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How to Check for the Probability of Fog

Driving through a blanket of fog reduces visibility and can be dangerous. You can look out your window see if its foggy, but that's an immediate assessment. Determining probability entails checking on two or more factors to reckon a chance for something to happen. There's no need for complicated equations involving the ratio of number of favorable outcomes/number of possible outcomes. That's going to be 50 percent. Nature has more variables. In meteorology, those variables include the temperature and the dew point.

Things You'll Need

Ice cubes
Shiny can
Thermometers

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the dew point by filling a shiny can with water. Add ice cubes and stir with a thermometer. You want to stir as you add the ice to help maintain the same can and water temperature throughout. Note the temperature on the thermometer when condensation begins to occur on the outside of the shiny can. That temperature is your dew point temperature. Write it down.
- 2
  Look at your outdoor temperature thermometer and record the temperature. If you do not have an outdoor thermometer, you can use an indoor one. Take the indoor thermometer outside and wait two minutes before reading so that your indoor thermometer can adjust to outdoor air temperature. Record the temperature by taking the reading away from buildings or in the shade. Don't allow precipitation to hit the thermometer if it is raining or snowing outdoors. Read your thermometer at eye level for accuracy. Record your temperature.
- 3
  Look to see if the dew point temperature and the air temperature are very close or equal. If they are, then the probability of fog is high.

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