Eclipse coverage in Erie, around Pennsylvania: Review Monday's updates, observations

After more than a year of preparation as a prime viewing location in the path of totality, Erie greeted thousands of visitors for the total solar eclipse Monday. Reporters from GoErie.com and the Pennsylvania's USA TODAY Network were among the sky watchers in crowds at several viewing events in Erie County and beyond.

Reporters provided the following observations from the path of totality in northwestern Pennsylvania and throughout the state Monday, complete with photos and videos:

Post-eclipse traffic

Aside from some predictably slow traffic on Presque Isle State Park, most of the Erie area seemed to dodge the traffic logjam that many had expected.

But it wasn't smooth sailing for everyone. Motorists reported that southbound traffic on Interstate 79 got heavier as they drove further south. One motorist said traffic was moving at about 15 mph at the Cochranton-Geneva exit in southern Crawford County and slowed down even more by the Greenville exist in Mercer County.

Visit 511pa.com for realtime traffic alerts, conditions and more.

People from around the globe visit Erie for eclipse

Rojan Dahal, 24, a graduate computer science student at Gannon and native of Nepal, came to Perry Square to view the eclipse on Monday.

"It is nice to see people from all over the world, really, in Erie," Dahal said. "It is my favorite thing about this."

York Suburban elementary students in awe of solar eclipse

Students at Indian Rock Elementary in the York Suburban School District sat on the macadam outside, wore solar eclipse glasses and stared up at the sun as the light dimmed around them.

"It's amazing," fourth-grader Justice Lanson said. "It's not going to happen for another like 20 years or so, so I feel like it's cool to see."

The district purchased solar eclipse glasses for students to witness the celestial event. Students headed outside at the end of the school day to look up at the sky and watch as the moon nearly covered the sun.

Travelers from far, wide head to North East beach

Terry and Becca Claar "picked the smallest little town and hit the GPS," Terry Claar said.

They ended up in the parking lot of the now shuttered Freeport Restaurant in North East, just down the road from the beach.

Terry Claar, a self-described "space junky" said he didn't want his grandson to miss the event.

"He'll never get to see this in his lifetime unless he travels far," Claar told reporter Matt Rink.

As the sky darkened and the moon blocked the entirety of the sun, one man standing nearby yelled in jubilation, "totally worth it." He had driven from Harrisburg. Fireworks blasted off and spectators from as far away as Texas, Florida, Colorado and Connecticut, who had gathered at Freeport Beach, cheered.

Mike Meyer of Leesburg, Virginia, wasn't about to miss the eclipse, or allow clouds to obstruct his view as they did in 2017 when he trekked to Kansas for the last eclipse.

He left his home at 4 a.m. Saturday and headed to Buffalo, where he grew up, to visit family and watch the eclipse. But then his plans changed.

"At about 12:30 today the weather (in Buffalo) was bad," Meyer said. "I saw on the news that it was going to be clear out over Erie. So I headed west. Grabbed my stuff, said goodbye to the family and took off."

In 2017, it was overly cloudy where he was.

"It was still great, even though it was cloudy, just the overall effect was worth the effort," Meyer said of his voyage to Kansas. "But this? This was perfect."

Eclipse vendor from Philly in Erie

Philadelphia-area resident Eddie Brandt came to Erie to sell eclipse T-shirts he prints himself. Brandt, who was on lower State Street near Dobbins Landing, said he sold about 100 of the 200 shirts he made. "I'll get rid of the rest online," said Brandt.

Groups gather at Conneaut Township Park

A couple from Austintown, Ohio had been to Conneaut Township Park and decided to come up for a visit during the eclipse.

“We’ve been here for the beach before,” said Season Kramer, sitting next to her husband, Christopher Kramer in the back of their pickup truck. They planned the trip a couple of weeks ago.

Views at Presque Isle State Park

Visitors from Washington, D.C., and the Pittsburgh area were among those to make the trek to Presque Isle State Park to view the eclipse.

'Once in a lifetime' event

James Huguley, 47, a social work professor at the University of Pittsburgh, brought his family to Erie for the eclipse and booked a room at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel to experience "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this."

Eclipse darkness near Lake Erie

Philly, Bucks County experience eclipse

Philadelphia and its suburbs got it first glimpse of the partial eclipse right on time shortly after 2:08 p.m., but the clouds quickly moved in after what seemed to be a cloudless and perfectly clear Monday morning. Sky watchers weren't giving up hope though as they gathered at local libraries, the Franklin Institute and other city landmarks to catch a view. 

In Bucks County, folks lined up along the Delaware River with their solar eclipse glasses and it parks. 

Cheers ring out as totality nears

People are loudly cheering on the Erie bayfront as it gets dark.

Pittsburgh visitor with her pet

Erie Zoo expects predators, prey to experience eclipse differently

How will animals at Erie Zoo react to the solar eclipse? Behavior of 15-20 species will be recorded by guests and zoo staff, the latter expecting different results between prey species and predators.

“Do they behave differently when the sun goes down at an abnormal time?” zoo curator Jenn Salandra posed to Jeff Uveino. “We know how they normally act at night… Will they start acting that way when this is going on?”

When this project started during 2017’s solar eclipse in the United States, top behaviors observed were nighttime behavior and nervousness or anxiousness. Prey species especially exhibited nervousness. Once data is collected, it will be shared with that from several other zoos participating in this North Carolina State University-based project.

The eclipse also fell on National Zoo Lover’s Day, a welcomed coincidence to the sizable crowd which turned out at Glenwood Park.

View from the zoo

Follow Jeff Uveino on X, twitter.com/@realjuveino, for updates from the Erie Zoo.

Gov. Shapiro has made his way to UPMC Park

Visitor enjoys view in downtown Erie parking lot

Follow Kevin Flowers on X, twitter.com/@ETNflowers, for eclipse updates from downtown Erie.

'Zooclipse' attendees will aid animal behavioral project

Attendees of Erie Zoo’s “Zooclipse” event were given a 10-page packet with which they can assist a “citizen science project” on animal behavior in relation to the eclipse. Zoo staff recorded behaviors of 15-20 animal species Saturday and Sunday and will compare them to recordings from Monday, when zoo-goers will log data as animals experience the eclipse.

This is the continuation of a project started by Nashville Zoo and Riverside Zoo during a solar eclipse in 2017.

“This is at the core of what we do,” said Erie Zoo chin executive officer Melissa “Roo” Kojancie. “Our mission is to foster appreciation of nature through memorable experiences and meaningful action.”

Wedding and 'Dark Side of the Moon' at Frontier Park

Ed Palattella reports that there is a wedding scheduled during the eclipse at Frontier Park.

Also at Frontier Park, the band Phunkademic just launched into the first song from, what else, Pink Floyd’s classic album “Dark Side of the Moon.”

The plan is for the band to play the whole album, ending at the same time as totality. The final lines to the album’s final song: “And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.”

UPMC Park update

Follow Tom Reisenweber on X, twitter.com/ETNreisenweber, for updates from UPMC Park.

Big crowd at PennWest

Val Myers reports that police estimate the watch party crowd at PennWest Edinboro at 4,000 to 5,000.

Dueling fiddles at Presque Isle Downs

Follow Mike Copper on X, twitter.com/ETNcopper, for updates from Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

More from Shapiro

Eclipse event at Mercyhurst

Long haul to viewing

A family from Clymer, New York, drove an hour and a half to get to Conneaut Township Park in Conneaut, Ohio.

“We woke up to clouds, so we looked for places to go where it looked clearer,” said Heather Costner.

She and her husband, Kevin Costner, and their two sons were lying on the grass at the park with snacks within reach.

“We home school, so we thought this would be a good field trip,” Heather Costner said. “But if the weather were better we’d have stayed in our back yard.”

Sun brings cheers at Erie Zoo

Though it only lasted a moment, a glimpse of sun at 2:05 p.m. prompted a chorus of clapping across Erie Zoo during its “Zooclipse” event. Attention quickly turned from gazing at animals to scrambling over eclipse glasses.

Alternative location

Conneaut Township (Ohio) Park was the place for some to go for those from afar. John Werling of Pittsburgh drove up with his son, James, 17, leaving at 9:30 a.m.

"I knew about this park and I figured fewer people would be here than like Presque Isle or someplace like that," Werling told the Times-News' Jennie Geisler.

Live broadcast of solar eclipse

Want to follow the 2024 solar eclipse live on Monday afternoon? Watch the USA TODAY broadcast at the video below.

Gov. Shapiro arrives in Perry Square

Crowd growing at Erie Zoo’s 'Zooclipse'

Erie Zoo’s parking lots were near capacity by 1:30 p.m. as a crowd filed into the zoo’s “Zooclipse” event, according to Jeff Uveino. Family-friendly activities such as crafts and hula hooping last until 5 p.m.

Eclipse viewers in Edinboro

Crowds continue to grow at PennWest's Mallory Lake in Edinboro while food trucks are a major attraction before the eclipse begins.

Perry Square

Vendors set up in Erie

John Bellis, 38, of Grove City, was one of many vendors who set up in Erie to sell T-shirts and other merchandise for the eclipse. "Whatever the major event is, you are right in the middle of it," Bellis said from his tent at the northeastern corner of West 11th Street and Pittsburgh Avenue.

Crafts for kids in Edinboro

Presque Isle State Park

Jim Martin reports that traffic onto Presque Isle State Park was flowing freely before 1 p.m., but the parking lot at Beach 1 is packed.

Erie weather update

Clouds will give way to mostly sunny skies after 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland. Check the forecast here.

Philadelphia-area mom surprises son with trip to Erie

Sun makes appearance in Edinboro

Valerie Myers reports that the first glimpse of the sun appeared in Edinboro. And lines are getting longer at food trucks feeding a growing number of people gathering around Mallory Lake at PennWest.

Activity at Tom Ridge Environmental Center

A steady flow of visitors have been flowing through the Tom Ridge Environmental Center all morning, Jim Martin reported. Some of them were greeted at an information stand by Matt Greene, director of operations for Presque Isle State Park. Greene, who was chatting with guests and passing eclipse glasses, said most visitors were from out of town. Those guests included Beth Wert and Claire Fritz, who drove in this morning from Harrisburg. Greene, who noted there was still space available on the park, said visitors seemed to be arriving a little later than he expected.

Barbara Chaffee, CEO of Tom Ridge Environmental Foundation, said this weekend they had the best two days in the gift shop’s history aside from open house art events.

12:30 p.m. update on bayfront

While gatherings are sparse at the bayfront at the moment, Greg Wohlford reports that music and lights are attracting some activity. Skies are slowly clearing, though, too.

Performers ready to entertain

See Tom Reisenweber's interview with Katie Linendoll, country music singer and Erie native who is performing at UPMC Park today.

Chris Higbee will entertain crowds at the casino.

Lake City park filled

According to a post from Erie County's official Facebook page, Erie Bluffs State Park in Lake City is at visitor capacity.

Gov. Shapiro in Erie

Gov. Josh Shapiro and his wife, Lori Shapiro, are in the Erie region today, visiting Lake Erie Speedway in North East and expected to make stops at events in downtown Erie, including at UPMC Park and Perry Square. Erie is the only major city in Pennsylvania in the path of totality. Matt Rink reported that Shapiro's son Jonah took a few laps in one of the cars at the speedway.

A NASA astronaut, Warren Hoburg, accompanied the governor and his family during their visit to Lake Erie Speedway.

Jonah Shapiro couldn't get enough of his ride at the Lake Erie Speedway and signaled to his family, including his father, Gov. Josh Shapiro, that he was going to go another few laps.

NASA representatives in Erie

Kevin Flowers reports that Jessica Calles, an executive officer from NASA's office in Washington D.C., and other NASA representatives were in Perry Square on Monday handing out free eclipse glasses and talking with people about the event.

Visiting families heading to viewing sites

By 11:30 a.m., many groups were leaving bayfront hotels and making their way to viewing sites. Photographer Greg Wohlford reports some raindrops and a faint blue sky to the west over Presque Isle.

PennWest Edinboro awaits eclipse

Students from Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy were seen waiting out in the rain at PennWest Edinboro’s eclipse viewing event. Schools from as far as Lancaster have sent students to the campus today, Valerie Myers reported. If clouds remain this afternoon, we still should be able to see a darkening during totality of the eclipse, said David Hurd, PennWest University planetarium director and geosciences professor.

Presque Isle Downs & Casino readies for crowd

Downtown Erie traffic and parking

Times-News photographer Greg Wohlford reports that traffic (at 10:45 a.m.) looks light in downtown Erie, with fewer businesses open. Bayfront traffic is light but roads north of the Bayfront Highway are closed at State, Sassafras and Holland streets with Erie Police Department officers staffed at each. Folks will need to use parking garages or walk at areas near UPMC Park — all normal on-street parking has been posted as tow-away zones.

How is traffic in Erie on Monday morning?

Erie region law enforcement has extra officers on duty to help handle the expected large volume of traffic today. With no schools in session for the region and many businesses closed, traffic was not an issue early Monday, according to Pennsylvania State Police Captain Kirk Reese.

Venango County event draws eclipse enthusiasts

The solar eclipse's powerful draw brought a variety of stargazers Sunday to a narrow mountain road where the Oil Region Astronomical Society’s observatory grounds are located off Route 322 southeast of Oil City. The two-day eclipse event that began Sunday afternoon included opportunities for members of the public to look through telescopes to witness dark sunspots or solar flares that appeared as dancing tendrils erupting from the sun's surface.

Will the weather cooperate?

The National Weather Service says the eclipse will start in Texas and make its way across the country, passing over several states before arriving in Pennsylvania. According to USA TODAY, nearly 500 cities in the U.S. are on the path of totality, including Erie.

Forecasts estimated a high temperature of 60 degrees in Erie on Monday. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland called for a 30% chance of showers between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

AccuWeather's total solar eclipse cloud forecast said there was concern that a band of clouds will move across western/central Pennsylvania and New York on Monday.

In south-central Pennsylvania, National Weather Service forecaster David Martin said the area will see clouds some of the time. Overall, it's expected to be a nice day with temperatures in the low- to mid-60s.

Get the latest AccuWeather forecast details and radar images for your ZIP code at goerie.com/weather. Download the GoErie app for iOS or Android for mobile-friendly forecasts.

What time is the eclipse? How long will it last?

Erie will see an eclipse starting approximately at 2:02 p.m. and lasting 2 hours and 28 minutes until 4:30 p.m. At the peak of the eclipse, the moon will completely obscure the sun for 3 minutes, 39 seconds from 3:16 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.

When will it be in your area in the state?

Enter your ZIP code in the interactive map below to see when the eclipse will be in your area.

Can't see our graphics?Search your ZIP code for a complete eclipse viewing guide

Path of totality changed. How's it impact your view?

The path of Monday’s total solar eclipse could be slightly different than expected and leave several parts of the country with a much narrower window of totality, according to new calculations.

If you're in Erie, don't panic.

Since the change in path amounts to only a few hundred yards to about a mile, Erie County ― which continues to sit in the middle of the path of totality ― will remain a prime viewing spot for the event.

Where can you watch it in Erie?

• In the Erie area, people are encouraged to find parks and places other than the bayfront to view the eclipse because the downtown traffic could be gridlocked.
• Viewing events are planned leading up to and during the eclipse. We compiled a list of local places that are hosting events to view the eclipse, including gatherings at restaurants and bars. If you're looking for something to do around Erie while awaiting the eclipse, check out this list.

Eclipse viewing near Pittsburgh

Beaver Valley residents can expect to experience 98% obstruction, resulting in a partial solar eclipse. The Beaver County Library System got in on the eclipse fun, hosting Solar Soiree at the B.F. Jones Memorial Library with the Carnegie Science Center's inflatable planetarium. Call the library to register, or for details, at 724-375-2900.

Where to watch in Somerset County, near Johnstown, Laurel Highlands

The Somerset County Library and the Mary S. Biesecker Public Library in Somerset are planning eclipse viewing parties.

Eclipse viewing in central Pennsylvania including York, Lebanon

Your best bet to view the eclipse in southcentral Pennsylvania is to, well, hit the road. Traveling to Erie, New York or Ohio will provide the best view of the event all in under a six-hour drive.

• Where to watch and get glasses in Lebanon County.
• A watch party is on at Waynesboro Area Senior High School.

What to expect in the Poconos

The last time a solar eclipse passed through northeastern Pennsylvania was in 1925. The region is not in the path of totality, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to watch.

The Grey Towers National Historic Site, in Milford, plans to open for patrons to view a partial solar eclipse.

Viewing the eclipse in the Philadelphia suburbs

In Bucks County, at the peak of the eclipse the moon will cover 89.5% of the sun. Areas including Cira Green and Fairmount Park will make nice viewing spots.

Still need eclipse glasses?

You should wear special eclipse glasses to protect your eyes. According to eclipse.aas.org, ISO 12312-2 is the international safety standard filter that will reduce visible sunlight to safe levels while also blocking the solar UV and IR radiation.

Retailers, including Walmart, Wegmans, and Target, all had eclipse glasses for sale.

Where can you get eclipse glasses? Get free ones here. But be wary of counterfeit glasses.

How are travel conditions?

• If you're on the road during the eclipse, don't pull over or stop in traffic to take in the event. PennDOT will be removing stopped cars from highways and will break up viewing parties at each of the commonwealth's 17 rest stops.
• PennDOT and Erie County officials expect heavy traffic, and likely a slow return trip home after the eclipse viewing ends. You should expect an extra police presence to handle accidents and other issues before, during and after the event.
• State transportation, emergency and parks officials have coordinated plans to keep the public safe and keep traffic moving.
• Visit 511pa.com for realtime traffic alerts, conditions and more.

What to do in an emergency?

If you have an emergency situation during the eclipse in northwest Pa., check this list of emergency services numbers we've compiled.

How to take photos with your phone

Be careful when taking photographs of a solar eclipse with your smartphone. Check out these tips and tricks.