The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued two consecutive ground stops at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Monday morning, November 12, 2026, after dense fog along the Bay Area shoreline reduced runway visibility to just over one-tenth of a mile. The low visibility forced multiple aircraft to abort their landings, resulting in immediate operational disruptions.
Ground Stops and Flight Delays on November 12
The first ground stop occurred before 11 a.m. Pacific Time, temporarily halting arrivals. After a brief improvement in visibility, the FAA introduced a ground-delay program. Subsequently, a second ground stop began at 10:12 a.m., initially planned to last until 11:30 a.m. This ground stop was
later extended through 1 p.m., with the associated ground-delay program continuing until 1:59 p.m., according to FAA operational updates.
FlightAware tracked 187 flight delays and three cancellations at SFO during the event, with average arrival delays reaching approximately 63 minutes. Visibility at the airport improved temporarily to about half a mile by 9:23 a.m., but subsequent low cloud cover maintained restrictions on airport operations.
Operational Restrictions Due to Fog and Low Clouds
San Francisco International Airport’s capacity to handle landings was significantly limited by the dense fog and persistent low cloud decks. At times, the airport was restricted to accepting only aircraft equipped for Category II and Category
III instrument approaches, which provide enhanced landing capability in low visibility.
The combination of runway visibility dropping to near one-tenth of a mile and the presence of low ceilings compelled the FAA to implement ground stops and manage arrivals through a ground-delay program. These measures aimed to maintain safety amid the severely reduced visibility conditions that affected the Bay Area shoreline on November 12.
Impact on Travelers and Forecasted Conditions
Passengers at San Francisco International faced delays caused by the fog-related ground stops, with arrival delays averaging just over an hour. Three flights were canceled amid the operational interruptions. The National Weather Service forecasted continuing fog
and low cloud conditions to persist overnight into Tuesday, November 10, prompting the FAA to prepare for potential further ground stops or delay programs on that day.
As of 1:17 a.m. on Tuesday, FAA status reports indicated no destination-specific delays at SFO, with overall arrival and departure delays of 15 minutes or less, reflecting an improvement from the prior day’s conditions.
