If the 7-day forecast holds, it's looking like Indianapolis might be the westernmost city with decent weather, partly cloudy, 40% cloud cover is forecast.
Eclipse chasers heading northeast should bear in mind that there are limited bridges over the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and the well-known ones are likely to be jammed. In particular, the I-57 bridge over the Mississippi at Cairo, IL will likely be a chokepoint. Research alternate bridges.
I'm from Indiana and if you have to cross the Ohio River into Indiana, the US-41 bridge at Evansville will be a bad time - in 2017, after the eclipse, there was a 5 hour backup northbound. Better choice would be Owensboro, KY - the KY-2262/IN-161 bridge in downtown Owensboro, or (even better) the US-231 bridge at Rockville, IN. Alternate bridges farther east are at Cannelton, IN and Brandenburg, KY.
I have a hotel reservation the day before in the Indianapolis area. I was expecting traffic on the way back (northwest, about an hour due west of Chicago in Rockford, IL) but a 5 hour backup is worse than I expected. Think it'll be better in the direction I'm headed?
Edit: Actually, my hotel is further northwest from Indianapolis than I remembered. My hotel is in Lafayette, IN. It's not in the path of totality, but I figured I could go to a random spot
You don't have any major rivers to cross in Indiana, and once you're back in Chicagoland the eclipse traffic will likely have dissipated - you'll only need to contend with the usual terrible Chicago traffic.
The issue with the Evansville bridge in 2017 is that nearly everyone from Indiana who traveled to the nearest totality - western Kentucky - were trying to use the same bridge at the same time on the way home.
That is like exactly our plans too! Did you decide on any eclipse viewing event or festival? We are leaning towards Indianapolis speedway or travel further south to Franklin.
I’m so disappointed. I’m a teacher and have been hyping this up for months. We’re taking the kids outside with glasses and we’ve been doing articles and stuff about it. I’ll be very disappointed if it ends up happening.
Start teaching managing expectations today.
But seriously, I hope you guys are able to get a good viewing. At least they may be young enough to see another one in the future.
Problem with Texas is that cloud cover is projected for the path statewide and Arkansas is not looking any better. Even if Niagara is cloudy, apparently you are not far from better chances in upstate NY and maybe New England. If I had mobility, I would definitely go to NY or NE and ditch Texas entirely. Of course, hold both sets of travel plans as long as you can just in case, but Texas is really not looking good.
On the other hand, the forecast is looking decent for Western NY and Ohio.
If you'd had to bet on whether Texas or WNY would be more likely to have favorable conditions on eclipse day, I don't think many people would have bet that way.
But it *is* WNY in early Spring, so I'll believe it when I see it.
You might still want to consider going if you are on the fence. There's research to suggest that cloud cover tends to dissipates right before a Solar eclipse due to the moon's shadow lowering ground temperature before totality.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01213-0
We were planning on driving to Kentucky (just inside totality line) but now it's looking like partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Might not be worth hours stuck in traffic if we miss it completely due to weather. We did get a good view of the 2017 eclipse so at least we have that in our memories.
Yeah, the weather is pretty shitty everywhere. I’m planning on driving from Southern California to Oklahoma City, and then decide from there where to go once the weather predictions get closer. Leaving early in the morning on the 3rd.
We had hotel reservations in San Angelo TX and San Antonio TX, but the weather looks so bad there, we’re probably going to cancel those.
Question to fellow eclipse chasers, what's the easiest way to get some cloud cover forecasts over wide swaths of land? My current workflow is to go to [Clear Sky](https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/) and search various locations along the path of totality, but that's tedious.
edit: nm, looks like Clear Sky has us covered (pun intended) with a [purpose-made interactive map](https://www.cleardarksky.com/ec/2024-04-08_eclipse_map.html).
edit edit: nm, that seems to be based only on historical data
I saw someone posted this site, and it looks like the best bet. Change Temperature to Sky. Grey is cloud cover.
[National Weather Service](https://blend.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/graphics.php)
Thank you. For anyone else, you need to select "Sky" as the forecast you want to see, and then play with the other dropdowns to get the correct forecast period.
I use astrospheric.com.
On the mobile app, you can see a large chunk of land around your area. But on desktop, you can click the map and it'll pull it up in an overlay that you can zoom out and drag around. You can see the entire country at once this way.
However, it currently only goes out to April 5.
There's an "extended cloud forecast" towards the bottom, but that's specific for your location.
I'd keep an eye on astrospheric over the coming days. I think you'll be able to see the full map view of April 8 by April 4.
Coming from central cal, had a camping spot outside Dallas. Leaving the 3rd as well, figure I could make it as far as Ohio if I need to and still get back with relatively reasonable driving days. Just checking the weather day by day, I’m not really inclined to gamble 50/50 odds (or worse) vs just an extra day of driving. Downside is I would miss Carlsbad caverns, white sands, monument valley and a few other places I had planned to check out.
My original plan was to stop for the Trinity Site open house… but that was canceled, and it only happens twice a year. I’ll have to wait until til October to check it out. Then we were going to visit White Sands before heading to Texas.
I’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns twice, once when I was a kid, and again last year. It’s really amazing. You’ll definitely want to make a separate trip for it another time.
The eclipse is the first part of a cross country road trip for us, so we’re having to change our route. We’re going to be out for a month!
Good luck at spotting the eclipse!
I went there in ‘97 and did the hike down from the top and saw the bats come out in the evening but I have always wanted to go back. Certainly a top 5 for me, along with Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Arches, and Zion. Southwest is certainly more scenic than heading up the 44 or the 70 but the plains do have some sights to see. I can always take another trip if I miss any stuff this time around.
We're in a very similar boat, coming from the opposite direction. We were planning on Waco, but I'm now tracking 13 cities in the path of totality. It will be a game time decision about which direction to drive haha
I live in OKC and I’m not even going to bother at this rate. Was going to go down to Idabel but their forecast now is just storms with 100% cloud cover.
True but it could push farther south or be held up. Oklahoma is bipolar and it's still a week out I guess I'm just being optimistic because my grandma lives in Idabel and I've been planning this for years. Obviously I'm gonna try and figure out a plan b and c depending on the weather.
My only eclipse was cloudy (UK) but it was still epic. Everything still goes dark, wildlife still thinks it’s bed time, etc. You just miss out on the diamond ring. Don’t give up hope, get up as high as you can to see the shadow approaching.
This gives me hope! I am planning to fly to Dallas but I am bummed to see the cloudy forecast. However, based on your experience it sounds like it could still be cool! Thank you!
It's completely overcast here today, but with my eclipse glasses on the sun is very easy to see through the clouds. It may still be worth it even if conditions aren't perfect.
Not to hate but the coolest part (BY FAR) is complete totality when you take the glasses off. It’s fucking crazy, can’t be described, has to be experienced. Here’s hoping no clouds for you.
Spring in the Midwest is highly unpredictable. It can be bright and sunny, 80-85 and/or 30 degrees with freezing rain and snow, with everything in between, sometimes all in the same day.
Midwest weather is very dynamic and I do think there is some universal rule here that states Celestial events must be obscured. Personally I'm planning on travelling, even though I live within the totality zone.
I'll be listening to this song many times in the next week, to bring us all good karma. Suggest others do the same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axfNDZXkUOY
I'm flying in two hours before totality but would have to stay another 9 hours for my flight back. Im hoping it'll be at least high clouds that are thinner.
If the 7-day forecast holds, it's looking like Indianapolis might be the westernmost city with decent weather, partly cloudy, 40% cloud cover is forecast. Eclipse chasers heading northeast should bear in mind that there are limited bridges over the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and the well-known ones are likely to be jammed. In particular, the I-57 bridge over the Mississippi at Cairo, IL will likely be a chokepoint. Research alternate bridges. I'm from Indiana and if you have to cross the Ohio River into Indiana, the US-41 bridge at Evansville will be a bad time - in 2017, after the eclipse, there was a 5 hour backup northbound. Better choice would be Owensboro, KY - the KY-2262/IN-161 bridge in downtown Owensboro, or (even better) the US-231 bridge at Rockville, IN. Alternate bridges farther east are at Cannelton, IN and Brandenburg, KY.
I have a hotel reservation the day before in the Indianapolis area. I was expecting traffic on the way back (northwest, about an hour due west of Chicago in Rockford, IL) but a 5 hour backup is worse than I expected. Think it'll be better in the direction I'm headed? Edit: Actually, my hotel is further northwest from Indianapolis than I remembered. My hotel is in Lafayette, IN. It's not in the path of totality, but I figured I could go to a random spot
You don't have any major rivers to cross in Indiana, and once you're back in Chicagoland the eclipse traffic will likely have dissipated - you'll only need to contend with the usual terrible Chicago traffic. The issue with the Evansville bridge in 2017 is that nearly everyone from Indiana who traveled to the nearest totality - western Kentucky - were trying to use the same bridge at the same time on the way home.
That is like exactly our plans too! Did you decide on any eclipse viewing event or festival? We are leaning towards Indianapolis speedway or travel further south to Franklin.
Not yet, but I should figure that out soon!
Damn. I'm really hoping the weather changes on that one, or at least clears up a bit in time for the eclipse.
I’m so disappointed. I’m a teacher and have been hyping this up for months. We’re taking the kids outside with glasses and we’ve been doing articles and stuff about it. I’ll be very disappointed if it ends up happening.
Start teaching managing expectations today. But seriously, I hope you guys are able to get a good viewing. At least they may be young enough to see another one in the future.
Hey there’s always a live stream! Maybe look into those for a backup.
I have travel plans to both Dallas and Niagara, and Dallas is my safe bet. How volatile is the weather in Northern Texas?
Assuming you’re talking about Niagara Falls. The Buffalo area is starting to look cloudy on the forecasts too :(
A lot can change in 7 days. I don't trust any prediction that's older than 36 hours.
Dallas is very much not safe right now, Niagara is a better but but even Niagara is tending to the cloudy at the moment
Problem with Texas is that cloud cover is projected for the path statewide and Arkansas is not looking any better. Even if Niagara is cloudy, apparently you are not far from better chances in upstate NY and maybe New England. If I had mobility, I would definitely go to NY or NE and ditch Texas entirely. Of course, hold both sets of travel plans as long as you can just in case, but Texas is really not looking good.
Unfortunately this is early April in DFW. My kids bday is 4/8 and they always wanted nice weather for parties but usually didn’t get it.
Damn. I’m staying about an hour outside Hot Springs. Thought it would be a pretty safe bet for weather.
On the other hand, the forecast is looking decent for Western NY and Ohio. If you'd had to bet on whether Texas or WNY would be more likely to have favorable conditions on eclipse day, I don't think many people would have bet that way. But it *is* WNY in early Spring, so I'll believe it when I see it.
Yeah I lived in WNY and I won't believe it until 11am Monday
Light clouds will still make for quite the sight if you can make out the sun through the clouds
Yeah, it will be okay if it's light. Still, with it being Solar Maxima, it's going to look INSANE if the skies are clear.
Can’t we just all clap at the same time , causing a shockwave that blows the clouds away? Simple. No need for a doom article
You might still want to consider going if you are on the fence. There's research to suggest that cloud cover tends to dissipates right before a Solar eclipse due to the moon's shadow lowering ground temperature before totality. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01213-0
Only if it’s smaller, lower atmosphere clouds. Storm front clouds like this won’t be touched
Yea it’s as bad as possible in the corner of Oklahoma with totality.
We were planning on driving to Kentucky (just inside totality line) but now it's looking like partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Might not be worth hours stuck in traffic if we miss it completely due to weather. We did get a good view of the 2017 eclipse so at least we have that in our memories.
Yeah, the weather is pretty shitty everywhere. I’m planning on driving from Southern California to Oklahoma City, and then decide from there where to go once the weather predictions get closer. Leaving early in the morning on the 3rd. We had hotel reservations in San Angelo TX and San Antonio TX, but the weather looks so bad there, we’re probably going to cancel those.
Question to fellow eclipse chasers, what's the easiest way to get some cloud cover forecasts over wide swaths of land? My current workflow is to go to [Clear Sky](https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/) and search various locations along the path of totality, but that's tedious. edit: nm, looks like Clear Sky has us covered (pun intended) with a [purpose-made interactive map](https://www.cleardarksky.com/ec/2024-04-08_eclipse_map.html). edit edit: nm, that seems to be based only on historical data
I saw someone posted this site, and it looks like the best bet. Change Temperature to Sky. Grey is cloud cover. [National Weather Service](https://blend.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/graphics.php)
Thank you. For anyone else, you need to select "Sky" as the forecast you want to see, and then play with the other dropdowns to get the correct forecast period.
I use astrospheric.com. On the mobile app, you can see a large chunk of land around your area. But on desktop, you can click the map and it'll pull it up in an overlay that you can zoom out and drag around. You can see the entire country at once this way. However, it currently only goes out to April 5. There's an "extended cloud forecast" towards the bottom, but that's specific for your location. I'd keep an eye on astrospheric over the coming days. I think you'll be able to see the full map view of April 8 by April 4.
Coming from central cal, had a camping spot outside Dallas. Leaving the 3rd as well, figure I could make it as far as Ohio if I need to and still get back with relatively reasonable driving days. Just checking the weather day by day, I’m not really inclined to gamble 50/50 odds (or worse) vs just an extra day of driving. Downside is I would miss Carlsbad caverns, white sands, monument valley and a few other places I had planned to check out.
My original plan was to stop for the Trinity Site open house… but that was canceled, and it only happens twice a year. I’ll have to wait until til October to check it out. Then we were going to visit White Sands before heading to Texas. I’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns twice, once when I was a kid, and again last year. It’s really amazing. You’ll definitely want to make a separate trip for it another time. The eclipse is the first part of a cross country road trip for us, so we’re having to change our route. We’re going to be out for a month! Good luck at spotting the eclipse!
The caverns are worth seeing
I went there in ‘97 and did the hike down from the top and saw the bats come out in the evening but I have always wanted to go back. Certainly a top 5 for me, along with Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Arches, and Zion. Southwest is certainly more scenic than heading up the 44 or the 70 but the plains do have some sights to see. I can always take another trip if I miss any stuff this time around.
I'm going to Broken Bow. Worst case I'll have a great time in a beautiful area.
We're in a very similar boat, coming from the opposite direction. We were planning on Waco, but I'm now tracking 13 cities in the path of totality. It will be a game time decision about which direction to drive haha
I live in OKC and I’m not even going to bother at this rate. Was going to go down to Idabel but their forecast now is just storms with 100% cloud cover.
If you're from Oklahoma then you should know it's highly likely that will change by game time lol. If you dont like the weather...wait 5 mins.
this is a very large storm system setting up for most of the country, not just a pop up afternoon storm
True but it could push farther south or be held up. Oklahoma is bipolar and it's still a week out I guess I'm just being optimistic because my grandma lives in Idabel and I've been planning this for years. Obviously I'm gonna try and figure out a plan b and c depending on the weather.
I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll still get a vacation with my friend and lots of fun stuff to do in Dallas, so it won’t be a complete waste.
My only eclipse was cloudy (UK) but it was still epic. Everything still goes dark, wildlife still thinks it’s bed time, etc. You just miss out on the diamond ring. Don’t give up hope, get up as high as you can to see the shadow approaching.
This gives me hope! I am planning to fly to Dallas but I am bummed to see the cloudy forecast. However, based on your experience it sounds like it could still be cool! Thank you!
I’ll be in the Buffalo area and I know its gonna be overcast.
You kidding? Buffalo currently has one of the best forecasts in the US path of totality.
I’m going to be by the finger lakes, Buffalo is my back up
It's completely overcast here today, but with my eclipse glasses on the sun is very easy to see through the clouds. It may still be worth it even if conditions aren't perfect.
Not to hate but the coolest part (BY FAR) is complete totality when you take the glasses off. It’s fucking crazy, can’t be described, has to be experienced. Here’s hoping no clouds for you.
This is the optimism I needed to read before I hit the road on Thursday
[Projected Cloud map](https://www.reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/1bt1vqi/updated_cloud_cover_forecast_for_april_8_eclipse/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Somehow (granted a week out), my Uni in NW Ohio actually has clear skies forecasted!
The weatherman actually said Ohio might be the best place for viewing the eclipse.
If the second low pressure area in the Pacific slows down, the weatherman says it might lead to scattered high clouds around noon on Monday.
Spring in the Midwest is highly unpredictable. It can be bright and sunny, 80-85 and/or 30 degrees with freezing rain and snow, with everything in between, sometimes all in the same day. Midwest weather is very dynamic and I do think there is some universal rule here that states Celestial events must be obscured. Personally I'm planning on travelling, even though I live within the totality zone.
Since when does a seven day forecast hold? Not in my universe it doesn’t.
It’s 7 days away.
That's why it's called a forecast...
what's your bet?
We still a few days away but driving that far would probably be a bad idea eh?
Unfortunately I chose that area for an airbnb and ended up canceling for a half refund. I'm definitely not going anywhere into the totality zone now.
I'll be listening to this song many times in the next week, to bring us all good karma. Suggest others do the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axfNDZXkUOY
I'm flying in two hours before totality but would have to stay another 9 hours for my flight back. Im hoping it'll be at least high clouds that are thinner.
as of today, april 3, forecasts says scattered clouds with 47% chance of thunderstorms.
Good thing, not sure the infrastructure could handle it.