National Eclipse

ECLIPSE OVERVIEW

The centerline of the eclipse enters New York over Lake Erie at approximately 2:03pm EDT, with totality beginning in that location at about 3:16pm EDT.

The path of totality traces a grand arc across western and northern New York, crossing both large cities and high peaks. Although New York shares the eclipse with Canada for the length of its journey across the state, most of the width of the path belongs to New York and the centerline travels through the Empire State exclusively.

When it enters the state, the centerline is still over Lake Erie, but it soon touches land again when it crosses directly over Buffalo. So often the punchline of jokes, Buffalo gets the last laugh on April 8 with a very lengthy duration of totality lasting for about 3 minutes and 45 seconds downtown. Just north of Buffalo, you can be sure that scores of people will want to witness the show in the sky with one of Earth's great natural wonders as a backdrop. It will be a surreal experience in Niagara Falls USA where totality will last for about 3 minutes and 31 seconds in the downtown area. As it does in Pennsylvania and Ohio, Interstate 90 parallels the centerline along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York all the way to Buffalo.

The centerline doesn't stay over dry land for long. It soon heads out into open water again, this time Lake Ontario. As is the case with Lake Erie to the west, weather experts think the cold lake waters could aid eclipse viewers by preventing clouds from forming above and around the lakes. On the southern shore of Lake Ontario, Rochester is very close to the centerline at this point and totality will last for about 3 minutes and 39 seconds in the downtown. After crossing through the Finger Lakes region of New York, the eclipse crosses over Syracuse. Situated near the eastern limit of the path, Syracuse will get about 1 minute and 24 seconds of totality downtown but longer durations can be reached by driving north on Interstate 81, which meets up with the centerline.

As it reaches the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, the centerline once again touches down on New York soil and the path of totality heads across northern New York to the Adirondack Mountains. The Adirondacks promise to be one of the most scenic places to view the 2024 eclipse, but high elevations can produce clouds and the weather in early April could be unpredictable in this part of the country. Many of the beautiful mountain lakes, which otherwise would be the perfect setting for an eclipse viewing, might still be frozen during this time of the year. Make sure to check short-term weather forecasts for the region in the days leading up to the eclipse.

Lake Champlain stretches across the entire width of the eclipse path in New York and will offer plenty of scenic viewing opportunities. Interstate 87 bisects the eclipse path as it parallels Lake Champlain and the border with Vermont and will make getting into totality easy for travelers coming up from downstate New York.

The centerline of the eclipse exits the state as it crosses Lake Champlain at approximately 4:37pm EDT, with totality coming to an end in that location at about 3:29pm EDT. From the Pennsylvania-New York border to the New York-Vermont border, the Moon's shadow travels approximately 359 miles along the centerline in 8 minutes and 57 seconds at an average speed of 2,405 miles per hour.