Millions of Americans are set to witness a rare total solar eclipse next week, but the weather may hamper some viewers’ experience of the astronomical event.
On April 8, the moon will completely block the path of the sun’s light, affecting 13 states from Texas to Maine. Those in the path of totality are expected to experience suddenly dark skies and a drop in temperatures during the afternoon, but adverse weather could leave some astronomy enthusiasts disappointed.
Starting in Texas at about 1:30 p.m. CDT, the eclipse is due to occur over Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and finally Maine at about 3:30 p.m. EDT. According to the latest forecast map from the National Weather Service, several areas in the path of totality are expected to have some level of cloud coverage on the afternoon of April 8.
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Not everyone in the path of totality is expected to experience clouds during the eclipse. “Clear skies in the path of totality are most likely in northern New England and Upstate New York, and possible in Arkansas and Missouri,” the NWS said in a Facebook post on April 2.
Viewers in Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana, and the surrounding eastern areas of the state could also see clear skies, as an NWS map predicted zero cloud cover on April 8, with parts of southern Minnesota and Illinois also getting clear, cloudless skies.
However, Texans could be unlucky. “Cloud cover in the path of totality is most likely in south-central Texas, as well as portions of the Ohio Valley, including Indiana, Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania,” the NWS reported. According to the agency, in Dallas, 60 percent of the sky could be covered by clouds throughout the afternoon—likewise in much of the Lone Star State, particularly in San Antonio down to the coast.
According to an NWS map, clouds could also be prevalent over Arkansas, with Little Rock directly in the path of totality.
While those in the north may have a better chance at getting a good look at the eclipse, the agency said that “there is still uncertainty and some clouds cannot be ruled out yet.”
National Weather Service/NOAA
Tim Daldrup, an NWS meteorologist, said clouds would obstruct the view of the eclipse, but that not all hope was lost. “If we wanna see it, we’ll want the higher-level clouds,” he told Oregon Public Broadcasting. “Those tend to be the more feathery cirrus clouds that can still be seen through. They might obstruct the eclipse, but you can still see it.”
What time will the solar eclipse reach me?
Here are the times for maximum totality in major cities along the path of totality:
- Dallas, Texas — 1:42 p.m. CDT
- Idabel, Oklahoma — 1:47 p.m. CDT
- Little Rock, Arkansas — 1:52 p.m. CDT
- Poplar Bluff, Missouri — 1:56 p.m. CDT
- Paducah, Kentucky — 2:01 p.m. CDT
- Carbondale, Illinois — 2:01 p.m. CDT
- Evansville, Indiana — 2:04 p.m. CDT
- Cleveland, Ohio — 3:15 p.m. EDT
- Erie, Pennsylvania — 3:18 p.m. EDT
- Buffalo, New York — 3:20 p.m. EDT
- Burlington, Vermont — 3:27 p.m. EDT
- Lancaster, New Hampshire — 3:29 p.m. EDT
- Caribou, Maine — 3:33 p.m. EDT
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.