What is dry ice fog and how is it different from regular fog?

Dry ice fog produces a dense, low-lying fog that hugs the floor rather than rising into the air. It's the classic "creepy cemetery" or "dancing on a cloud" effect. The principle is simple: hot air rises, so if you produce fog that's cooler than the ambient air temperature, it stays low to the ground.

Dry ice machines work by heating water, then introducing dry ice (solid CO2) into the hot water. The extreme temperature difference creates a dense, very cold fog that rolls along the floor. Because the fog is cold, it hugs the ground until it warms up and dissipates. Dry ice machines are simpler than compressor-cooled low fog machines but have shorter run times because they depend on a consumable supply of dry ice. Compressor-based alternatives (sometimes called cryo fog or chilled fog machines) use a refrigeration system to cool standard fog, producing a similar low-lying effect without needing dry ice.