Solar eclipse 2024: Early forecast encouraging for New Jersey residents

Juan Carlos Castillo, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

We are less than two weeks away from the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.

Between 2 and 4:30 p.m., sunlight will vanish bringing night-time darkness to the region. And many are already planning ahead to witness the extraordinary moment of darkness.

Is it going to rain? Is there going to be a cloud cover? Here's an early weather forecast:

Delicate streamers in the sun's corona surround the totally eclipsed sun during the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Observers along a narrow track from Mexico to Maine should have a similar view on April 8, 2024.
Delicate streamers in the sun's corona surround the totally eclipsed sun during the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Observers along a narrow track from Mexico to Maine should have a similar view on April 8, 2024.

NJ weather for April 8, 2024

In the Garden State, April tends to be a relatively rainy month. In the past five years, it has rained on April 8 in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

This year, April 8 looks like it's going to be a dry day, but not necessarily free of high cloud cover. Even if New Jersey doesn't get any rain, any nearby low pressure system can produce some cloud cover here, said Mike Priante, lead meteorologist at WeatherWorks, a New Jersey-based weather forecasting company.

"Right now in New Jersey, I don't see any precipitation. But I do see a potential for some cloud cover at least leading up to the 8th (of April)," said Mike Priante, lead meteorologist at WeatherWorks.

So far, the cloud activity is mostly expected between Sunday night and Monday morning, not so much during Monday afternoon, when the eclipse is happening.

"In terms of how much cloud cover, we'll have to see. I just see there could be a couple of breaks in the clouds," Priante said, meaning that cloud activity might not be a consistent cloud cover, but rather a bunch of clouds that come and go.

Most low pressure systems in New Jersey come from either the west or the south. Those that come from the west tend to develop over a couple days, and so far the panorama looking west seems all clear, Priante said.

But the systems of low pressure that come from the south, moving along the east coast, can suddenly pop up in a day, so anything can happen when it comes to the eclipse day forecast, Priante said.

More on the total solar eclipse

▶ When is the best time to see the total eclipse? Here's what to know

▶ Can a solar eclipse blind you? Five popular myths and what the truth really is

▶ Here's what to know about the upcoming solar eclipse, and where to watch at the Shore

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ weather for total solar eclipse 2024: Early forecast for the Shore