NationalEclipse.com | Feb 16, 2024 | National Eclipse Blog
A total solar eclipse is a very precise phenomenon. For hundreds of years into the future, astronomers can predict exactly what time an eclipse will occur, down to the tenth of a second, and exactly where the Moon's shadow will touch the surface of the Earth, down to the foot. Without this data, nobody would know when and where solar eclipses would happen. But there's one aspect of solar eclipse planning that is woefully unpredictable. And it's one that can impact your chances of even seeing an eclipse at all.
I'm talking, of course, about the weather. No matter what you do to plan for a successful eclipse viewing, there's no telling what might actually happen on eclipse day. Ask any veteran eclipse chaser about their adventures and they'll tell you that they've had at least one eclipse viewing spoiled by clouds or bad weather. Indeed, with the period of totality lasting, at most, no more than a few minutes, even a stray cloud at the wrong moment can ruin months and even years of planning.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to at least mitigate this risk. The first step is to plan your eclipse trip well in advance, researching the regions and areas where the weather experts say the best chances for cloud-free skies will be during the time of year when the eclipse will take place. For the April 8 total solar eclipse, meteorologists believe the path of totality in Texas offers the best day-of weather prospects in the U.S. Locating yourself in Texas, or somewhere else along the path of totality with favorable weather odds, is step one. But positioning yourself where the weather should be good is an obvious strategy.
Beyond that, the most important thing you can do to prevent major disappointment on April 8 is to remain vigilant and plan to stay mobile. If you arrive at your eclipse viewing destination a couple of days before the big day, you can begin monitoring short-term weather forecasts for the region. If the chances for cloud-free skies on the day and at the time of the eclipse don't look good, then it's time to initiate Plan B and move to another location.
Fortunately, Plan B isn't as hard as you might think. During the historic total solar eclipse that so many people saw on August 21, 2017, many people found clear skies only a short drive away from their original clouded-out locations. Switching locations at the figurative last minute doesn't have to be as drastic as jumping on a plane and changing hotels. It can be as easy as hopping in a car and driving a couple of hours away from the clouds.
Here's my personal story. In 2017, I made plans far in advance to view the total solar eclipse in Charleston, South Carolina. True, Charleston didn't promise the best weather odds for August 21. Most weather experts agreed that certain parts of the western U.S. offered the best chances for cloudless skies during that time of the year. Why did I choose Charleston? Some eclipse chasers will try to convince you that you must locate yourself exactly where the weather odds are best. Of course, there's certainly nothing wrong with doing that and we've already established that strategy as a good first step, but many people will want to factor other considerations into their trip planning. For me, I chose Charleston because it was closer to where I live and, frankly, it's just a nice city to visit. Weather prospects are always an important factor to consider when planning an eclipse trip, but for most people there are many other variables to evaluate too.
Unfortunately, things didn't work out in Charleston. On eclipse day, the storm clouds started rolling in and the chances for a successful viewing decreased dramatically. But since I was monitoring short-term weather forecasts for the region and since I planned on staying mobile (I didn't fly to Charleston; I drove there), that morning I was able to drive about 100 miles northwest to the Columbia, South Carolina, area where the skies were forecast to be clear at the time of totality. As a result, I was able to view the eclipse in beautiful and virtually cloud-free skies.
Granted, staying mobile might not be possible or even desirable for everybody. In that case, it will still get dark if clouds obscure an eclipse, so that's at least something. But die-hard eclipse chasers know they need to remain vigilant and be prepared to move quickly to another location if necessary. For many people, the extra planning and effort is worth it. They know it means the difference between fully experiencing the majesty of a total solar eclipse or merely settling for the darkness of a cloudy day.
