Fog/Stratus/VisibilityFog Development
The atmospheric conditions necessary for fog formation in the Arctic are similar to those at lower latitudes. Essentially, a temperature inversion helps hold moisture at the surface and limits mixing. In the Arctic, when relatively warm air is advected over cold sea water or sea ice, it cools from the surface up, forming an inversion. Also, subsidence around the periphery of high pressure centers and along the ridges associated with those centers promotes inversions. Because of the very cold ocean waters in the Arctic, the meager sunlight is not enough to mix out the inversion, allowing fog to persist for extended periods.