gray.

Drivers are repeatedly urged to slow down, leave much larger gaps between vehicles and use low beam headlights, which are more effective in fog than high beams that reflect off the water droplets and reduce visibility further.

Public safety messages emphasize the importance of avoiding abrupt lane changes, relying on road markings rather than the taillights of the car ahead and pulling into a safe parking area if visibility drops to the point where drivers can no longer see beyond the front of their vehicle.

For air and ferry passengers, officials recommend treating winter itineraries that pass through Vancouver as weather sensitive and adding buffer time wherever possible.

That may mean arriving at airports earlier, selecting earlier sailings where available, packing essential medications and valuables in carry on baggage and ensuring digital notifications from airlines and ferry operators are activated. Travelers driving to terminals are advised to check both weather advisories and real time traffic conditions before departure.

Pedestrians and cyclists are not immune to fog related hazards. Reduced visibility at intersections and along waterfront paths can make it harder for drivers to see those on foot or on bikes, particularly in the dark morning and evening hours.

Reflective clothing, front and rear lights on bicycles and heightened caution when crossing busy streets or sharing multi use paths can significantly reduce the risk of collisions in foggy conditions.

The bigger climate picture for Canada’s coastal cities

As British Columbia’s South Coast navigates another season of hazardous fog tangled with powerful wind storms and heavy rain, policy makers are increasingly framing these events as part of a longer arc of climate driven change along Canada’s shores.

Federal climate assessments point to an uptick in extreme weather episodes affecting infrastructure, from port facilities and airports to highways that hug riverbanks and coastlines.

For Vancouver and other coastal hubs, adaptation discussions now encompass a wider spectrum of measures: redesigning critical corridors to withstand flooding and slope failures, hardening power and communications networks against storms and ensuring redundancy in transport links to island and interior communities.

Dense fog, once viewed largely as an inconvenience for morning commuters, is being factored into these conversations as a compounding risk that can magnify the disruption caused by storms, landslides or tidal surges.

Canada’s national adaptation strategy, updated in stages over the past several years, calls for integrating more granular climate and hazard data into every level of planning, from neighborhood zoning decisions to long range investments in ports and airports.

For Metro Vancouver, that includes refining high resolution models that capture how local geography, sea surface temperatures and urban growth interact to shape the frequency and severity of fog events.

Regional authorities are also paying closer attention to how vulnerable communities experience these hazards. Residents who rely on transit, work outdoors, have limited access to real time information or live in areas with older housing stock and infrastructure can face disproportionate impacts when transportation systems slow or stall.

Ensuring that emergency alerts, advisory language and neighborhood level plans account for these inequities is now a prominent theme in local climate resilience work.

FAQ

Q1. How long is the current fog period in Metro Vancouver expected to last?
The latest advisory from federal forecasters suggested that the dense fog around Metro Vancouver on December 31, 2025, would persist through the morning before gradually lifting as temperatures rise, although pockets of reduced visibility could linger into the afternoon in low lying and coastal areas.

Q2. Is it safe to fly into or out of Vancouver during heavy fog?
Vancouver International Airport is equipped with advanced navigation and landing systems that allow many flights to operate in low visibility, but safety margins come first, which can mean slower operations, holding patterns or schedule adjustments. Travelers should be prepared for delays and stay in close contact with their airline when a fog advisory is in effect.

Q3. How does fog affect BC Ferries and other coastal sailings?
Dense fog can limit what crews can see ahead of their vessels even when radar and GPS are functioning normally, especially near busy terminals and narrow channels. Operators may reduce speeds, adjust departure times or in some cases hold or cancel sailings until visibility improves, particularly when fog coincides with strong winds or heavy seas.

Q4. Why does Vancouver seem to get so much fog in winter?
Metro Vancouver sits beside relatively mild coastal waters and includes wide river valleys and lowland basins that trap cool, moist air. When a high pressure system settles overhead, the air near the surface can cool overnight and condense into fog, especially in areas close to the water and along the Fraser River.

Q5. What is Canada doing to improve forecasting for fog events?
Environment and Climate Change Canada has been integrating higher resolution weather models, satellite data and local observations into its forecasting systems, which helps pinpoint where and when fog is most likely to form. This supports more targeted advisories for specific communities, highways, ferry routes and airports.

Q6. Does climate change mean Vancouver will see more fog in the future?
Scientists are still studying how climate change will affect fog patterns on Canada’s West Coast, but they note that warmer oceans and shifting atmospheric circulation can alter the conditions that produce fog. While the relationship is complex, there is broad agreement that climate change is increasing the overall volatility of coastal weather, making compound events involving fog more likely.

Q7. What should drivers do when they suddenly encounter dense fog?
Safety agencies advise slowing down, increasing following distance, using low beam headlights and avoiding sudden lane changes or braking. If visibility becomes extremely limited, the safest option is often to pull off the road into a designated parking area and wait for conditions to improve rather than stopping on the shoulder of a live traffic lane.

Q8. Are there specific areas around Vancouver that are more prone to dangerous fog?
Low lying zones near the Fraser River, coastal suburbs such as Richmond and Delta, industrial waterfronts and some inland valleys tend to see the thickest fog during strong high pressure patterns. Bridges and highway interchanges that cross these areas are frequently highlighted in advisory language from forecasters and traffic agencies.

Q9. How can visitors planning trips through Vancouver minimize disruption from fog and other winter hazards?
Travel planners recommend building flexibility into itineraries by allowing extra connection times, avoiding the tightest possible layovers, checking weather and advisory updates frequently and considering travel insurance that covers weather disruptions. Scheduling critical journeys earlier in the day and in the week can also leave more room to adjust if conditions deteriorate.

Q10. Where can residents find real time information during fog advisories without relying on links?
Residents can monitor local radio and television weather segments, check airport and ferry status boards in person or via official apps, and listen for automated road condition messages on provincial and municipal phone lines. Many agencies also push alerts through mobile notifications for those who opt in, which can provide timely updates when visibility drops quickly.