The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented two consecutive ground stops at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on the morning of November 12, 2026, due to dense fog reducing visibility along the Bay Area shoreline to just over one-tenth of a mile. The limited visibility led to multiple aircraft aborting their landings, known as flight go-arounds, prompting the FAA to temporarily halt arrivals twice before 11 a.m. Pacific Time.
Flight Delays and Operational Restrictions
According to FlightAware tracking data, 187 flights arriving at SFO were delayed with three cancellations reported on November 12. Arrival delays averaged approximately 63 minutes. Operational constraints during the ground stops meant
that at certain times, only aircraft equipped to perform Category II and Category III instrument approaches were accepted for landings at the airport, limiting the total number of flights that could operate safely under the low-visibility conditions.
Timing and Visibility Conditions
The first ground stop was followed by a ground-delay program when visibility briefly improved to about half a mile by 9:23 a.m. However, deteriorating low cloud cover and recurring fog prompted the FAA to initiate a second ground stop beginning at 10:12 a.m., initially scheduled to last until 11:30 a.m. This ground stop was subsequently extended through 1 p.m., with ground delays continuing
until at least 1:59 p.m., as the fog and low cloud deck persisted and multiple go-arounds occurred.
Impact of Fog on Regional Air Traffic
Recurring low-visibility fog at San Francisco International Airport limits landing capacity and disrupts air traffic flow throughout the region. The FAA utilizes ground stops and ground-delay programs in response to these weather conditions to manage airport arrivals and departures safely. Such restrictive measures impact flight schedules, contributing to cascading delays and cancellations beyond the airport itself, affecting a wide network of connecting routes and flights across the Bay Area and beyond.
