A Foggy Morning in Sedona

A sea of fog surrounds Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
A sea of fog surrounds Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

It’s been a quiet winter with very few storms so when we finally got a storm  I wanted to try and get some morning sunrise fog shots. I awoke early to check radar and satellite data. I was both surprised and disappointed that my favorite locations appeared to be cloud and fog free. On the other hand, satellite data showed an extensive area of fog and low clouds near Sedona and into the Verde Valley. I quickly headed down Oak Creek Canyon to a location in Sedona that has a great view for these types of events.

A wide-angle shot with Cathedral Rock in the distance. A few minutes later the fog surged northward.
A wide-angle shot with Cathedral Rock in the distance. A few minutes later the fog surged northward.
Fog begins to wrap around red rock buttresses in Sedona.
Fog begins to wrap around red rock buttresses in Sedona.

At first the fog was fairly distant to the south and visibility was very good in all directions. I was able to see Cathedral Rock poking through the fog. But over the next few minutes the fog surged northward and soon I was in the thick of it with low visibility.

Fog and mist partially obscure the red rock buttresses in Sedona, Arizona.
Fog and mist partially obscure the red rock buttresses in Sedona, Arizona.
A zoomed-in shot of the fog obscuring the red rock in Sedona, Arizona.
A zoomed-in shot of the fog obscuring the red rock in Sedona, Arizona.

I headed to another viewpoint hoping there would be some sun shining through the fog. For a few minutes it did. And then the fog thickened again.

Overall I was pretty happy with the fog and photo session–especially since I haven’t had many chances this winter. And the weather forecast looks warm and dry. Boring.