Fog is a common weather phenomenon all along the California coast, but Bay Area residents know that the fog in San Francisco is just a little bit "extra", and makes for some very interesting summer weather. Love it or love to hate it, the fog is quite a character. Locals now call the fog by name, and he has taken on a persona all his own. Meet Karl the Fog!
Photo courtesy of @KarlTheFog
August of 2010 saw the birth of the Twitter handle @KarlTheFog. Inspired by other parody accounts that had sprung up on the platform, the author (who remains anonymous to this day) decided to start writing tweets in defense of the ever-present fog. Over the course of more than 10,000 tweets, the author gave Karl a voice, a sense of humor, and an environmentally-conscious political bent.
As for the name itself, Karl is a reference to the giant in the 2003 Tim Burton film Big Fish. The author explains:
"Karl was the giant in town everyone was afraid of because they thought he would kill/eat them. Turns out he was just hungry and lonely. Karl is a constant character in our lives. ... Some people love how he keeps the city cool, others hate that we don't get traditional summers. They spot him from all over S.F. and many people have choice words for his arrival. Everyone knows and sees the fog." Source: SF Weekly
Now you know a little bit more about Karl the Fog! The next time he intrudes on your plans, try to remember that it's not personal. He's just a misunderstood weather phenomenon and he has feelings too.
