Cloudy Eclipse
It was a year ago that I planned our stay in Austin to coincide with the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. In the weeks preceding April 8th, we could see the excitement building here in central Texas: Austin establishments advertised eclipse parties and festivals and handed out free eclipse glasses. Small towns in the Hill Country prepared for hordes of visitors. The media warned us to be prepared for traffic jams and power outages. We were happy to be in the Path of Totality!
But then came the weather forecasts. Despite having a high probability of clear skies based on historical weather patterns, central Texas would likely be very cloudy - possibly even rainy - on Eclipse Day.
As bad luck would have it, the weather forecast proved accurate. The big event was literally overshadowed by cloud cover; it was gray all day. We scrapped plans to walk over to the lake, and simply watched from the sidewalk in front of our cottage. In fact, Steve worked the whole day and stepped outside for only 10 minutes or so. Not very exciting, I know.
We did see the crescent sun peek through the clouds a few times, and we chatted with friendly neighbors. It was interesting to see the street lights come on as darkness fell. Though it wasn't really darkness, it was a typical “city sky,” with a great deal of light pollution.
Regretfully, at the time of totality, the cloud cover was so thick that we couldn’t see the solar corona. Friends just 10 miles north and 10 miles east of us had better luck, with clouds parting or passing at just the right time. Friends in Mexico and New England enjoyed watching the eclipse under clear skies. Despite being in the Path, we were resigned to seeing the corona vicariously through others. So here’s a little sample of what my friends saw and shared.
The contiguous United States won’t see another total solar eclipse until 2044. But on August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal. Hmmm…. is it time to plan a trip?
