"Acrid smoke from stubborn swamp fires burning south and east of New Orleans combined Monday with dense fog to create the “superfog” that contributed to one of the deadliest highway pileups in memory.

Residents should expect the dangerous smoke-fog conditions to persist through at least Tuesday. While increased winds will help disperse the fog through the rest of the week, there's very little chance of rain, officials said.

There's also a stubborn dome of high pressure sitting over southern Louisiana keeping in place elements that create seasonal fog, meteorologists said.

It’s “a pretty normal setup for this time of year,” Ben Schott, director of the National Weather Service's Slidell office, said Monday. The conditions include clear skies, light winds, and overnight temperatures dropping to the dew point."

Tristan Baurick and Mark Schleifstein report for the New Orleans Times-Picayune October 23, 2023. [2]