Surface visibility data for selected stations on the central California coast in 1973 are analyzed. Radiosonde data from Oakland for the same period are used to derive meteorological indices. The year is divided into fog-related seasons, summer and winter, based on fog occurrence on the coast; and the seasonal and daily fluctuations of the indices are examined. A fog development model for the summer is formulated and compared to actual fog cases. In the winter, with far fewer coastal fog observations, the frequent occurrence of frontal passages prevents a standard development model from being formulated and compared. Four Oakland soundings are compared with four radiosondes taken at NPS Monterey, and the Oakland Soundings are found to closely approximate coastal conditions on these days. (Author).

Using transient ship observations, a hypothetical five phase Marine Fog Development (MFD) Model was applied to four actual cases of summer marine fog during 1973 along the central California coast. The MFD Model incorporates a phase zero or synoptic phase and a proposed Coastal Convergence Zone (CCZ) concept into previous West Coast fog models. Phase zero describes the synoptic conditions that establish the marine layer over the coastal regions and explains the presence of low stratus over cast which normally exists prior to fog development cases. The CCZ concept defines a transition zone in which warm dry continental air converges with cool moist marine air and denotes the seaward extent of coastal influence. The location of the transitory CCZ is dependent upon the strength of offshore flow of continental air from the coastal region. The location where this flow meets the prevailing northwesterlies becomes the most likely site of marine fog formation. Selected synoptic scale meteorological parameters were examined and incorporated with transient ship and coastal station observations. This appeared to be an effective technique for tracking the CCZ and identifying fog phase development. (Author).