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2024 Total Solar Eclipse - Will Mother Nature Cooperate?
April 8, 2024 at 06:35 AM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Alyssa Robinette
It has been almost seven years since the last total solar eclipse in the U.S.! Now, after much waiting, another total solar eclipse is set to race across the nation. This total solar eclipse will occur today, April 8th, and will move from the southern Plains and Lower Midwest into the Ohio Valley and interior Northeast.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People located in the center of the Moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse and the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. In the path of the total solar eclipse, this is the only time where viewers can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses for the brief period when the Moon is completely blocking the Sun.
So, will Mother Nature cooperate by giving clear skies for viewing this celestial event? Let’s examine the spots in the path of a total solar eclipse.
Southern Plains
A low pressure system will hover over the north-central U.S. today, with an associated cold front stalled over the Lower Mississippi Valley and southern Plains. Showers and thunderstorms will be found along the cold front throughout the day, with even a few strong to severe thunderstorms possible.
Good news! Most of the rain and thunderstorms will likely remain outside the path of total darkness, mainly along the western Gulf Coast and Lower Mississippi Valley. The only exception will be southern Texas, where storms are possible. Bad news, however, could mean there is a still a good amount of cloud cover for places like San Antonio, Waco and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Little Rock, Ark. Expect mostly cloudy skies here, though there could be some breaks in the clouds during the time of the partial and total eclipse.
The partial eclipse could start as early as Noon CDT in the southern Plains, with the total eclipse beginning somewhere between 1:20 and 1:50 p.m. CDT.
Lower Midwest
The Lower Midwest will have a cold front move through the region early this morning. There will be early cloud cover and rain showers. In the wake of this cold front, drier air will filter into the Lower Midwest for the rest of the day. This will produce clearing skies and dry weather just in time for the eclipse. This would apply to places like Cape Girardeau, Mo., Carbondale, Ill., and Indianapolis.
The partial eclipse begins here as early as 12:40 p.m. CDT, with the total eclipse starting anywhere from 1:50 p.m. CDT to 3:10 p.m. EDT.
Ohio Valley
Ahead of the low pressure system in the north-central U.S., a warm front will lift across the Ohio Valley. While viewing the total solar eclipse, it may be necessary to avoid a few rain drops for locations such as Cleveland and Erie, Pa., but most other areas should remain dry. However, folks should still plan on more clouds than sun while viewing the total solar eclipse, especially towards the eastern parts of the Ohio Valley.
The partial eclipse starts as early as 1:50 p.m. EDT, while the total eclipse begins anywhere from 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. EDT.
Interior Northeast/New England
The same warm front in the Ohio Valley will move through the Northeast later this afternoon and evening. Ahead of the warm front, there will likely be a good amount of cloud cover throughout the region. However, dry weather is in the forecast for the partial and total eclipse. Expect mostly cloudy skies for places like Buffalo, and Syracuse, N.Y. and Burlington, Vt. If you want to get the best view of totality, you should head to places like Millinocket, Houlton and Presque Isle, Maine., as cloud cover should be less here.
The partial eclipse could start as early as 2 p.m. EDT in the Northeast, with the total eclipse happening as early as 3:15 to 3:35 p.m. EDT.
As you may remember, there was another eclipse not too long ago. An annular solar eclipse occurred on October 14, 2023, and moved from the Northwest into the Great Basin and southern Plains. An annular eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from the Earth. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the Sun. As a result, the Moon appears as a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk, creating what looks like a ring around the Moon.
If you miss the 2024 total solar eclipse, the next one in the U.S. is far in the future! The next one is expected in August 2044.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People located in the center of the Moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse and the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. In the path of the total solar eclipse, this is the only time where viewers can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses for the brief period when the Moon is completely blocking the Sun.
So, will Mother Nature cooperate by giving clear skies for viewing this celestial event? Let’s examine the spots in the path of a total solar eclipse.
Southern Plains
A low pressure system will hover over the north-central U.S. today, with an associated cold front stalled over the Lower Mississippi Valley and southern Plains. Showers and thunderstorms will be found along the cold front throughout the day, with even a few strong to severe thunderstorms possible.
Good news! Most of the rain and thunderstorms will likely remain outside the path of total darkness, mainly along the western Gulf Coast and Lower Mississippi Valley. The only exception will be southern Texas, where storms are possible. Bad news, however, could mean there is a still a good amount of cloud cover for places like San Antonio, Waco and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Little Rock, Ark. Expect mostly cloudy skies here, though there could be some breaks in the clouds during the time of the partial and total eclipse.
The partial eclipse could start as early as Noon CDT in the southern Plains, with the total eclipse beginning somewhere between 1:20 and 1:50 p.m. CDT.
Lower Midwest
The Lower Midwest will have a cold front move through the region early this morning. There will be early cloud cover and rain showers. In the wake of this cold front, drier air will filter into the Lower Midwest for the rest of the day. This will produce clearing skies and dry weather just in time for the eclipse. This would apply to places like Cape Girardeau, Mo., Carbondale, Ill., and Indianapolis.
The partial eclipse begins here as early as 12:40 p.m. CDT, with the total eclipse starting anywhere from 1:50 p.m. CDT to 3:10 p.m. EDT.
Ohio Valley
Ahead of the low pressure system in the north-central U.S., a warm front will lift across the Ohio Valley. While viewing the total solar eclipse, it may be necessary to avoid a few rain drops for locations such as Cleveland and Erie, Pa., but most other areas should remain dry. However, folks should still plan on more clouds than sun while viewing the total solar eclipse, especially towards the eastern parts of the Ohio Valley.
The partial eclipse starts as early as 1:50 p.m. EDT, while the total eclipse begins anywhere from 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. EDT.
Interior Northeast/New England
The same warm front in the Ohio Valley will move through the Northeast later this afternoon and evening. Ahead of the warm front, there will likely be a good amount of cloud cover throughout the region. However, dry weather is in the forecast for the partial and total eclipse. Expect mostly cloudy skies for places like Buffalo, and Syracuse, N.Y. and Burlington, Vt. If you want to get the best view of totality, you should head to places like Millinocket, Houlton and Presque Isle, Maine., as cloud cover should be less here.
The partial eclipse could start as early as 2 p.m. EDT in the Northeast, with the total eclipse happening as early as 3:15 to 3:35 p.m. EDT.
As you may remember, there was another eclipse not too long ago. An annular solar eclipse occurred on October 14, 2023, and moved from the Northwest into the Great Basin and southern Plains. An annular eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from the Earth. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the Sun. As a result, the Moon appears as a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk, creating what looks like a ring around the Moon.
If you miss the 2024 total solar eclipse, the next one in the U.S. is far in the future! The next one is expected in August 2044.