Live marine layer dashboard
San Francisco Bay Area Fog Map and Forecast
See where Bay Area fog is now, when it may clear, and where the marine layer is headed next. The forecast covers San Francisco, the coast, Marin, the East Bay, the Peninsula, and inland valleys.
Fog advisory in effect
- Dense Fog Advisory until Thu 8:00 AM: Los Banos - Dos Palos · Merced - Madera - Mendota · Planada - Le Grand - Snelling · Coalinga - Avenal · West Side of Fresno and Kings Counties · Caruthers - San Joaquin - Selma · and 8 more (NWS Hanford)
3D marine layer
Live fog map
Use the presets to jump to common fog corridors, then play the 36-hour timeline to watch fog spread inland and clear back toward the coast.
Bay Area satellite
Live fog satellite: Bay Area loop
Weather radar can’t see fog, but satellite can. Use this animated GOES loop to watch fog and low clouds move, alongside the 3D fog map, city forecasts, and shoreline-to-inland fog timing.
Winter valley fog
Dense fog advisories and winter fog
A fog advisory is in effect. See the details above the map.
Winter fog is a different fog from San Francisco’s summer marine layer. It forms on clear, calm nights as the ground cools and is thickest around dawn. It collects in the Delta, the Central Valley, and inland valleys like Livermore, Napa, and Petaluma. It can drop visibility to near zero on commute routes and slow flights. It usually burns off by late morning but can linger all day when an inversion holds it in place.
More on dense fog advisories, tule fog, Central Valley fog, and freezing fog.
Reading the forecast
How to read the fog map
The white layer is the forecast fog and low cloud field. Brighter, more continuous shading means a stronger fog signal. Thin or broken shading means the edge is uncertain and nearby neighborhoods may look different.
Use the time control like a clock. If the white layer pushes through the Golden Gate or over the coastal hills, fog is likely moving into San Francisco, Marin, or the inner Bay. If it pulls back toward the ocean, clearing is underway.
Terrain matters. Fog usually reaches the coast and west side first, then follows gaps and lower terrain inland. The city table gives the forecast for each place. The 3D map shows the nearby hills, valleys, and edges that explain why one side of town can be gray while another is clear.
For the longer-term pattern, compare annual fog hours on the Bay Area fog heat map.
Fog tracking tools
How to track fog live
To track San Francisco fog live, use three views together. A forecast map shows where fog is heading, satellite shows where it is now, and webcams show what it looks like on the ground.
- Fog map and city forecasts. The live fog map and city tables on this page show where fog is forecast hour by hour for the next 36 hours, and when it should clear in each city. The Updated time in the dashboard shows when the forecast last refreshed.
- Satellite. The GOES satellite loop above shows fog and low clouds as they move. Weather radar can't see fog. For a wider view, NOAA's GOES-West Pacific Southwest imagery covers the whole California coast.
- Webcams. FogCam at San Francisco State University has watched the fog over the city's west side since 1994 and refreshes every 20 seconds. ALERTCalifornia's wildfire cameras sit on Bay Area ridges and often show the top of the marine layer from above.
- Forecaster notes. The National Weather Service's Bay Area forecast discussion explains how deep the marine layer is and whether forecasters expect it to deepen or shrink.
Fog clears at different times across the city. On summer mornings the Mission and the Castro often clear by 10 or 11 a.m. The Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond may stay gray until noon or later. See typical burn-off times by location and the sunniest and foggiest San Francisco neighborhoods.
Is it foggy in San Francisco right now?
No, San Francisco does not look foggy right now. Downtown, the west side, the Golden Gate approaches, and the immediate coast look mostly clear or just cloudy. Fog is expected around Friday 8 AM and should thin out around Friday 11 AM.
Will it be foggy in San Francisco today?
Probably not for the rest of today. Fog is expected around Friday 8 AM and should thin out around Friday 11 AM.
When will the fog lift today?
There is no widespread fog to clear right now. Fog is expected around Friday 8 AM and should thin out around Friday 11 AM.
Where is Bay Area fog most likely right now?
Right now, none of the tracked Bay Area cities look foggy. If fog returns, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, the Sunset, and the Golden Gate are usually the first places to watch.
How far inland will the marine layer reach?
The marine layer looks mostly offshore or pinned to the immediate coast. It is not expected to push far inland in the next 36 hours.
Why is San Francisco foggy when Oakland or San Rafael is clear?
That classic split is not really showing right now: San Francisco is mostly clear, Oakland is mostly clear, and San Rafael is mostly clear. When it does happen, the reason is geography. Marine air enters first through the Golden Gate and the west side of San Francisco. Oakland, Marin valleys, and inland areas often clear faster, because hills and daytime heating thin the low cloud deck.
Is the Golden Gate Bridge foggy today?
Not right now, but fog is possible around the Golden Gate later today. Fog is expected around Friday 8 AM and should thin out around Friday 11 AM.
How accurate is this Bay Area fog forecast?
This forecast was last updated Nov 4, 6:02 PM. It is best for the big practical questions, such as when fog arrives, where it is most likely, and how far inland the marine layer may push. The exact edge can still wobble by neighborhood, especially near Ocean Beach, Twin Peaks, the Golden Gate, and the immediate coast.
Where does this fog forecast data come from?
This forecast uses NOAA HRRR data directly on a native 3 km grid, including low-cloud cover, surface visibility, terrain elevation, cloud ceiling, cloud top, and boundary-layer height. SFBayWeather classifies surface fog separately from elevated marine cloud and labels cloud heights as either HRRR-derived or estimated. The map is a model forecast, not a webcam or satellite observation. Last updated Nov 4, 6:02 PM.
Why is it so foggy today?
In winter, fog is usually valley fog. It forms on clear, calm nights as the ground cools, settles in the Delta, the Central Valley, and inland valleys, and is thickest around dawn. The National Weather Service issues dense fog advisories when visibility drops to a quarter mile or less.
What is San Francisco’s fog called?
Locals call it Karl the Fog, a nickname that spread through a popular social media account written in the fog’s voice. Meteorologically, San Francisco’s summer fog is the marine layer, a layer of cool, moist Pacific air capped by warmer air above. It is pulled through the Golden Gate when inland valleys heat up.
What is the difference between fog and the marine layer?
The marine layer is the cool, moist Pacific air sitting under an inversion. Fog is what you feel at street level when that low cloud layer reaches the ground and cuts visibility. Low clouds can still make the sky gray even when the roads and sidewalks are not actually foggy.