Solar eclipse forecast: dodging storms?

We are less than 24 hours from the biggest celestial event of 2024 and many along the path of totality are closely monitoring the forecast. Weather & Radar meteorologists are eyeing severe storms, flooding rains, and cloud cover.

The main area to be keeping a close eye on for less-than-ideal solar eclipse viewing weather is in the southern Plains through the mid-Mississippi Valley. The moon will begin to pass between the Sun and the Earth after Noon CDT in Texas and Arkansas on Monday.

We are monitoring a severe weather threat and the WeatherRadar shows building clouds along the path of totality at the time of the eclipse from southwest Texas through Arkansas, southern Missouri, and southern Illinois.

The severe weather threat takes hold across the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley on Monday, but luckily those in the path of totality won’t have to worry about the storms until after the eclipse. Late evening to late-night severe weather and flooding rains are in the forecast.

At this time, as much as an enhanced risk has been issued and includes Dallas, with a slight risk extending from Oklahoma City to just north of Austin, Texas, and eastward past Shreveport, La. Keep this in mind since there will be more people on the roadways and there could be even slower traffic than usual.

By the time the eclipse begins across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, there will be some clouds, especially in Ohio, and in Cleveland which is in the path of totality. Scattered rain showers are possible too. Although it’s best to see the eclipse without clouds, it will still get dark! But be sure to keep those eclipse glasses on since viewing it with the naked eye, even with clouds, is dangerous.

The same forecast goes for the lower Great Lakes and western New York. Keep a close eye on the 90-minute and hourly forecast in the app to see how much cloud cover is expected locally.

In the Northeast, the eclipse begins after 2 p.m. EDT and this is one of the best regions to watch due to the blue sky forecast. Burlington, Vt., Colebrook, N.H., and Greenville, Maine, all have great forecasts for Monday’s viewing within the path of totality, with temperatures in the 50s and 60s to boot!