State’s solar eclipse weather expected to be sunny
Visibility will vary from east to west
While Connecticut will not be in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the “event of the decade” on Monday will still be visible in the state.
For the first time since August 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday afternoon. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth.
When this happens, the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, darkening the sky for several minutes. The eclipse is expected to occur in Connecticut between 3:15 and 3:25 p.m. Monday.
Bill Leatham, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Norton, Mass., said Tuesday that since the solar eclipse is still six days away, it is hard to predict the visibility.
The NOAA has a map of the United States showing the visibility chances for the solar eclipse in each state. In Connecticut, the NOAA lists Hartford as expected to have 43.7% “viewability” of the eclipse and Bridgeport to have 59.2%.
The NOAA did not provide visibility expectations for other Connecticut locations.
“The viewable percentage represents the likelihood of skies being clear enough for the eclipse to be visible,” the NOAA said. “A higher percentage means a viewer is more likely to have a view unobstructed by clouds.”
The weather Monday in Connecticut is expected to be sunny with temperatures reaching the mid-60s, the National Weather Service said.
Nearby states like New York, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. According to data from NASA, the “obscuration” from the solar eclipse will be 75% to 95% in Connecticut, with the eastern part of the state seeing less of the eclipse.
The northwestern part of Connecticut will offer a slightly better opportunity to see more of the eclipse than southeastern areas of the state. Connecticut was also not in the path of totality when the last solar eclipse occurred on Aug. 21, 2017.
According to NASA, the path of totality for the eclipse is 115 miles wide, with the totality itself lasting 4 minutes and 28 seconds, depending where someone is viewing it.
In New York, the eclipse will be visible roughly around 3:20 p.m., according to a map from NASA. For Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, the eclipse will reach 100 percent “obscuration” around 3:30 p.m.
“As the eclipse approaches, your local forecast with the National Weather Service will help equip viewers with the anticipated weather conditions for their area of choice,” the NOAA said.
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