CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : PITTSBURG : Thick Fog May Have Caused 14-Car Crash

Dense fog may have caused a 14-car chain-reaction crash that slightly injured two motorists on California 4 near Pittsburg, the California Highway Patrol reported. Blinding fog clinging above the roadways prompted National Weather Service warnings. Extremely dangerous driving conditions were posted for much of California’s Central valley, from north of Marysville to Bakersfield. The fog was a factor in the chain-reaction crash just before 1 a.m. Monday morning on California 4 between Pittsburg and Concord, according to a CHP spokeswoman. San Jose International Airport was fogged in late Sunday for three hours, delaying some Christmas travelers. Visibility was reported near zero in some Central Valley areas, but skies were clear at the San Francisco and Oakland airports, and travelers did not experience weather-caused delays. Weather officials said a high-pressure system off the West Coast was preventing Pacific storms from reaching the state.