After a few days of crystal-clear blue skies in San Francisco, fog rolled in Sunday on the last day of Fleet Week’s air shows.
There were plenty of people on the Marina Green that day, looking to the skies and pointing phones or cameras in the air. But it was difficult to make much out through the fog
“We can hear ‘em,” said Fairfield resident Loraine Langley. “We can hear ‘em coming, but we can’t see anything. Not a good day, yesterday was supposed to be the day to come.”
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In the days leading up to Sunday, San Francisco had been experiencing very warm and even hot weather. So plenty of residents were no doubt happy to see “Karl the Fog” — a nickname some have bestowed upon the fog which often rolls in to cool the city.
But visitors, including some who came from other states, were a little disappointed.
“We’re a little concerned,” said Curt Kelsey, who was visiting from Utah. “Hoping it goes away so we can see. That’s why we’re here, right? So we can see the planes.”
2023’s Fleet Week events are historic, though for a somber reason. They were dedicated to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died the week prior. The first Fleet Week was organized in 1981, when Feinstein was the mayor of San Francisco.
As of Sunday, organizers of this year’s Fleet Week haven’t released any figures on attendance to events. BART, though, said Saturday was its busiest day since the pandemic.
This is also an introduction to the Bay Area for many of the sailors and marines serving aboard the ships involved in Fleet Week.
“Everyone’s been so nice,” said UCC John P. Murtha Crewman Victor Rodriguez. “Everyone’s saying thanks for your service and everyone’s just paying attention to you. It’s really nice.”
The fog did eventually clear a bit around Marina Green, where the main Fleet Week events are hosted.
One benefit of the fog: it cooled the city down a lot. A worker at the Medic’s Tent on the green said, compared to the last couple of days, fewer people needed help because of the heat.
