A dense blanket of fog covered Chicago on Thursday afternoon, limiting visibility for drivers and causing many to wonder if there may have even been a fire in the area.
Video shared to social media on Thursday afternoon showed the thick layer of low-lying clouds in the downtown Chicago and the Lake Michigan shoreline.
One video recorded by a person in a car driving on DuSable Lake Shore Drive showed the fog blocked visibility of not only the skyline but also the buildings that neighbor the road.
A dense fog advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service along the shores of Lake Michigan until Friday morning.
Low visibility is causing significant challenges along DuSable Lake Shore Drive and other area roadways due to the thick fog, with motorists urged to use low-beam headlights and to reduce speeds in affected areas.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, warm and moist air is still lingering over the city after a week of summery temperatures and conditions.
Meanwhile, the surface temperatures on Lake Michigan remain downright chilly, with the latest readings on buoys in the lake indicating temperatures in the upper-30s.
As winds shift off of Lake Michigan and toward the Illinois shoreline, that cold air is hitting the warm and moist air, causing it to rapidly condense into thick fog and low-lying clouds, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
That is expected to persist into Friday when the winds shift again, ushering in another chance of showers and thunderstorms according to forecast models.
NWS said the dense fog will “continue spreading inland this evening and overnight,” and advised people to prepare for “dropping visibilities.”
