The Federal Aviation Administration issued two consecutive ground stops at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Monday morning, November 9, 2026, disrupting flight operations due to dense fog. The first ground stop occurred before 11 a.m. Pacific Time, followed by a second ground stop starting at 10:12 a.m., initially scheduled to last until 11:30 a.m.
Visibility Conditions and Operational Restrictions
Visibility along the Bay Area shoreline dropped to just over one-tenth of a mile due to a dense fog bank, forcing multiple aircraft to abort landings and execute go-arounds. At times, SFO limited arrivals to aircraft equipped with Category II and Category III instrument approach
capabilities to maintain safe operations. After a brief improvement in visibility, the FAA implemented a ground-delay program between the two ground stops before extending the second ground stop through 1 p.m. because of persistent low cloud ceilings and ongoing go-arounds.
Flight Delays and Cancellations
Flight tracking data from FlightAware indicated 187 flights were delayed and three were canceled at SFO on November 9, 2026. Arrival delays averaged approximately 63 minutes during the disruption. The ground-delay program that followed the extended ground stop lasted through 1:59 p.m., contributing to schedule disruptions for arriving and departing flights.
Weather Forecast and FAA Operational Plans
The National Weather Service forecasted that fog and low
cloud conditions would persist overnight into November 10, 2026. The FAA’s operational plan for the following day included the possibility of ground stops or ground-delay programs at SFO after 8 a.m. due to low ceilings and reduced visibility. However, an FAA airport status update at 1:17 a.m. on Tuesday reported no destination-specific delays at SFO, with general arrival and departure delays of 15 minutes or less.
Traveler Impact and Flight Operations
The extended low-visibility conditions and FAA ground stops on November 9, 2026, significantly affected flight sequencing and scheduling at San Francisco International Airport. The inability of some aircraft to complete approaches due to dense
fog led to go-arounds and operational challenges that impacted both arrivals and departures. Passengers experienced average arrival delays of about 63 minutes, with three flights canceled and numerous others delayed throughout the morning and early afternoon.
