Traveling back to Colorado after a prolonged absence, I encountered dense, icy fog near Ellis, Kansas. This atmospheric shroud persisted until I was ten miles west of Colby, more than two hours later.
The air temperature within the fog remained in a narrow range (28-30 degrees F) and visibility was less than 200 feet (my estimate) for much of that stretch. Fortunately, most drivers slowed down significantly and many of us turned on our emergency flashers to encourage caution.
When the fog abruptly cleared, the landscape appeared exceptionally colorful and brilliant beneath a clear blue sky, not a typical description of the High Plains in the middle of winter. In concert, clouds of longspurs streamed above the Interstate, apparently as relieved as I was to have escaped the dome of fog.
