Article: The story behind 'pea soup' fog

Northeast Kansas has experienced a couple of foggy mornings this month.

Visibilities dropped below one-quarter of a mile, and the National Weather Service issued a few dense fog advisories. Whenever a thick fog appears, we immediately hear the term "pea soup" to describe it. In truth, pea soup fog was outlawed several years ago.

True "pea soup" fog was a staple of London, England, from the 14th to the 20th Century. Situated in a cool climate on an island surrounded by warm water, England was naturally prone to fog, and London, its largest city, was the home to millions who heated their houses with British coal. The combination of coal smoke and fog created a brownish, gritty smog that came ...

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