Coastal fog has defined life in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s cold and can sometimes ruin your sunny day plans, sure, but it’s also beloved, and most residents can agree that the region wouldn’t be the same without it. But with the earth heating up, will it disappear? A New York Times team spent a few months chasing the fog in and around San Francisco, and the result is this visual, immersive, and beautifully presented (and written) feature.

Fog is a companion, part of the rhythm of summertime, flitting in and out of lives like a family member. But it does more than astonish ill-prepared tourists and dazzle photographers and poets. It nourishes the natural world. It enriches the area’s cultural identity. It might even be an untapped resource in California’s growing anxiety over water.

Cheri has been an editor at Longreads since 2014. She's currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area.