How Tule Fog Affects Your Heating Needs In Sacramento Winters

When tule fog arrives, it’s normal to experience gray skies all day and a chilly home. Even though your thermostat says that it is set at the right temperature, you may struggle to warm up.

Tule fog is a normal part of wintertime in Sacramento. To learn more about what it is, how it affects temperature, and how you can stay comfortable, read on.

Understanding Sacramento’s Famous Winter Fog

When the ground is moist and cools rapidly at night, it causes a dense, low fog to blanket the Central Valley. This fog is common from late fall to early spring.

Tule fog forms after it rains when we have light wind, long nights, and cold air. It is unique to the Central Valley, affecting neighborhoods from Bakersfield to the Sacramento Valley.

Tule Fog, Sunlight, and That Damp, Bone-Chilling Cold

When tule fog arrives, it’s because a few different weather conditions are in play. Because of the tule fog, you may feel bone-chilling cold and enjoy less sunshine in your home.

Less Sun, Less Natural Warming

As this thick fog blankets the landscape, it ends up blocking the sunshine. Because of this, homes don’t get to enjoy the normal daytime boost of warmth that the sun brings.

At night, this means that your home starts the evening with cool indoor temperatures. Your heater has to work harder to reach the same level of warmth, increasing the wear on your heating system.

Damp Air and Cold Surfaces

When we have foggy days, it leads to additional moisture in the air and on surfaces outside. As a result, your exterior walls, floors, and windows may feel cold to the touch. Additionally, these cold surfaces can “steal” heat from the body. Even when the temperature is 68°F to 70°F inside your home, it can feel like it is actually in the mid-60s.

Inversions and All-Day Chill

Normally, the air grows colder as you go higher above the Earth. With an inversion, a layer of cold air sits beneath warmer air.

During tule fog events, cold, moist air is next to the ground. Warmer and drier air sits above it. Because of this inversion, the ground remains chillier during the day.

What Foggy Stretches Mean for Your Furnace and Bills

Besides causing added discomfort, tule fog can lead to higher energy bills and more wear on your furnace.

Longer Run Times on Foggy Days

Because your house loses heat faster on a foggy day, you may notice that your heater is on for longer. Thanks to the fog, you also aren’t gaining any solar heat. For both of these reasons, you may hear your furnace cycling more or notice an extended runtime on your thermostat.

Higher Thermostat Settings for The Same Comfort

When dealing with fog for long stretches of time, many people end up increasing their thermostat setting by a degree or two. Although this is a fairly common response, you can alleviate the need for a higher temperature by improving the insulation and duct sealing in your home. These two measures can prevent heat from escaping, so your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your home warm.

More Wear and Tear Over a Long Fog Season

Sometimes, we’ll get stuck in a multi-week tule fog pattern. When this happens, your system can log many extra hours. Because of this, getting heat pump and furnace maintenance is especially important during foggy winters.

Valley Gloom Versus Foothill Sunshine

While the valley and foothills are relatively close to each other, they each experience drastically different winters. As a result, how you set your thermostat will vary based on which microclimate you’re in.

“Two Different Winters” in One Region

In our area, you’ll notice that the valley experiences dense fog in the wintertime. Just miles away, the foothills will enjoy clearer, warmer weather on the same day. If you live in Folsom, El Dorado Hills, or the lower foothills, you’ll get to enjoy more sunshine and less fog than residents who live near the river bottoms or downtown.

What That Means for Your Thermostat

In practice, this temperature and weather variation impacts your thermostat settings and how much your heating system has to work. Valley homeowners need more consistent heating on foggy weeks. Meanwhile, homes in the foothills can back off during the day as sunshine provides solar heat.

These microclimates are a perfect example of why it is so important to get your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professionally sized. Two homes can have the same square footage, but they will require different HVAC sizing to match the strikingly different weather patterns in each microclimate.

Drafts, Insulation, and Windows Show Up Fast in Fog Season

When foggy weather arrives, you’ll quickly notice any drafts you may have in your home. Finding and remedying drafts can improve your family’s comfort and monthly energy bills.

Drafty Doors and Windows on Foggy Mornings

Chilly, damp air can get into your home if your doors or windows aren’t sealed properly. You can check your seals by feeling for drafts. Then, you can use weatherstripping, caulking, and door sweeps to seal up gaps.

Attic and Wall Insulation Underperforming

When the sky is gray, and tule fog rolls in, poor insulation is really obvious. If your insulation isn’t good enough, you’ll notice that upstairs rooms seem to cool unusually fast and stay cold.

Fortunately, this problem can be fixed through better insulation. By adding or improving the insulation in your attic, you can prevent heat from escaping into the cold.

Single-Pane or Older Windows

When we’re experiencing a foggy stretch, you may notice that older windows feel icy. This can worsen the feeling of being cold at 70°F. Old, single-pane windows increase heat transfer, allowing your warm air to escape.

While a full window replacement is ideal, it can be expensive. In the short run, thermal curtains can help your home retain more heat.

Fog Outside, Stuffy or Stale Air Inside

Tule fog doesn’t just impact your home’s temperature and comfort level. It can also make a difference in your air quality, especially if your home is closed up for any length of time.

Closed-Up Homes and Stale Air

On foggy days, people often close their windows and blinds. This can cause your rooms to become stuffy, and it prevents bad odors from escaping.

When it comes to air quality, you can make a difference by changing your filter regularly. A clean filter ensures proper airflow and can alleviate stagnant air.

Air Quality Concerns in a Foggy Valley

During a fog event, the fog can trap pollutants in the air. As a result, it can impact the respiratory health and comfort of sensitive individuals.

Because of this, you may want to invest in whole-home filtration or a filter upgrade. Higher MERV ratings can trap smaller air particles, although it’s important to make sure your HVAC equipment is capable of handling higher ratings.

What Sacramento Homeowners Can Do Right Now

As a homeowner in Sacramento, it’s important to be proactive. Through smart thermostats and important comfort checks, you can ensure your home is ready for the next fog event. If a problem does occur, reach out to our HVAC team for professional repairs and support.

Quick DIY Comfort Checks

During tule fog events, there are a few comfort checks you can perform to make sure your heating system is prepared for the weather change.

• Depending on the manufacturer, you should clean or change your air filter every 30 to 90 days.
• Throughout each month, you should make sure your return and supply vents are open and unobstructed. Remove any furniture, rugs, or clothing that are blocking the vents.
• Walk around your home to feel for a draft around each door and window. Additionally, check for drafts around the electrical outlets that are located on exterior walls.
• To keep your floors from feeling too cold, add rugs to tile and hardwood floors.
• When the fog starts to lift, open your blinds so that sunshine can warm your home.

Smart Thermostat and Fan Settings for Foggy Days

To keep your home warm, we recommend performing small, steady temperature adjustments. If you try to set drastic swings between daytime and nighttime temperatures, your system may struggle to keep up.

You can also use the fan setting to even out temperatures between different rooms. This is especially effective during the mid-afternoon when your heating system might not be on as often. By turning the fan on, you can circulate and mix air in different rooms to ensure an even level of warmth.

When To Call in a Pro

If you notice that your furnace is running constantly or your room doesn’t warm up, it’s time to call a professional. Aging equipment, duct leaks, and sizing issues are problems that are difficult to spot on your own, which is why it’s so important to schedule routine maintenance and timely repairs.

Local Pros Who Know Sacramento’s Foggy Winters

At Fox Family, our technicians live and work in the same foggy Sacramento and Rancho Cordova neighborhoods that you do. Because of this, we understand the type of upgrades and repairs you need to stay comfortable during chilly weather. Throughout the area, we’re known for having certified technicians, fast response times, transparent prices, and exceptional customer service.

Our experienced technicians offer a range of services that are helpful during the tule fog season.

• Comprehensive heating tune-ups
• Ductwork inspection and sealing
• Comfort evaluations that look at your home’s airflow, insulation, and thermostat location

If we discover any issues, we’ll give you our recommendation in plain language. We’ll discuss small fixes that can resolve the problem and long-term upgrade needs, so you can plan ahead.

Before we head into the next long fog stretch, make sure your heating system is prepared. Call today to schedule a winter heating check or comfort consultation.

Common Questions About Tule Fog and Home Heating

To help you stay warm and comfortable during tule fog, we’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions that we hear.

Does tule fog actually make my house colder, or does it just feel that way?

Absolutely. When humidity levels rise and the air is saturated with moisture, it makes cold temperatures have a “chilled-to-the-bone” effect. Even indoors, this dampness makes the air feel colder than it normally does at the same temperature. If you don’t have any HVAC equipment on, your home will get colder.

However, if you have a furnace or heat pump, your unit will still heat your home to a set temperature. Even though it’s at the same temperature, it may feel chillier.

Should I turn my thermostat higher when the fog rolls in?

It isn’t necessary to change your thermostat setting. If you do, your furnace will simply run longer and use more energy to heat your home. To make your home more comfortable, you may want to consider a dehumidifier instead.

Is it normal for my heater to run more during a long, foggy stretch?

Yes, it is. Fog often brings along higher humidity levels and lower temperatures, which force your heater to run for longer periods of time. However, if it seems like your heating system is running nonstop, it’s a good idea to schedule an HVAC tune-up and get it professionally inspected.

Can better insulation really help on foggy winter days?

Anything you do to prevent heat loss can improve your energy efficiency and boost your comfort. Besides getting better insulation, you can also try sealing duct leaks. Gaps around windows and doors allow heated air to escape, so caulking and weatherstripping can help you stay warm.

How often should I service my heater if we get a lot of fog in my area?

We recommend getting your heating system serviced at least once per year. Then, your cooling system can be serviced in the spring before the first heatwave arrives. If you notice any signs of a problem in between, reach out for professional heating repairs and maintenance.