Countdown to totality gets closer, forecast takes shape
*Above video shows the phases of a total solar eclipse*
(AP / WJW) — Some who hope to witness Monday’s Total Solar Eclipse may see the sun obscured by clouds instead of by the moon.
Coast Guard issues ‘boater bulletin’ regarding Lake Erie and eclipse
There’s still plenty of time for forecasts to change, but National Weather Service meteorologists predict that eclipse day storms could blanket parts of the path, which stretches from Mexico and Texas through Ohio and parts of Canada.
Marc Chenard, with the NWS says the northeast U.S. currently has the best chance of clear skies, along with parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois.
WHAT ABOUT OHIO WEATHER FOR THE ECLIPSE?
Parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Texas are questionable. Northeast Texas, Chenard says, “could kind of go either way at this point.”
FOX 8 METEOROLOGIST DONTAE JONES ECLIPSE FORECAST:
As of Thursday evening, Fox 8 meteoroligist Dontae Jones’s forecast for Monday, April 8, calls for “a cloudy start, a few spotty showers Monday morning. Nothing widespread. PM More clouds than sun. Highs near 60. Cloudcast coverage of 60%.”
WHAT TIME IS THE SOLAR ECLIPSE TOTALITY IN CLEVELAND?
On Monday, April 8, Jones says eclipse totality starts at 3:13 p.m. and totality lasts until 3:17 p.m.
WHAT TIME IS THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS HOME OPENER MONDAY?
The Guardians will play the Chicago White Sox with first pitch at Progressive Field set for 5:10 p.m. That’s about two hours after peak of the total solar eclipse eclipse. Home Opener’s in Cleveland have had a history of being rained out and snowed out, weather for the game looks to be cooperating at this point.
FORECAST ELSEWHERE
Clouds are expected in much of the eclipse’s path Monday thanks to storms that are moving across the central U.S.
How accurate is the eclipse weather forecast? “The uncertainty is still pretty high,” Chenard said. The storms moving across the country make it difficult for meteorologists to predict exactly where and when clouds will arrive.
Weather conditions in the northeast U.S. have looked promising so far, but the timing and speed of Monday’s storms may influence what cloud cover looks like for the rest of the country.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center will update the eclipse forecast daily until Monday.
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How can I see the solar eclipse if it’s very cloudy or rained out?
Eclipse viewers can still watch the total solar eclipse online.
NASA will stream telescope views of the sun and on NASA TV starting at 1 p.m. EDT.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
