Too early for a full weather forecast on solar eclipse day, but outlook good
Stargazers anxiously planning to observe the solar eclipse on April 8 in Bucks County will have to wait a little longer for the forecast to come into sharper focus.
"Our forecasts go out a week in advance," said Joe DeSilva, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "So, starting next Monday, April 1, we should have some data to share."
What we know right now, though, should reassure anyone with solar eclipse observation plans.
It should be a sunny day for the solar eclipse
While the weather service's models don't peep that far ahead, other models by respected agencies note that Monday, April 8, should be a good day for observing the solar eclipse in Bucks County.
According to AccuWeather's forecast, it will be partly sunny on solar eclipse day, with a real-feel temperature of 72 degrees and a zero percent chance of precipitation.
The Weather Channel has a similar forecast for solar eclipse day, predicting a partly sunny day with temperatures in the high 60s.
What time is the eclipse? How long will it last? What will it look like?
People planning to observe the solar eclipse and interested in timing the event can enter their ZIP code on this site to get an approximation on the timetable of the solar eclipse's visibility and what it will look like in your neighborhood.
Tracking the 2024 solar eclipse: When will the solar eclipse be best viewable? Here's how to use your ZIP code to find out
On April 8 the moon will travel along the path of totality in North America starting in northern Mexico. The shadow of the moon will pass into Texas a little before 1:30 p.m. local time.
It will then cover portions of the Midwest and East Coast and touch southeast Canada before it moves out to sea, according to NASA.
There are viewing parties and sessions planned ahead of the eclipse in Bucks County, Philadelphia and the region.
Erie in direct path of solar eclipse; how to best observe there
While Bucks County and most of Pennsylvania are in the path of the eclipse, Erie in northwestern part of the state is in the path of totality and expects big crowds for the 3 minutes and 42 seconds event.
Presque Isle State Park in Erie has been preparing for large crowds.
Early April is usually a slow time at the park, but the solar eclipse that day is expected to bring up to 30,000 people to Presque Isle, depending on the weather, said Matt Greene, the park's operations manager.
In Erie, people are encouraged to find places other than the bayfront to view the eclipse because the downtown traffic could be gridlocked on April 8.
Damon C. Williams covers trending and regional developments for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Weather forecast suggests good day to observe total solar eclipse
