SHAVER LAKE, Calif. – If California’s Central Valley is home, then Tule Fog is part of the family. But this winter, many residents were growing tired of it.
California is home to some of the most diverse geographies in the world: the state has coastlines, mountain ranges, deserts and valleys.
The Central Valley itself was once a massive inland lake. Just a few years ago, Tulare Lake reemerged after record rainfall filled an old lakebed in Kings County.
This same basin makes the Valley prone to what’s known as Tule Fog – fog is normal, but here it’s named after tule plants that grew around Tulare Lake. You can call Tulare Lake and Tule Fog cousins.
The dense, low-lying clouds typically form in the winter and become trapped by the surrounding mountain ranges. This season, the fog lingered much longer than usual, almost hitting the month-long mark.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Ochs was keeping count by the time KVPR reached out. The fog had been around for 22 days. By that time in mid December, he had classified it as the longest stretch of Tule Fog since the 1970s.
Everyone was feeling its weight.
Casey Beam, who lives in the foothill town of Prather – which kisses up directly to the fog layer – said the prolonged gloom was exhausting.
“It's depressing, it's cold and gloomy,” Beam said. “It seems like it's unending, like every single day, all day.”
Days of rain in early November left heavy moisture in the air, which combined with the high pressure that later sat over the Valley. Enough rain and enough high pressure afterward is a recipe for fog to form. It’s the way it goes this time of year. Valley residents know it like clockwork.
But as the days dragged on in recent weeks, one question grew loud. Where was the sun?
A short drive from Fresno, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, is Shaver Lake. That’s where the sun was.
Up there, the skies were blue and the sunshine reflected off the crystal water.
Catherine Palomo, a cashier at Shaver Lake Sports, said it wasn’t just one or two people seeking a break from the fog down in the Valley.
“I've had several people come up and just say they needed to get out of the fog and get some sun,” Palomo said. “Which is kind of unusual for us, because we're usually in the mountain, you know, more inclement weather.”
Thick Tule Fog that lasts for days on end is a reminder of California’s extremes – extreme wildfires, extreme heatwaves too.
Palomo wasn’t planning to drive down the mountain anytime soon.
“I'm staying up here as long as I can,” she said.
A sign of weather extremes is all around Shaver Lake – not just in the people who show up but in the burn scars left by a massive wildfire in 2020 that nearly burned the town.
But this season, this is the getaway destination.
Even short visits from out-of-towners are welcome.
Harper Talbott, who works at Shaver Coffee and Deli, said the foot traffic has been great lately.
“Especially for business, it's really good for our business here,” she said.
For those making the drive up to the mountains from the Valley, the contrast is striking.
Looking down, a thick still gray blanket of fog stretches across the vast Valley. For days, while the rest of the country boasted clear skies, this middle section of California was bright white.
Christina Ancic, who cleans home rentals in Shaver Lake, said she does not miss the fog when she’s at work.
“It looks like an ocean of clouds,” Ancic said. “And it's like, actually, you see people pulled over on the road all the time taking pictures.”
But despite the hazards for those caught in it, and the cooler temperatures that can make for a chillier winter season, not everyone hates Tule Fog.
Some find it refreshing, especially if the California summer is still fresh in one’s mind.
Michael Harmaz was also hanging out at Shaver Lake, though not to escape the fog. He was kicking off his winter vacation.
“A lot of my friends are missing the sun a lot,” Harmaz said. “I just enjoy how it is, how it makes the winter season more like winter, especially in Fresno, where it's very moderate weather.”
And that’s just the beauty of living in the Valley – and by extension in California. If something doesn’t feel right where you are, there’s always something different just a short drive away.
