Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024

[5Miler]

Both of my sons and their families live in Bentonville, AR which is forecast to be in the 98.11% totality zone. DGF and I on the other hand will be on vacation in Bonaire just off the coast of Venezuela which will be just outside the eclipse path so goose eggs for us.

 

[Sunset]

I bought some at Lowe's, $2 each. The brand was recommended on what seemed to be a reliable source.

I was at Menard's and saw a pair for just over $1.
They seem real (can't see though them, made in USA printed on it, printed address of manufacturer, bit mirror looking on the sun side).

Will test further to check, as don't want to be blind.

May just use them to cover the camera lens to take photos (not looking at sun through camera).

 

[schenbew]

Too bad the weather isn't shaping up as well as it could have. I was hoping a big high was parked over the center of the continent. All of my inquiries to splitting a small aircraft charter for up and back on the same day went to crickets. At $1700 per person, it was a true BTD proposal. Easier to accept without the promise of CAVU.

Love the "CAVU" reference!

CAVU = Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited

 

[kgtest]

So far looks like SOME clouds possible where I will be headed near MO. That is today's forecast.

I can't stress totality traffic enough. IF you are in the path and are leaving the area or trying to get into the area any few hours before or after the event, traffic will be and not limited to busier then ever and sometimes deadly. On the way back from the last totality event as we neared middle of Iowa after hours of stop and go with then speed-ups with insane slinkying and veering left to right in a steady solid line of cars doing like 88mph.

There was a deadly accident about a half hour after we had passed through and I heard it caused quite a snarl. It took us 2x it normally would to get home then it would normally. A 6hour drive took 12.

This time I booked a hotel, not risking that crazy ass driving like I did in 2017.

Originally planned to go to Mazatlan, but we backed out of that trip...cost us a mint, but is what it is. My families safety is more important than trying to fightt some travel insurance plan that only covers death and illness. Boo.

Cannot WAIT for the event!

 

[pacergal]

We were at the Oregon Coast in 2017. Even though the coastal cloud cover obscured much of the eclipse, it was still so totally awesome.
The darkness, the absolute quietness from the animals and birds, then the morning songbirds starting up again a few minutes later.
Clouds or not, if you have chance to be near the path of totality, do it!

 

[statsman]

We're well within the path of totality here in our part of Central Texas, with the totality duration to be a bit over 3.5 minutes. But we're also forecasted to be cloudy in the morning, with thunderstorms starting in the PM. We'll see.

 

[HenryD]

I was very fortunate to experience the 2017 one. The kids were young enough that I think we had them miss the first day of school. Variable clouds all morning, then it cleared up as if on cue. I figure I'm not lucky enough to have that happen twice in my lifetime. So despite being less than a day's drive away and in our RV we're not going to try again. Best wishes to all who will try this time!!!

 

[pacergal]

Great pictures!

 

[Time2]

Too bad the weather isn't shaping up as well as it could have. I was hoping a big high was parked over the center of the continent. All of my inquiries to splitting a small aircraft charter for up and back on the same day went to crickets. At $1700 per person, it was a true BTD proposal. Easier to accept without the promise of CAVU.

I was perusing the weather map, complaining about the poor chance of clear skies. My son ask if I wanted to petition to move the day of the eclipse. I do!
We planned a trip to the Museum of science and industry in Chicago and to the Dayton Air Force Museum in Dayton, so all will not be lost.

 

[Jerry1]

2017 Clouds

For the 2017 eclipse, we had cloudy skies. However, they were the puffy type and we were so thankful that they moved out of the way just in time. You can see from the crescent of the sun (partial eclipse) how close we were to having it be a bust.

That little white dot just to the left of the eclipse is a star.

 

[sengsational]

For the 2017 eclipse, we had cloudy skies. However, they were the puffy type and we were so thankful that they moved out of the way just in time. You can see from the crescent of the sun (partial eclipse) how close we were to having it be a bust.

That little white dot just to the left of the eclipse is a star.

We had a similar experience in 2017. During the first diamond ring, it was behind a cloud, but then it started clearing and was just a little hazy during the second diamond ring. But I remember being so grateful for the near complete clearing of the clouds during the totality. Since during totality you can look directly at it safely, there were people looking up. To remind them to look away, I shouted "diamond ring!" when the corona peeked through, ending totality.

 

[jollystomper]

Accuweather article on the current cloud cover forecast for the eclipse path: https://www.accuweather.com/en/sola...orecast-what-will-the-weather-be-like/1636042

Most places in the vicinity of the path of totality will have to deal with some level of clouds, whether high or low.

 

[sengsational]

The link, from above, is specific to the eclipse. Looking pretty good for some regions.


https://www.pivotalweather.com/eclipse2024/

 

[REWahoo]

The link, from above, is specific to the eclipse. Looking pretty good for some regions.

And really dismal for an estimated 50% of us living in the path of totality.

 

[RunningBum]

Wow, it's looking a lot better for the middle part of the US. But the forecast has been waffling. I think I'm in the 85% zone, which is pretty much a non-event, but I'm still curious. One day the forecast is sunny, today it's cloudy and 40s with a chance of snow. Can't happen, you say? It did yesterday. Snowed pretty hard for a little while, in fact, and immediately melted on the ground in most places.

 

[GenXguy]

And really dismal for an estimated 50% of us living in the path of totality.

It looks like a lot of people are going to be disappointed, especially those who had planned to travel to those locations for a long time. Some are probably scrambling for new destinations to increase their chances.

 

[Fermion]

It looks like a lot of people are going to be disappointed, especially those who had planned to travel to those locations for a long time. Some are probably scrambling for new destinations to increase their chances.

Hah hah, you just described us. Currently staying north of Houston just waiting to see where to go. Right now I am thinking the little corner of MO.

 

[anethum]

The link, from above, is specific to the eclipse. Looking pretty good for some regions.


https://www.pivotalweather.com/eclipse2024/

If you click on that link, it's set to display the "Canadian Ensemble" weather prediction. If you then click on "American Ensemble" near the top of the page, the prediction looks far worse. At this moment, 5:45pm CDT, the Canadian prediction is based on data as recent as 7am CDT today, whereas the American prediction is based on data as recent as 1pm CDT today.

posted around 5:45 CDT on Fri April 5.

 

[RunningBum]

For the last one I had refundable train tickets (overnight both ways) to South Carolina, and a refundable hotel in Tennessee. Waited as late as I could then kept the one that looked best, which was the train to Greenville SC. I think it was actually clear enough in both places. The one regret was not getting a sleeper car, because that would not have been refundable. The seats weren't comfortable enough and we had a loud person talking in the car each night.

 

[ncbill]

Not sure about that. Sometimes it's more interesting to look at the shadows on the ground and notice that they all show the eclipse in some way. The shadow patterns are 'interesting'.

Yes, I remember being fascinated as a kid watching the shadows from tree leaves show the (partial) eclipse.

 

[jim584672]

You can use binoculars to project onto a sheet of paper to see the crescent as it takes over.

 

[Fermion]

If you click on that link, it's set to display the "Canadian Ensemble" weather prediction. If you then click on "American Ensemble" near the top of the page, the prediction looks far worse. At this moment, 5:45pm CDT, the Canadian prediction is based on data as recent as 7am CDT today, whereas the American prediction is based on data as recent as 1pm CDT today.

posted around 5:45 CDT on Fri April 5.

Why is the american ensemble cloud cover so drastically different from the canadian or european? 80% cloud cover in places vs 10% in the same place. It isn't just the small time difference..

 

[foxcreek9]

Why is the american ensemble cloud cover so drastically different from the canadian or european? 80% cloud cover in places vs 10% in the same place. It isn't just the small time difference..

Per the site for the "American" model


" Its forecasts for cloud cover tend to overestimate coverage where the sky will only be partly cloudy, while its cloud thickness and precipitation forecasts are realistic and useful."

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes, I remember being fascinated as a kid watching the shadows from tree leaves show the (partial) eclipse.

Yes, it’s fascinating. It’’s like having hundreds of little eclipse shadow watching devices at your feet.

The last eclipse in my area had about a 70% coverage. It was still very light out, but I notice that my camera was shouting outdoor sunlight scenes using two full f-stops more light. That’s not much to our eyes, but a lot to a cameras And the late morning early afternoon just felt and looked different.

Scientists along the path will be studying how animals in the wild react to the eclipse. That would make interesting reading.

 

[ERD50]

Per the site for the "American" model


" Its forecasts for cloud cover tend to overestimate coverage where the sky will only be partly cloudy, while its cloud thickness and precipitation forecasts are realistic and useful."

Yes, you need to look closely, some models only provide some modes, so when you switch models, make sure you are looking at the same mode (Cloud Cover, cloud Thickness, Precipitation).

https://www.pivotalweather.com/eclipse2024/?m=srefens&p=blockedinsol_tle_2-mean&r=us_state_il_in


I'll be near Indy, latest Short Range Ensemble is the most recent (4/6 4AM, posting ~ 10AM), currently showing 35% cloud cover, but only 5% cloud thickness, and the pretty good news, 5% is a lot less than 30%:

Areas with up to 30% sun blockage could still see the eclipse through thin clouds or breaks in the clouds, while more than 40% sun blockage would likely severely hamper eclipse viewing.

-ERD50