Photography planning guide
Fog and Mist Photography Weather
Track moisture, dew point, visibility, wind, and sunrise timing to find fog, mist, dew, and atmospheric softness.
Planning goal
Use moisture and visibility fields together instead of relying on humidity alone.
Start with the combined condition
First-pass shortlistBest first fog check
Fog Probability
freeFog Probability combines moisture, temperature spread, visibility, and wind so you can scan for realistic fog and mist windows before checking the ingredients one by one.
Open the Fog Probability guide
What it combines
Use the score to shortlist hours, then check the ingredient fields for the reason behind the result.
Signals worth waiting for
- Moist air close to saturation
- Light wind that will not mix the fog out immediately
- Reduced visibility rather than humidity alone
- Timing near sunrise or after overnight cooling
- Valleys, lakes, wet ground, or local terrain that traps cool air
Example alert rules
- Fog probability high + near sunrise
- Dew point spread low + wind speed light
- Visibility reduced but not fully obscured
Supporting weather fields
11 weather fieldsRelative Humidity
freeMoisture content relative to saturation
Dew Point
Dew point temperature at 2 meters
Dewpoint Spread
Temperature difference between air temperature and dew point
Visibility
freeHorizontal visibility distance
Wind Speed
freeWind speed at 10 meters above ground
Aerosol Optical Depth (550nm)
proTotal aerosol optical depth at 550nm. Lower values indicate clearer skies and more vivid colours.
Ångström Exponent
proÅngström exponent (α) computed from AOD at 550nm and 865nm. Indicates aerosol particle size: higher values = smaller particles (pollution, smoke), lower values = larger particles (dust, sea salt).
Dust AOD (550nm)
proDust component of aerosol optical depth. High dust reduces air clarity and can create warm-toned haze.
Sea Salt AOD (550nm)
proSea salt component of aerosol optical depth. Indicates marine aerosols from ocean spray, common in coastal areas.
Smoke AOD (550nm)
proSmoke component of aerosol optical depth (black carbon + organic matter). Indicates wildfire smoke or urban pollution affecting air quality and visibility.
Vapor Pressure Deficit
Difference between saturation and actual vapor pressure
Useful combinations
These are starting points for photographer-first alerts. Adjust thresholds for your location, season, subject, and safety margin.
Dew point spread + wind speed
A tiny spread is more useful when wind is light enough for cooling and saturation to persist near the ground.
Fog probability + sunrise
Fog often peaks around first light, so pair the signal with the actual time you can shoot.
Humidity + visibility
High humidity is an ingredient; falling visibility is the clue that the atmosphere is becoming visible in the frame.
Related alert templates
Use templates when you want a ready-made rule, then tune it for how strict you want the alert to be.
Create alerts for this shooting goal
Open the individual field guides above to see practical values, mistakes, limitations, and PhotoWeather rule examples.
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