Hot air balloon fiesta grounded by dense fog on Saturday
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world.
The annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta kicked off on Saturday in New Mexico, but most of the balloons remained on the ground due to dense fog.
The bad weather was relatively localized due high pressure moving in during the early hours of Saturday, which allowed temperatures to drop to just 10°C in the morning.
This cold air was then trapped in the valleys and formed localized dense fog that made the visibility too low for pilots to safely fly in the hot air balloons.
The fiesta has been an annual event for nearly five decades and pilots on the ground commented that Saturday’s bad weather was unusual.
Thousands of international pilots travel to New Mexico for this event each year and many participate in a race known as America's Challenge, where teams compete to travel the longest distance.
Tens of thousands are expected to attend this event and it is one of the most photographed events in the world.
With files from the Associated Press.
