August is a time of frequent foggy mornings in Santa Cruz County – Santa Cruz Sentinel

The lights of the Dream Inn on West Cliff Drive shine through thick fog. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Fog swirls around homes in Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz, on a recent morning. Often called “fogust” by locals, August in Santa Cruz County often consists of morning and evening fog, punctuated by sunny and warm days. Some wonder what the difference is between clouds and fog, and according to a researcher in the Department of Physical and Life Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, “Fog is an extension of the ocean. The water vapor from the evaporation of seawater condenses in the cool ocean layer and is then transported inland during the night when temperatures over land are lower. During the day, the fog droplets evaporate over land.” (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

A house in the Santa Cruz Mountains emerges from fog and clouds. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

A meadow in Pogonip is bathed in morning sun as fog hangs over the valley along the San Lorenzo River. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

The lights along Beach Street in Santa Cruz are shrouded in thick fog as pedestrians walk past the boardwalk’s Cocoanut Grove. While many summer days are filled with sunshine and warmth, others begin and end with seasonal fog. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)