Ken Brandt, Director of the Robeson Planetarium and SEAL eclipse expert, has provided us, once again, with excellent eclipse advice for the upcoming April 8th event. In the 4th part of this series, Ken is talking about the weather, which really needs to be addressed for an eclipse. We all have the tendency to want to blow it off (sorry for the pun), because eclipses are fairly rare events. We don’t want to think that we might NOT be able to see it because of weather, but it is a very real possibility that must be addressed. Read below to get Ken’s advice about what to do if you’re attending an eclipse event OR you’re hosting an eclipse event and there’s looming bad weather.
Just know. Planning ahead is always better. Take it away, Ken!
Have a look at the image above, and you’ll see that the current estimates of cloud cover range from fairly heavy (60-70%) in western NC to moderate (50-60%) throughout much of the rest of the state. As you can see, if we go with a “half-glass-full” view, most of NC will enjoy a roughly 50% chance of clear enough skies on April 8th.
We do have to plan for unfortunate scenarios, so I hope that the following scenario doesn’t play out for any of us:
Monday, April 8th, dawns with loads of clouds in the Northwestern sky. “Red sky in the morning”, and all that. Of course, at this point, you’ll have to gather some data.
If the NWS has posted severe thunderstorm warnings beginning at Noon local time, you’ll have some decisions to make. If your hosting or attending an event that is a strictly outdoor event, your choices are fairly straightforward. Most likely, though, the weather decision will be more subtle. Let’s think this through.
For those of you hosting an event and looking to salvage some portion of your hard work over the past few weeks, this is where multi-faceted presentations will help save the day. There are many activities that can be done that do not require the Sun! My favorite of these features chocolate wafers with fluffy filling, showing the stages of an eclipse. Planning indoor activities with hands-on learning is a win for all.
If you’re looking to attend an even and the weather is putting a damper on your fun, call or email to ask what the weather plans are so you can prepare. You could be one of the lucky individuals playing with chocolate wafers while it storms outside.
One important feature of this upcoming eclipse is that it will be live-streamed, so your audiences at an event or families at home can watch the complete eclipse unfold in real time, as they’re watching they’re one outside, weather permitting. If the local weather is not permitting anything, having a live-stream of the event elsewhere could help your event. Just make sure you’ve coordinated the times and time zones necessary to allow for proper viewing. Here are two reliable livestreams for the April 8th eclipse:
- From NASA.gov:
https://youtu.be/2MJY_ptQW1o
The eclipse stream will be top link on this page Apr 8, 2024. - From the Exploratorium, in San Francisco:
https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/livestream
They are working with NASA from Junction, TX to present a livestream for easy viewing.
Finally, for event planning purposes, if you have been involved with the NC Science Festival’s Statewide Star Parties in the past, then you are likely well equipped to make rational decisions about weather and safety.
Amy Sayle, from Morehead Planetarium, gave this advice on the eve of last year’s star party, in an email sent to the host sites:
“Have you checked your forecast during the hours of your event? Remember that predicted timing for rain or clouds can shift as the date approaches. At Morehead, we usually don’t think about rescheduling an outdoor-only event until it’s within 24 hours.
I’m a fan of the National Weather Service site, especially their graphical hourly forecasts for Precipitation Potential and Sky Cover (don’t confuse it with the line for Relative Humidity!). Know that references in their written forecasts to “Night” sometimes mean the hours after midnight—well after your event. Some folks also like Clear Sky Charts. Are you working with astronomers? Ask them for their favorite forecast sites and advice.
In our experience, most members of the public are easy to please astronomy-wise, and will be happy with anything short of completely overcast or raining. In other words, don’t cancel your event for a few clouds, especially if you have indoor activities to offer. Obviously, if you expect rain or lightning at an outdoor-only event, that’s a different matter. “-Amy Sayle, Morehead Planetarium
I will leave you with these parting thoughts. If you’re hosting an event, effective planning must take nature into account. If you’re attending an event, remember that hosts cannot control the weather, but they are working to make a great event for you under all scenarios.
A well-thought out plan will reap benefits for all come eclipse day!
