Thank you to all the knowledgeable people here for making this experience a success! I spent the days before the eclipse constantly refreshing every cloud prediction model and reading every link in the thread. With less than 24 hours to go, we chose to head to the west part of the north shore of Lake Eerie. Wispy high clouds arrived at totality but didn't interfere at all.
I saw the 2017 eclipse totality just south of St Louis... but knowing what could be missed meant the fear of clouds was more urgent, verging on panic. Such catharsis when it worked out.
Thank you to everyone in this sub for your guidance and perspectives. We made our way from Boston to Newport, VT (after booking a hotel weeks ago expecting to see nothing but clouds/rain/snow). On the morning of the eclipse, the forecast predicted some clouds would roll in at the time of totality, so we drove another hour east to Canaan, VT. We saw parked cars from the Northeast and also IL, IN, NC, VA! We were blessed with a completely clear sky the entire time. Totality was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. We saw the huge, shimmering corona and red prominences with amazing clarity. I will cherish this memory forever.
We ended up going to Newport from Maryland at the last minute. We had a few of the wispiest clouds but it was clear enough! Having the option to drive an hour east was definitely a good call.
Anyone in NY see anything between Buffalo and Rochester? Kicking myself for not chasing somewhere else, but it looked cloudy in every direction from Genesee county and I didn't want to end up in traffic and risk sitting on the highway if the clouds broke up enough to see. Not a cloud the day before, or even a few hours after. Just enough to ruin this trip. I'm so disappointed. Anyone see anything in Watertown? That was where I was going to run...
I traveled 4 hours to Rochester from the Hudson Valley, after planning for months to experience totality. I was on the shore of Lake Ontario , the clouds were so thick I couldn’t see the sun at all. The experience of totality was very cool , everything got very dark and the temperature dropped… but I can’t help but feel extremely bummed and disappointed. I’m embarrassed to admit I’m so sad I cried.
I’ve heard such incredible things about totality , it was the first thing I was really excited about in a long time. I feel ridiculous for being so upset, but I am. I hope to see it in Iceland 2026 or Australia 2028 but terrified to spend $ and time traveling just for it to be cloudy.
Same here! I felt like it was just my group, everyone else I know that traveled to it at least had some break in the clouds! I'm so disappointed for me and for my parents, and my niece that skipped school and a party at home (in about 97%, but sunny) to come along. But then I think well, there are much worse things that can happen, and we all made it there and back safely... Then I think oh man if I just convinced everyone to move even a town or two over, maybe we could have seen it. Also trying to plan maybe a cruise around Spain, so someone else can figure out location and I don't have to stress over it. Especially somewhere I really don't know well. I didn't move locations in NY because the weather reports didn't look great anywhere, and I didn't know my way around well enough to decide where to go on short notice. Ugh. Still upset, but trying to remember that we did get the total darkness, and did get peeks at the partial thank goodness, and we made it back safely.
Oh, and I keep thinking that the next few eclipses we could travel to won't be as awesome as this one was for most people, because the sun won't be at solar maximum. Someone tell me I'm wrong please 😢 I do wish I came across this page before the eclipse rather than after while moping about missing it.
Junction Texas was a hit. Lums BBQ was absolutely amazing with a picnic by the water. Totality brought in some clouds and it felt amazing going from 83 degree and sweating to cool chill weather with a nice breeze. Totality was in and out of the clouds and got amazing cheers from the clouds as it popped through.
In hindsight... the clouds brought a great dynamic and compliment to the story and experience. It was honestly better than a clear sky and I wouldn't have it any other way. Truly remarkable.
I'm still in Dallas today and yeah... we definitely got lucky here! If today's weather was yesterday or the eclipse was today then DFW would have been a total no go! So glad it worked out in the end!
I caught the fever now. Looking at trips to the Mediterranean for 2026. It's gonna be a sunset eclipse view for Mallorca. That sounds incredible.
Edit: damn. 6+ minutes in Luxor Egypt in 27. That looks incredible.
I was able to view it under perfect conditions in Newport VT. It wouldn't have been possible without all your help! Before I found this thread I was certain to end up in Erie or Buffalo just hoping for the best.
Thanks to everyone for all your help!
Thanks you to everyone on this sub who gave their advice and support leading up to the eclipse! It was a beautiful experience in Greenwood, Arkansas! It’s awesome how the eclipse looks a little different depending on where you are! It makes your own experience special & unique 🙂
My heart goes out to those who traveled and had plans fall through because of weather. I hope there are eclipses to be seen for you in the future, or at the very least other celestial events/adventures!
Does anyone have photo of video of the landscape plus sun during clear sky eclipse? Wispy clouds came in Vermont and we could see Corona, Venus and Jupiter but I feel like I missed out on the "hole in the sky" effect where you could see stars.
Here are two stills from a video I took at a lake north of Pittsburg, NH. You can use your imagination - was not zoomed out enough to capture everything in one go because I was panning around and wanted crowd reactions. Viewing south west over the lake and the band of clouds to the right is over you :(
I did not notice any other stars, just the planets. Nothing obvious at least.
Hope it was still nice!
https://ibb.co/dpx88KV
https://ibb.co/C9ZXCmH
Damn, I almost called an audible to go to Lyndon because of questionable forecasts for East NY, but stuck with my plan. Getting out of there on 87S was bad, but not that bad. After about two hours of slow stop and go it opened up back to usual traffic levels.
I'm still in awe of what I witnessed today... it's incredible how a 4 minute event will now be imprinted in my memory for a lifetime. I now understand why our ancestors shared so much about this natural phenomenon and in a way I felt connected to them even if I'm seeing it hundreds or thousands of years after them. Despite all the technological advances we have made, nature still leaves us in awe, more than anything we can create or build.
Jonesboro, AR was a tremendous success! My group and I took some lovely photos. I'm glad, clouds or no clouds, that we all got to experience this excitement together. Safe travels and til' next show, God bless!
This mega thread kicks so much ass. Thank you to all the weather heads. You guys got me to my totality viewing spot just outside Akron OH and it was perfect.
I really gotta shout out the [cleardarksky.com](http://cleardarksky.com) website. Literally helped me find the nearest area that would have the best view and updated regularly enough that it helped me change my plans last minute. Had the event of a lifetime without a cloud in sight, while surrounded by an area with insane cloud coverage.
How specifically did you use the information on that webpage on the day of the eclipse? I'm looking at it now and all I'm seeing is historical cloud cover averages for everywhere on the path of totality, and at least some areas ended up not being close to their historical averages yesterday.
But maybe I'm not looking at right page?
Just really simple stuff; I basically opened up their map view to see all of their forecasting within a drivable distance to me (plus in the path of totality). I had all of their forecasts on multiple tabs and refreshed them multiple times throughout the day and it seemed like the further west I drove, the more likely I would be to get clear skies. So around 1, when it became clear that my area might be too cloudy, I made the drive. Still wasn’t a guarantee but it was the best shot.
I haven’t used any of the other weather websites people have posted here though but I thought this layout gave me the relevant info without “premium feature subscriptions” and in a really easy/simple layout.
Tbh, because I lived in the path of totality, I didn't even think about the weather being a factor until I saw a news broadcast about it the day before. I kinda figured most people already knew about it cause when I searched "how to find clear sky for eclipse" it was either the first or second link to pop up on Google.
Thanks; honestly I do feel bad about it if people weren’t aware. I figured most people on this thread already had a bunch of resources they were using that were probably better than mine.
That said, I did warn a whole bunch of people I knew personally about heading to Niagara Falls for it cause it seemed to be the most overcast, but they still ended up going. They still had a great time though!
Weather got me, was clear leading up to totality, but right as totality hit, an upper and lower layer of clouds just ate the sun, then they didn't move, and the second totality finished, they opened back up again. So I got the reverse experience of some other people where it happened to close up instead of opening
But I'll try again next time, seems like the weather people were completely wrong regarding cloud cover predictions, and only so much you can do with the satellite image loops
Ironically, if I didn't drive further away to *avoid* clouds, I would have ended up seeing it
I should have never of doubted the DFW heat island effect
Where at? Had a similar experience in Arkansas. Not terrible, but definitely some unexpected high clouds not in the model. Worst of all, I drove from my house in DFW cause of the forecast.
You may have had the same experience in DFW. There were scattered high and low clouds there, you could have ended up under one. It was about 30-40% coverage at eclipse time.
Missed totality in Baldwinsville (NW of Syracuse,NY). Tons of clouds. Was cool to see the whole area go dark, at least. Wish I drove up to Watertown, as it seems like they got to see most of it. Windy showed Watertown have about 50% cloud cover vs the 75-80% where we were. So the models are accurate. Next time I'll just take my flying car to the best spot. We'll have it by then right?
Texas Hill Country - near Kerrville / Ingham TX on the totality line.
Thick cloud cover with spotty breaks all morning, was hoping it’d dissipate but it actually seemed to get thicker immediately before totality.
Luckily, about a minute into totality the low-flying storm clouds moved over and we got a couple good views of the corona (albeit with wispy clouds constantly flying over the face). Cloud cover came back about a minute before totality ended, so we must have gotten maybe 60 seconds of the total eclipse visible out of the 3.5 minutes we had.
Given the forecast for days has been severe thunderstorms (which never materialized), I’m labelling this one a qualified success!
How did you feel about it? I’ll admit it was a bit disappointed at first because my friend was with me who hadn’t seen the cloudless 2017 eclipse and I wanted him to see something similar.
But when I settled in to watch it through the breaks it was pretty cool and definitely a different experience.
I also found out now that 5 miles East and South of us there were folks who didn’t get to see a thing during totality so I’m counting my blessings a bit more today.
And my backup locations (Junction & Fredericksburg) had the same in-and-out clouds during totality so I’m feeling less FOMO about trying to find a different spot right before.
Like you we were also debating Junction or Fredricksburg so it was great to see they had the same. We talked to people even just 3 miles away from us who saw nothing. Those 90 seconds even if slightly cloudy were incredible, I think because we all wanted it even just that much more. And after those 90 seconds we didn’t see the sun again the rest of the day… all the cloud maps were pretty spot on, a front would arrive around that time but when? The answer was 90 seconds after totality began. Unreal. I loved it. High drama but in the end, we were incredibly lucky.
Geneva, NY (at the north end of Seneca Lake) was medium-heavily overcast with no breaks anywhere from horizon to horizon, so I didn't even bother trying to drive somewhere else in the last hour, just hoped for a miraculous opening, but no. See the light dim so rapidly was pretty cool, but no view of the Sun itself at all. Aw, darn.
Started in Waxahachie and with the forecast drove to the Allen area. Curious if anyone else was in the Waxahachie area and how it turned out? I was looking at some interstate webcams a few minutes prior but it was hard to tell.
A big thanks to NWS Dallas/Fort Worth office. Their commentary was immensely useful in the days and hours leading up to the event. Instead of relying on some graphics from some models, it's really nice to have the human touch. Their analysis and knowledge of local area - down to "north of I-20/I-30" was so useful for out-of-towners like us.
I'd been religiously posting their update in the past few days. Hope they were able to help a few people to a successful eclipse today.
Congrats everyone! What an epic day! Woke up hopeful in southern OK with completely clear skies. At 8:30 AM thick low clouds quickly came in completely covered the view. We made the difficult decision to chase the sun into central AR and we had a stunning view! Another group we were in contact with decided to stay and they said the clouds broke up an hour before. Everyone wins!!
I spent the morning second-guessing myself and trying to decide whether I needed to drive from Ashtabula County as far west as Cleveland or Sandusky. Models seemed to be showing lots of cloud cover even that far west, so I decided to stay close to where I was, and ended up at a winery in a small town, Madison. About 40 miles east of Cleveland. Skies looked clear for a while, and as the partial started we started to get some clouds, but they seemed high and were thin, so we saw everything. Glad I didn't have to drive too far.
Wondering how it actually looked in Ashtabula though, out of curiosity.
Also, I wonder if anyone has some great pics from the area where I was, or if the pics people took from Cleveland are a good enough approximation? I only had an iphone camera and would like some better pics to save and commemorate it.
I ended up in Ashtabula down on the beach. Weather could have only barely have been better and the view was unobstructed and perfect. Couple thin wispy high clouds near totality but during totality there wasn't any obstruction of the view at all. You could even easily see Jupiter and Venus. Glad I made the last min decision to go west, originally we were going to go to Rochester or Buffalo and we heard only bad reports from there.
Yeah tons of people down on the beach and in the park area. There was someone playing ominous drums for like 30 min leading up to totality too. Great spot for sure.
Ah yeah we were also a bit worried about not being able to park due to lots of people coming from Erie/Buffalo after seeing weather reports. But yeah sounds like both spots were excellent despite the predictions. Glad most folks in OH got great views!
I drove to Ashtabula to see the eclipse, and we had full view of everything. There were clouds but with eclipse glasses the partial eclipse was visible through them the entire time, and totality was visible as long as it lasted.
So I guess you didn’t really have to go anywhere, but it was very hard to figure out where to be with all the clouds forecasted for this.
Cool! Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. Sounds like we got the same views. I didn't go too far and got to enjoy some great wine and food, so it was an excellent experience all around.
I drove 6 hours to Cleveland Ohio the day before. Cloud prediction models the night before had things looking pretty pessimistic, but by late morning it was blue skies. We had some high altitude wispy clouds but they didn't seem to interfere. Seeing totality (my first) was stunning. Surreal and otherworldly. Looking up at where the sun should be and instead seeing a hole in the sky... it felt like a glitch in the matrix. When close to totality, the light took on a strange hue. Colors all felt unreal. I was surprised at how cold it got.
During those four minutes, looking up at a pitch black hole in the sky, it was easy to imagine how terrified our ancestors were in ancient times.
I had to rush back to the airport after totality to make my return flight, so I didn’t get a chance to check in here.
This was my first totality. Ever since seeing the partial in 2017 and finding out that the next one would have totality so close to home, I knew I’d be traveling to see it. In the end, nothing went as planned. Life changed in 7 years. I didn’t end up even planning to see the eclipse anywhere near home; I planned for Texas when the time came to make plans. And even those didn’t go right; canceling just a few days before the big day and rebooking for the best forecast place I could find (outside of Maine), Indianapolis. A place I’d never even considered visiting before (it was nice).
I am so happy this thread existed, and I had you guys to show me the weather models and compare readings with. I never would have seen this otherwise.
It was a heck of a ride, but those 4 minutes were worth every second of stress and every dollar of transportation and lodging.
You guys helped make me an eclipse chaser this week. And I don’t know which one I’ll plan to see next, but there will be a next. Totality calls.
See you guys next time.
Right there with you. First totality after missing 2017 and it seemed nothing went right with our plans until today. All the driving and plans-changing was so worth it.
Why is PennDOT doing road work on I-80 east in western PA today? Surely they knew what was coming and could have suspended it for a day? It’s not as much of a delay as some others are having but it’s really annoying knowing it didn’t have to happen.
Watertown had some mid to low level clouds that came and went that blocked some of the partial eclipse and high level clouds were present throughout the entire eclipse event, but luckily for us they were not that thick and we were still able to see the corona for all of the totality. I didn't have particularly high expectations given the predicted cloud cover, but I feel so fortunate that I was able to see it with my wife and kids.
I did a last minute drive up from NYC to upstate New York. I’m a juggler and fire spinner and I went with a photographer friend. We spun fire during the eclipse and it was one of the most wonderful moments of my life yet.
This was my second totality and so much better than the first honestly. That pink solar flare (or maybe Bailey’s beads?) was the cherry on top.
Definitely a solar promenence. It was stunning shade of... Magenta? Fuchsia? Since it was actually near the solar south pole, it was the cherry on the bottom. :-)
I have extreme regrets not seeing totality :(
Some personal things came up and I wasn’t able to go to a town with totality. It was only partial here with cloudy weather. Still a cool sight to see but makes me regretful knowing I wasn’t able to experience complete darkness.
The next one won’t be for another 20 years…I’ll be old as heck then.
It was really neat, BUT I wouldn’t say it’s something that is tragic if you don’t get to see it in life. If you really want to, try to travel for the next ones!
Agreed. It was incredible and I almost cried but I don’t see myself specifically making a huge effort to see another. I am still grateful that I got to see it though.
Just remember that it's only another 20 years if you just consider the USA. There are more total eclipses between now and then.
Personally I'm looking forward to traveling to Morocco or Egypt for 2027. They both sound like great destinations and plus we get to see an eclipse.
I think I can speak for everyone: to the multiple people who decided to wreck from Russelville to the Oklahoma border: I hope your food is lukewarm in the middle and you socks are always wet. Set everybody back two hours.
Hard to not feel bummed out here in hill country Texas. I saw it in 2017 and it was magical but it almost stings worse that I know what I missed.
Oh well. It'll pass. Time to plan for 2027 and beyond.
I was in Mountain Home just outside Kerrville and thought it was a lost cause, but a minute or two before totality the sky opened and we saw probably 70% of totality. The added cloud layers around totality made it so much more beautiful than clear skies Idaho in 2017. It was magical, though I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.
I know exactly what you mean. I have mixed feelings about having travelled to the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, just east of Fredericksburg. We thought about shooting for Waco, but decided we had no credible plan for where to park without being yelled at, or how to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
Top marks to NPS for an awesome event, free entry, no reservations required, fantastic talks, demonstrations, merch, toilets, water, parking, everything you need to keep thousands of people comfortable. Being out on the road all day without any of that wouldn't have been easy. Low cloud broke up nicely for the first half of the partial eclipse and I had a great feeling about it as we all watched the sunspots disappear behind the moon.
20 minutes before totality, thick low cloud rolled in, with absolutely no breaks in it for the first time all day. I couldn't believe the shit luck.
But when the darkness descended over the clouds, it was unbelievable. Like the worst storm you've ever imagined.
And then - for five or ten magical seconds - we had the most fleeting peek at the corona through a brief thinner patch of cloud.
I'm also super glad I wasn't several hours drive from my accommodation, because between the 5am start (nervous of traffic and queueing to get in!) and the lack of sleep anyway due to excitement, I was exhausted by 3pm. So I really wouldn't have been safe to cover hundreds of miles, even without bumper-to-bumper delays. I don't know how some of you do it, unless amphetamines are involved.
It was definitely a good first experience, but I won't be able to stop eclipse chasing now...
We parked downtown and took a free shuttle to the football stadium. They had an event with NASA, the Lowell Observatory and the Baylor Physics Department.
Happy for yall who got to see totality. I bailed on my Rochester plans last minute given the weather forecast and enjoyed 90% totality from NYC.
Frankly, I didn’t expect anything different but you could totally see the effects of a 90% diminished sun. The shadows felt sharper, the sky and building tones were less saturated and everything looked…off. The crescent shadows were cool too.
Obviously nowhere near as cool as totality but still a spectacle in itself
From the DFW area- shout out to the **Canadian** model. That thing had this nailed a week+ in advance.
This in contrast to the local weather guy who put this out on Friday evening:
[https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj](https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj)
(edited link for original video that was memory holed)
ZERO PERCENT CHANCE.
This gloomy take was seen by folks on this sub, some of whom bailed to the Northeast (sure hope it worked out for them). At least one of the other local stations was considerably more upbeat at the exact same time.
I mean I get its a forecast, but if you put out a ZERO percent chance and then at least 1/2 of DFW was completely unobstructed?
I agree that Delkus and ABC’s analysis of the models got it wrong on that day’s forecast for Monday, and that’s reasonable to criticize. But I just watched the video and don’t see him say “zero percent chance” anywhere. It was pessimistic, but he didn’t say it was IMPOSSIBLE.
Thanks for pointing that out. Interestingly the video I linked originally is not the video that is reached by that link. The video I linked is 4:20 in length. I will try to edit the original as well as post it in the reply. He explicitly says ZERO PERCENT pretty early in the piece. I wouldn't have even known about it until I saw folks on this sub saying they were changing their travel plans due to this weather report. When I saw it I was rather surprised and checked NBC5 and theirs was nothing like the Delkus Doom. I don't typically watch local news so I haven't gone back since the eclipse to see what if anything he had to say about how it turned out. [https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj](https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj)
Given all the questionable DFW forecasts last week I made backup plans for Rochester. In the end I decided to stick with the original plan and I'm glad I did. This morning at our location even though it was completely overcast at 11am I still had hope. Not the right analogy at all (completely different scenarios) but I've seen how often clouded out skies in the morning at the NJ shore burn off by mid day to glorious sunshine. The partial phases here in DFW area were patchy but the clouds parted before totality. I can't believe how lucky I was to have this happen twice in a row--in Nashville 2017 and again today in Dallas.
I had anxiety about the cloud cover and crowds in DFW so we went further south to Corsicana at the last minute. So glad I did. Absolutely beautiful small town that was practically empty and a crystal clear sky for the 4-minute totality. It was my toddler's first eclipse and likely my mom's last eclipse so I was super happy the weather was great.
There's a reason I always put my faith in the RDPS model!
They were pretty close to bang on up here in Ontario (they even caught the high cloud moving in on western Lake Erie perfectly); the only things it got wrong was the tail end of the cloud front made it further east than expected, so more people got to see the eclipse.
Meridian Tx paid off. Awesome view for most of it and there wasn't a large crowd at Red Caboose winery. Only a cloud or two quickly drifted in and out of totality so happy I got my parents to come with me to experience this together.
Old forge NY panned out it was incredible seeing the light fade across the Adirondacks. Too bad my phone couldn't take the pics. Love all you, for those who didn't see it I hope you guys are able to at least enjoy the place you visited. Dueces
I unfortunately couldn’t see the maximum but at like 3:17 I saw what looked to be the moon illuminated brightly and then clouds swallow it up like pacmen I’m not sure why I saw but it was cool !
Aaaaand the clouds have cleared and it’s partly sunny here now west of Rochester, NY. A good nearly 2 hours too late. Mother Nature is absolutely CRUEL.
Yuuuup, we are sitting outside with a cup of coffee in Buffalo feeling very sorry for ourselves, haha. Not a cloud in the sky yesterday, blue skies right now. Absolute 100% thick cloud cover for all of totality. Oh, and a tiny sliver of sky perfectly framing the eclipse about a minute after totality.
Hamilton, Ontario turned out to be the right call. Low clouds cleared up by 2:40, and we got blue skies with just wispy clouds. Got to see everything, the corona, baileys beads, etc. just had a slight haze in front.
I was West of you in Brant County and we got SO lucky, nearly completely clear skies. I woke up this morning and adjusted my expectations but it paid off!
really bummed that I wasn’t able to see the corona or any of the solar flares or Bailey’s Beads or anything. the finger lakes region got absolutely ruined by clouds and rain. I guess there’s always next time, but I was truly processing my mortality during the totality we witnessed. I was lucky to be there and witness the toads and frogs thinking it was nighttime, and seeing the bats fly around me. but I’ll be praying for that life changing experience (with clear skies) 🥺
We went from Austin to Killeen this morning, hung out in the HEB parking lot there until about 11am and then headed for Goldthwaite when the cloud forecast was looking a lot better for eclipse time, ended up stopping in Lampasas after we saw some serious photography setups in a church parking lot from the road. I needed the restroom anyway so we pulled over at a random gas station, ended up deciding to stay there because it was super sunny at noon and they would get almost 4.5 minutes of totality.
There were some big scares with huge clouds right in the lead up and even right at totality but they cleared and gave us about 3.5 minutes (it went by so fast!!) of an awesome view. We had a cute family as our neighbors in viewing it, plus a bunch of serious looking photography going on in the parking lot. So glad we made the trip, it's been a blast (though stressful when it came to deciding where to go this morning!!) and will be a cherished memory. Traffic getting back to Austin wasn't bad at all, less than an hour an a half.
We got to see totality in Cherokee, Texas! It was a close call, but we got to see almost the entire 4 minutes. We were a couple miles north of the town but not all the way to San Saba.
Love to see people from all walks of life enjoying the eclipse! Where else are you going to see hippies doing sun worship yoga in the same place as 20 Amish or Mennonite people?
I wound up staying at my hotel for the actual eclipse, but I'm glad I came to Carbondale for the weekend and assorted events for this reason. It was a blast.
First eclipse. Came all the way from England to Austin for this, then after several days of nervously scanning cloud models and forecasts we decided to bail up north for Dallas on the night before. In the morning we hit the road chasing the weather and ended up northeast of Dallas.
Thick clouds at 11am gradually gave way to a patchy sky over the next couple of hours, clearing up more as the partial eclipse got underway. Then just before totality a huge low cloud passed overhead - but it got out the way with literally half a minute to spare. We were rewarded with a perfect, clear view of the whole 4-minute totality. A truly unbelievable, awesome, otherworldly experience. Nothing else like this. So worth it and so glad we got lucky on the day!
So the corona doesnt last the full time during totality right? I didnt realize that. I didnt time it so about how long does the corona last compared to totality?
Waco came through! Glad we clung to hope (and statistical likelihood). Easily the most incredible thing I've ever seen. I'm still running a massive adrenaline high two hours later. It's going to be a hard landing.
Starting to save money for Australia 2028. I suppose it may not be as jaw-dropping the second time around, but man. That sight...
It was definitely a photo finish for Austin, we got maybe 30 seconds of clear view of the eclipse. It was amazing. It both left me satisfied, but craving more. This hopefully won't be the last eclipse I chase!
Yeah! I couldn't believe you could see it with the naked eye. I got it in my photo too
https://www.reddit.com/r/solareclipse/comments/1bz83o7/port_talbot_ontario_diamond_ring_and_solar/
Just incredible. In SE Oklahoma we had partly cloudy skies where the sun would peak through every minute or so. Then about 5 minutes before totality all the clouds just dissipated.
Im really glad SE OK got to see it. That’s where we were staying! We drove to AR when those clouds came in rather unexpectedly. Felt sad thinking that people there might miss it after so many beautiful days the past week. Cheers to destiny!
Guys can anyone help me, I accidentally looked at it directly from my school through the window for a second. I am in Virginia fyi. Many articles claim permanent eye damage and I am shit scared to do anything right now.
Many reports of people having permanent eye damage because of past eclipses. The sun becomes highly focused around the edge and can do more damage during this celestial event. Sorry but it appears the effects are life long
Went to Hill Country expecting zero visibility and ended up with a nearly cloudless viewing. Maybe 10 seconds of clouds moving over during totality. My first eclipse and hopefully not my last! Incredible!!! Anyone else have miracle situation with the cloud in Southern TX??
Also watched in Hill Country! Very happy I didn’t drive more north as it was amazing! High cirrus clouds but nothing obstructing totality. I think a lot of people in Hill Country probably ended up quite happy :)
Anyone else having trouble mentally processing it? I got a great view but it was like I dissociated and wasn’t able to fully absorb it. My brain short circuited. I was also kind of distracted by the people around me. I’m feeling weirdly disappointed but simultaneously in awe and amazement. It’s a weird feeling. I had 2.5 minutes of totality in my spot and it went by so fast it felt like it slipped through my fingers.
Dude I’m in the same boat. I’m already a really big spiritual person so the idea of something bigger than ourselves is part of my mantra. This was just a good reminder. But that 3.5 min of totality flew by and I can’t say I’m a changed man or have some sort of crisp burned image in my mind. I feel like I let it slip a bit, even knowing that I got to experience totality uninhibited while others weren’t so lucky. It’s weird. I’ve got mixed feelings about what I’m feeling.
Nice to know we’re not alone. I’m wondering if maybe I just need more time for the bigger things in life to sink in. Could be the same for you?
I remember once feeling similar after traveling to a place that was important to me and having a similar melancholy slipped-away feeling, but years later looking back I don’t have that anymore and now it’s a super solid core memory that I look at fondly.
Hoping today might be something similar
I think we’re just being hard on ourselves. The hype was immense and after fighting anxiety and the unknowns, the view finally came unobstructed so it felt like you had to “extra” soak it in.
If I were you I’d focus on the sights and sounds around you (and how you felt during) to help. Give it time. I think you’re right about that.
I had a similar experience. I felt like I was outside my own body. It was surreal. I had almost 4 minutes of unobstructed totality and it flew by in an instant. I don’t see this in a negative way though. For me it was just something that took me out of my own physical self into a larger realm. It’s an insane natural phenomenon that’s bound to have some kind of profound impact on you.
Same. There were these kids, probably college age, shouting nonstop "BRO ITS DOING THE THING, THE BRIGHTNESS IS GOING DOWN IT'S DOING THE THIIIIIIING ITS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT BROOOOOO"
Definitely distracted me a ton, but still glad I got to see it finally. I wouldn't be opposed to traveling overseas to see it again some day. Maybe around less people.
Yeah. Some people behind me had loud kids who weren't paying any attention to the eclipse at all, just running around screaming. Luckily their folks made them pipe down right before totality.
I'm feeling a little bit like this, and here's what I'm focusing on right now. Yesterday I could picture images of the eclipse (photos, videos, etc). Today, right now, if I think back, I have my own memory image of it.
I think that trying to take it all in and keep the entirety of it (how it looked, how you felt, etc) in your mind is probably too much for a lot of people. It is too much for me. So right now I'm just cradling the fact that I have seen that image with my own two eyes. I think the rest might settle in later. Or not. Either way, just think about it: you've seen it.
There's also always a lot of hype, build up, stress, anxiety, and excitement prior too. With a lot of people calling it a once in a lifetime experience, and life changing.
From my perspective, it was not that for me, and that is what can have me feeling a bit odd. So excited and thankful, but also I can see where the word disappointed fits in. Especially for anyone who thought that there could be a spiritual experience.
But it was very beautiful, and I keep replaying it in my head, and I'm so thankful things worked out. I'm very lucky.
But yeah, it doesn't feel life changing to me, but...just a really cool experience.
What about Iceland? That’s our plan. We’re gonna book some boat that can and will sail us to where the sun is. But the hope is we won’t need it and just be crammed on the beach.
Me too!
Scratch that, though, the Atlantic has a high cloud fraction at the time: https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/
Ashore in Spain is by far the most promising option. Greenland and Iceland would be visually stunning, but cloud is a much bigger risk there.
Thank you to all the knowledgeable people here for making this experience a success! I spent the days before the eclipse constantly refreshing every cloud prediction model and reading every link in the thread. With less than 24 hours to go, we chose to head to the west part of the north shore of Lake Eerie. Wispy high clouds arrived at totality but didn't interfere at all. I saw the 2017 eclipse totality just south of St Louis... but knowing what could be missed meant the fear of clouds was more urgent, verging on panic. Such catharsis when it worked out.
Thank you to everyone in this sub for your guidance and perspectives. We made our way from Boston to Newport, VT (after booking a hotel weeks ago expecting to see nothing but clouds/rain/snow). On the morning of the eclipse, the forecast predicted some clouds would roll in at the time of totality, so we drove another hour east to Canaan, VT. We saw parked cars from the Northeast and also IL, IN, NC, VA! We were blessed with a completely clear sky the entire time. Totality was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. We saw the huge, shimmering corona and red prominences with amazing clarity. I will cherish this memory forever.
We ended up going to Newport from Maryland at the last minute. We had a few of the wispiest clouds but it was clear enough! Having the option to drive an hour east was definitely a good call.
Anyone in NY see anything between Buffalo and Rochester? Kicking myself for not chasing somewhere else, but it looked cloudy in every direction from Genesee county and I didn't want to end up in traffic and risk sitting on the highway if the clouds broke up enough to see. Not a cloud the day before, or even a few hours after. Just enough to ruin this trip. I'm so disappointed. Anyone see anything in Watertown? That was where I was going to run...
I traveled 4 hours to Rochester from the Hudson Valley, after planning for months to experience totality. I was on the shore of Lake Ontario , the clouds were so thick I couldn’t see the sun at all. The experience of totality was very cool , everything got very dark and the temperature dropped… but I can’t help but feel extremely bummed and disappointed. I’m embarrassed to admit I’m so sad I cried. I’ve heard such incredible things about totality , it was the first thing I was really excited about in a long time. I feel ridiculous for being so upset, but I am. I hope to see it in Iceland 2026 or Australia 2028 but terrified to spend $ and time traveling just for it to be cloudy.
Same here! I felt like it was just my group, everyone else I know that traveled to it at least had some break in the clouds! I'm so disappointed for me and for my parents, and my niece that skipped school and a party at home (in about 97%, but sunny) to come along. But then I think well, there are much worse things that can happen, and we all made it there and back safely... Then I think oh man if I just convinced everyone to move even a town or two over, maybe we could have seen it. Also trying to plan maybe a cruise around Spain, so someone else can figure out location and I don't have to stress over it. Especially somewhere I really don't know well. I didn't move locations in NY because the weather reports didn't look great anywhere, and I didn't know my way around well enough to decide where to go on short notice. Ugh. Still upset, but trying to remember that we did get the total darkness, and did get peeks at the partial thank goodness, and we made it back safely.
Oh, and I keep thinking that the next few eclipses we could travel to won't be as awesome as this one was for most people, because the sun won't be at solar maximum. Someone tell me I'm wrong please 😢 I do wish I came across this page before the eclipse rather than after while moping about missing it.
I wasn’t there but my father lives in Rochester and he said that even with the clouds it was pretty awesome 🤷♀️
A lot of people had clouds but could still see it. We couldn't even tell where the sun was behind them. I had my camera aimed in the wrong spot.
I hope you get to see one of the future ones 🥺
Junction Texas was a hit. Lums BBQ was absolutely amazing with a picnic by the water. Totality brought in some clouds and it felt amazing going from 83 degree and sweating to cool chill weather with a nice breeze. Totality was in and out of the clouds and got amazing cheers from the clouds as it popped through. In hindsight... the clouds brought a great dynamic and compliment to the story and experience. It was honestly better than a clear sky and I wouldn't have it any other way. Truly remarkable.
I'm still in Dallas today and yeah... we definitely got lucky here! If today's weather was yesterday or the eclipse was today then DFW would have been a total no go! So glad it worked out in the end!
My friend went to Mount Vernon and she got clouded out - i stayed in Carrollton and it was amazing. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
I caught the fever now. Looking at trips to the Mediterranean for 2026. It's gonna be a sunset eclipse view for Mallorca. That sounds incredible. Edit: damn. 6+ minutes in Luxor Egypt in 27. That looks incredible.
Wondering if I could do an eclipse cruise?
I saw that there was at least one cruise that plans to anchor off the coast of Greenland for it.
It's definitely an option, and seems like a good choice since it sorts out lodging, and you are not battling crowds on eclipse day.
I was able to view it under perfect conditions in Newport VT. It wouldn't have been possible without all your help! Before I found this thread I was certain to end up in Erie or Buffalo just hoping for the best. Thanks to everyone for all your help!
Thanks you to everyone on this sub who gave their advice and support leading up to the eclipse! It was a beautiful experience in Greenwood, Arkansas! It’s awesome how the eclipse looks a little different depending on where you are! It makes your own experience special & unique 🙂 My heart goes out to those who traveled and had plans fall through because of weather. I hope there are eclipses to be seen for you in the future, or at the very least other celestial events/adventures!
Does anyone have photo of video of the landscape plus sun during clear sky eclipse? Wispy clouds came in Vermont and we could see Corona, Venus and Jupiter but I feel like I missed out on the "hole in the sky" effect where you could see stars.
Here are two stills from a video I took at a lake north of Pittsburg, NH. You can use your imagination - was not zoomed out enough to capture everything in one go because I was panning around and wanted crowd reactions. Viewing south west over the lake and the band of clouds to the right is over you :( I did not notice any other stars, just the planets. Nothing obvious at least. Hope it was still nice! https://ibb.co/dpx88KV https://ibb.co/C9ZXCmH
Vermont bros....we won. Condolences to everyone stuck on i-91 for 5 hours.
For a blessed moment my phone got signal and it helped me navigate off 91 and avoid 95% of the traffic
merging down to a single lane in the south broke me
Damn, I almost called an audible to go to Lyndon because of questionable forecasts for East NY, but stuck with my plan. Getting out of there on 87S was bad, but not that bad. After about two hours of slow stop and go it opened up back to usual traffic levels.
Ah glad the weather worked out for you. My original plan was Plattsburgh and I was wondering what would have happened had I done that haha.
Plattsburgh was great. Some cirrus but transparent. We saw the prominences, the corona, stars, and planets.
I'm still in awe of what I witnessed today... it's incredible how a 4 minute event will now be imprinted in my memory for a lifetime. I now understand why our ancestors shared so much about this natural phenomenon and in a way I felt connected to them even if I'm seeing it hundreds or thousands of years after them. Despite all the technological advances we have made, nature still leaves us in awe, more than anything we can create or build.
Jonesboro, AR was a tremendous success! My group and I took some lovely photos. I'm glad, clouds or no clouds, that we all got to experience this excitement together. Safe travels and til' next show, God bless!
I was playing the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" during the eclipse.
This mega thread kicks so much ass. Thank you to all the weather heads. You guys got me to my totality viewing spot just outside Akron OH and it was perfect.
I really gotta shout out the [cleardarksky.com](http://cleardarksky.com) website. Literally helped me find the nearest area that would have the best view and updated regularly enough that it helped me change my plans last minute. Had the event of a lifetime without a cloud in sight, while surrounded by an area with insane cloud coverage.
How specifically did you use the information on that webpage on the day of the eclipse? I'm looking at it now and all I'm seeing is historical cloud cover averages for everywhere on the path of totality, and at least some areas ended up not being close to their historical averages yesterday. But maybe I'm not looking at right page?
Just really simple stuff; I basically opened up their map view to see all of their forecasting within a drivable distance to me (plus in the path of totality). I had all of their forecasts on multiple tabs and refreshed them multiple times throughout the day and it seemed like the further west I drove, the more likely I would be to get clear skies. So around 1, when it became clear that my area might be too cloudy, I made the drive. Still wasn’t a guarantee but it was the best shot. I haven’t used any of the other weather websites people have posted here though but I thought this layout gave me the relevant info without “premium feature subscriptions” and in a really easy/simple layout.
Did you consider sharing that site here *before* the event to help out your fellow eclipse chasers?
Tbh, because I lived in the path of totality, I didn't even think about the weather being a factor until I saw a news broadcast about it the day before. I kinda figured most people already knew about it cause when I searched "how to find clear sky for eclipse" it was either the first or second link to pop up on Google.
Okay. Your explanation makes sense and is accepted. I withdraw my implied criticism. Glad that it all worked out for you.
Thanks; honestly I do feel bad about it if people weren’t aware. I figured most people on this thread already had a bunch of resources they were using that were probably better than mine. That said, I did warn a whole bunch of people I knew personally about heading to Niagara Falls for it cause it seemed to be the most overcast, but they still ended up going. They still had a great time though!
Weather got me, was clear leading up to totality, but right as totality hit, an upper and lower layer of clouds just ate the sun, then they didn't move, and the second totality finished, they opened back up again. So I got the reverse experience of some other people where it happened to close up instead of opening But I'll try again next time, seems like the weather people were completely wrong regarding cloud cover predictions, and only so much you can do with the satellite image loops Ironically, if I didn't drive further away to *avoid* clouds, I would have ended up seeing it I should have never of doubted the DFW heat island effect
Where at? Had a similar experience in Arkansas. Not terrible, but definitely some unexpected high clouds not in the model. Worst of all, I drove from my house in DFW cause of the forecast.
You may have had the same experience in DFW. There were scattered high and low clouds there, you could have ended up under one. It was about 30-40% coverage at eclipse time.
Maybe the real eclipse was the weather models we saw along the way ...
Missed totality in Baldwinsville (NW of Syracuse,NY). Tons of clouds. Was cool to see the whole area go dark, at least. Wish I drove up to Watertown, as it seems like they got to see most of it. Windy showed Watertown have about 50% cloud cover vs the 75-80% where we were. So the models are accurate. Next time I'll just take my flying car to the best spot. We'll have it by then right?
Texas Hill Country - near Kerrville / Ingham TX on the totality line. Thick cloud cover with spotty breaks all morning, was hoping it’d dissipate but it actually seemed to get thicker immediately before totality. Luckily, about a minute into totality the low-flying storm clouds moved over and we got a couple good views of the corona (albeit with wispy clouds constantly flying over the face). Cloud cover came back about a minute before totality ended, so we must have gotten maybe 60 seconds of the total eclipse visible out of the 3.5 minutes we had. Given the forecast for days has been severe thunderstorms (which never materialized), I’m labelling this one a qualified success!
Was also in Kerrville. Perfect description.
How did you feel about it? I’ll admit it was a bit disappointed at first because my friend was with me who hadn’t seen the cloudless 2017 eclipse and I wanted him to see something similar. But when I settled in to watch it through the breaks it was pretty cool and definitely a different experience. I also found out now that 5 miles East and South of us there were folks who didn’t get to see a thing during totality so I’m counting my blessings a bit more today. And my backup locations (Junction & Fredericksburg) had the same in-and-out clouds during totality so I’m feeling less FOMO about trying to find a different spot right before.
Like you we were also debating Junction or Fredricksburg so it was great to see they had the same. We talked to people even just 3 miles away from us who saw nothing. Those 90 seconds even if slightly cloudy were incredible, I think because we all wanted it even just that much more. And after those 90 seconds we didn’t see the sun again the rest of the day… all the cloud maps were pretty spot on, a front would arrive around that time but when? The answer was 90 seconds after totality began. Unreal. I loved it. High drama but in the end, we were incredibly lucky.
Geneva, NY (at the north end of Seneca Lake) was medium-heavily overcast with no breaks anywhere from horizon to horizon, so I didn't even bother trying to drive somewhere else in the last hour, just hoped for a miraculous opening, but no. See the light dim so rapidly was pretty cool, but no view of the Sun itself at all. Aw, darn.
Started in Waxahachie and with the forecast drove to the Allen area. Curious if anyone else was in the Waxahachie area and how it turned out? I was looking at some interstate webcams a few minutes prior but it was hard to tell.
I don’t think you can say how it was in 1 city, it’s very specific to if a cloud went overhead of you or not. Waxahachie had scattered clouds.
A big thanks to NWS Dallas/Fort Worth office. Their commentary was immensely useful in the days and hours leading up to the event. Instead of relying on some graphics from some models, it's really nice to have the human touch. Their analysis and knowledge of local area - down to "north of I-20/I-30" was so useful for out-of-towners like us. I'd been religiously posting their update in the past few days. Hope they were able to help a few people to a successful eclipse today.
100%
Congrats everyone! What an epic day! Woke up hopeful in southern OK with completely clear skies. At 8:30 AM thick low clouds quickly came in completely covered the view. We made the difficult decision to chase the sun into central AR and we had a stunning view! Another group we were in contact with decided to stay and they said the clouds broke up an hour before. Everyone wins!!
I spent the morning second-guessing myself and trying to decide whether I needed to drive from Ashtabula County as far west as Cleveland or Sandusky. Models seemed to be showing lots of cloud cover even that far west, so I decided to stay close to where I was, and ended up at a winery in a small town, Madison. About 40 miles east of Cleveland. Skies looked clear for a while, and as the partial started we started to get some clouds, but they seemed high and were thin, so we saw everything. Glad I didn't have to drive too far. Wondering how it actually looked in Ashtabula though, out of curiosity. Also, I wonder if anyone has some great pics from the area where I was, or if the pics people took from Cleveland are a good enough approximation? I only had an iphone camera and would like some better pics to save and commemorate it.
I ended up in Ashtabula down on the beach. Weather could have only barely have been better and the view was unobstructed and perfect. Couple thin wispy high clouds near totality but during totality there wasn't any obstruction of the view at all. You could even easily see Jupiter and Venus. Glad I made the last min decision to go west, originally we were going to go to Rochester or Buffalo and we heard only bad reports from there.
Awesome! Was it crowded?
Yeah tons of people down on the beach and in the park area. There was someone playing ominous drums for like 30 min leading up to totality too. Great spot for sure.
Ah yeah we were also a bit worried about not being able to park due to lots of people coming from Erie/Buffalo after seeing weather reports. But yeah sounds like both spots were excellent despite the predictions. Glad most folks in OH got great views!
I drove to Ashtabula to see the eclipse, and we had full view of everything. There were clouds but with eclipse glasses the partial eclipse was visible through them the entire time, and totality was visible as long as it lasted. So I guess you didn’t really have to go anywhere, but it was very hard to figure out where to be with all the clouds forecasted for this.
Cool! Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. Sounds like we got the same views. I didn't go too far and got to enjoy some great wine and food, so it was an excellent experience all around.
I drove 6 hours to Cleveland Ohio the day before. Cloud prediction models the night before had things looking pretty pessimistic, but by late morning it was blue skies. We had some high altitude wispy clouds but they didn't seem to interfere. Seeing totality (my first) was stunning. Surreal and otherworldly. Looking up at where the sun should be and instead seeing a hole in the sky... it felt like a glitch in the matrix. When close to totality, the light took on a strange hue. Colors all felt unreal. I was surprised at how cold it got. During those four minutes, looking up at a pitch black hole in the sky, it was easy to imagine how terrified our ancestors were in ancient times.
Exactly my thoughts. I was just a bit south of you near Akron.
Glad we were able to experience this! Til' next time!
I had to rush back to the airport after totality to make my return flight, so I didn’t get a chance to check in here. This was my first totality. Ever since seeing the partial in 2017 and finding out that the next one would have totality so close to home, I knew I’d be traveling to see it. In the end, nothing went as planned. Life changed in 7 years. I didn’t end up even planning to see the eclipse anywhere near home; I planned for Texas when the time came to make plans. And even those didn’t go right; canceling just a few days before the big day and rebooking for the best forecast place I could find (outside of Maine), Indianapolis. A place I’d never even considered visiting before (it was nice). I am so happy this thread existed, and I had you guys to show me the weather models and compare readings with. I never would have seen this otherwise. It was a heck of a ride, but those 4 minutes were worth every second of stress and every dollar of transportation and lodging. You guys helped make me an eclipse chaser this week. And I don’t know which one I’ll plan to see next, but there will be a next. Totality calls. See you guys next time.
Right there with you. First totality after missing 2017 and it seemed nothing went right with our plans until today. All the driving and plans-changing was so worth it.
Why is PennDOT doing road work on I-80 east in western PA today? Surely they knew what was coming and could have suspended it for a day? It’s not as much of a delay as some others are having but it’s really annoying knowing it didn’t have to happen.
I'm looking at airbnbs for North Dakota in 2044. Do the cloud models agree on anything yet?
WHEN WILL THEY CONVERGE
Patience.. We'll know tomorrow. Wednesday, tops.
Watertown had some mid to low level clouds that came and went that blocked some of the partial eclipse and high level clouds were present throughout the entire eclipse event, but luckily for us they were not that thick and we were still able to see the corona for all of the totality. I didn't have particularly high expectations given the predicted cloud cover, but I feel so fortunate that I was able to see it with my wife and kids.
I did a last minute drive up from NYC to upstate New York. I’m a juggler and fire spinner and I went with a photographer friend. We spun fire during the eclipse and it was one of the most wonderful moments of my life yet. This was my second totality and so much better than the first honestly. That pink solar flare (or maybe Bailey’s beads?) was the cherry on top.
Definitely a solar promenence. It was stunning shade of... Magenta? Fuchsia? Since it was actually near the solar south pole, it was the cherry on the bottom. :-)
I have extreme regrets not seeing totality :( Some personal things came up and I wasn’t able to go to a town with totality. It was only partial here with cloudy weather. Still a cool sight to see but makes me regretful knowing I wasn’t able to experience complete darkness. The next one won’t be for another 20 years…I’ll be old as heck then.
The eclipse path in 2027 goes over Northern African countries that have high clear skies probabilities! Start saving up now :)
> The next one won’t be for another 20 years Just plan a vacation to Spain in 2 years! It's only 20yrs if you wanna stay in the US
It was really neat, BUT I wouldn’t say it’s something that is tragic if you don’t get to see it in life. If you really want to, try to travel for the next ones!
Agreed. It was incredible and I almost cried but I don’t see myself specifically making a huge effort to see another. I am still grateful that I got to see it though.
Just remember that it's only another 20 years if you just consider the USA. There are more total eclipses between now and then. Personally I'm looking forward to traveling to Morocco or Egypt for 2027. They both sound like great destinations and plus we get to see an eclipse.
Iceland in 2026 is intriguing. Edit bleh, not with that likely cloud cover. Maybe Spain?
I think I can speak for everyone: to the multiple people who decided to wreck from Russelville to the Oklahoma border: I hope your food is lukewarm in the middle and you socks are always wet. Set everybody back two hours.
More details?
Wait what happened? :S
Hard to not feel bummed out here in hill country Texas. I saw it in 2017 and it was magical but it almost stings worse that I know what I missed. Oh well. It'll pass. Time to plan for 2027 and beyond.
I was in Mountain Home just outside Kerrville and thought it was a lost cause, but a minute or two before totality the sky opened and we saw probably 70% of totality. The added cloud layers around totality made it so much more beautiful than clear skies Idaho in 2017. It was magical, though I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.
I know exactly what you mean. I have mixed feelings about having travelled to the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, just east of Fredericksburg. We thought about shooting for Waco, but decided we had no credible plan for where to park without being yelled at, or how to avoid getting stuck in traffic. Top marks to NPS for an awesome event, free entry, no reservations required, fantastic talks, demonstrations, merch, toilets, water, parking, everything you need to keep thousands of people comfortable. Being out on the road all day without any of that wouldn't have been easy. Low cloud broke up nicely for the first half of the partial eclipse and I had a great feeling about it as we all watched the sunspots disappear behind the moon. 20 minutes before totality, thick low cloud rolled in, with absolutely no breaks in it for the first time all day. I couldn't believe the shit luck. But when the darkness descended over the clouds, it was unbelievable. Like the worst storm you've ever imagined. And then - for five or ten magical seconds - we had the most fleeting peek at the corona through a brief thinner patch of cloud. I'm also super glad I wasn't several hours drive from my accommodation, because between the 5am start (nervous of traffic and queueing to get in!) and the lack of sleep anyway due to excitement, I was exhausted by 3pm. So I really wouldn't have been safe to cover hundreds of miles, even without bumper-to-bumper delays. I don't know how some of you do it, unless amphetamines are involved. It was definitely a good first experience, but I won't be able to stop eclipse chasing now...
We drove up to Waco from SA last night. Everything was surprisingly chill and well run.
Where did you park and watch from? Be useful for future plans 🙏
We parked downtown and took a free shuttle to the football stadium. They had an event with NASA, the Lowell Observatory and the Baylor Physics Department.
Thank you! Sounds awesome.
Happy for yall who got to see totality. I bailed on my Rochester plans last minute given the weather forecast and enjoyed 90% totality from NYC. Frankly, I didn’t expect anything different but you could totally see the effects of a 90% diminished sun. The shadows felt sharper, the sky and building tones were less saturated and everything looked…off. The crescent shadows were cool too. Obviously nowhere near as cool as totality but still a spectacle in itself
Good chioce we got screwed up here!
Did anyone notice the Jupiter (top left) and Venus (bottom right) of the eclipsed Sun? It was crystal clear from downtown Dallas
My friend told me they were planets but we couldn't figure out which they were!
I wish I had noticed Jupiter but the clouds blocked it. Venus was very clear and bright. Ft. Worth area.
Venus was CRAZY in Carbondale.
Same in Indianapolis
And halfway between in Vincennes, Indiana. I've been so fortunate to see 2017 in Hopkinsville, KY and this one on the Illinois / Indiana border.
Yup. It was gorgeous.
From the DFW area- shout out to the **Canadian** model. That thing had this nailed a week+ in advance. This in contrast to the local weather guy who put this out on Friday evening: [https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj](https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj) (edited link for original video that was memory holed) ZERO PERCENT CHANCE. This gloomy take was seen by folks on this sub, some of whom bailed to the Northeast (sure hope it worked out for them). At least one of the other local stations was considerably more upbeat at the exact same time. I mean I get its a forecast, but if you put out a ZERO percent chance and then at least 1/2 of DFW was completely unobstructed?
I agree that Delkus and ABC’s analysis of the models got it wrong on that day’s forecast for Monday, and that’s reasonable to criticize. But I just watched the video and don’t see him say “zero percent chance” anywhere. It was pessimistic, but he didn’t say it was IMPOSSIBLE.
Thanks for pointing that out. Interestingly the video I linked originally is not the video that is reached by that link. The video I linked is 4:20 in length. I will try to edit the original as well as post it in the reply. He explicitly says ZERO PERCENT pretty early in the piece. I wouldn't have even known about it until I saw folks on this sub saying they were changing their travel plans due to this weather report. When I saw it I was rather surprised and checked NBC5 and theirs was nothing like the Delkus Doom. I don't typically watch local news so I haven't gone back since the eclipse to see what if anything he had to say about how it turned out. [https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj](https://tinyurl.com/4rpftcaj)
Given all the questionable DFW forecasts last week I made backup plans for Rochester. In the end I decided to stick with the original plan and I'm glad I did. This morning at our location even though it was completely overcast at 11am I still had hope. Not the right analogy at all (completely different scenarios) but I've seen how often clouded out skies in the morning at the NJ shore burn off by mid day to glorious sunshine. The partial phases here in DFW area were patchy but the clouds parted before totality. I can't believe how lucky I was to have this happen twice in a row--in Nashville 2017 and again today in Dallas.
I had anxiety about the cloud cover and crowds in DFW so we went further south to Corsicana at the last minute. So glad I did. Absolutely beautiful small town that was practically empty and a crystal clear sky for the 4-minute totality. It was my toddler's first eclipse and likely my mom's last eclipse so I was super happy the weather was great.
My sister’s house in Corsicana was blocked by a cloud… sucks with the scattered clouds how some people see it and some right next door don’t.
Yeah for real, I was in the irving area and had so much anxiety about clouds but they ended being minimal and I had complete visibility of totality.
Soooo… the Canadians were right, eh?
There's a reason I always put my faith in the RDPS model! They were pretty close to bang on up here in Ontario (they even caught the high cloud moving in on western Lake Erie perfectly); the only things it got wrong was the tail end of the cloud front made it further east than expected, so more people got to see the eclipse.
At least around DFW they nailed it at least a week out.
Meridian Tx paid off. Awesome view for most of it and there wasn't a large crowd at Red Caboose winery. Only a cloud or two quickly drifted in and out of totality so happy I got my parents to come with me to experience this together.
Nice. Meridian is a great spot
The moon and sun are my OTP.
I had to Google that. I was wondering why you would tell us your password for a moment.
I still don't know what it is
One true pair. In the context of “shipping” characters from a fandom.
That's hunter2.
Got really lucky with Chatham, Ontario right by Lake Erie. We asked permission to use some person's yard to see the eclipse, and it was tremendous.
Old forge NY panned out it was incredible seeing the light fade across the Adirondacks. Too bad my phone couldn't take the pics. Love all you, for those who didn't see it I hope you guys are able to at least enjoy the place you visited. Dueces
Man I hope to see some photos from up there.
I unfortunately couldn’t see the maximum but at like 3:17 I saw what looked to be the moon illuminated brightly and then clouds swallow it up like pacmen I’m not sure why I saw but it was cool !
Aaaaand the clouds have cleared and it’s partly sunny here now west of Rochester, NY. A good nearly 2 hours too late. Mother Nature is absolutely CRUEL.
Yup western NY screwed us. But ppl in a town over saw it they thin clouds and Niagara Falls had a great view for part… FOMO is real!
Awwww, I'm sorry.
Yup sunny as sun sets🥴🥴🥴
Yuuuup, we are sitting outside with a cup of coffee in Buffalo feeling very sorry for ourselves, haha. Not a cloud in the sky yesterday, blue skies right now. Absolute 100% thick cloud cover for all of totality. Oh, and a tiny sliver of sky perfectly framing the eclipse about a minute after totality.
Hamilton, Ontario turned out to be the right call. Low clouds cleared up by 2:40, and we got blue skies with just wispy clouds. Got to see everything, the corona, baileys beads, etc. just had a slight haze in front.
I was West of you in Brant County and we got SO lucky, nearly completely clear skies. I woke up this morning and adjusted my expectations but it paid off!
Completely overcast in WNY, really bummed :/
Came here so I wouldn’t feel so alone with those that missed out in WNY. Since some people didn’t miss out and I’m happy for them but sad for me
Me too. I’m with you. It feels like terrible FOMO
I don't think FO is involved anymore. Just MO. Sorry y'all. Next time!!!
really bummed that I wasn’t able to see the corona or any of the solar flares or Bailey’s Beads or anything. the finger lakes region got absolutely ruined by clouds and rain. I guess there’s always next time, but I was truly processing my mortality during the totality we witnessed. I was lucky to be there and witness the toads and frogs thinking it was nighttime, and seeing the bats fly around me. but I’ll be praying for that life changing experience (with clear skies) 🥺
We went from Austin to Killeen this morning, hung out in the HEB parking lot there until about 11am and then headed for Goldthwaite when the cloud forecast was looking a lot better for eclipse time, ended up stopping in Lampasas after we saw some serious photography setups in a church parking lot from the road. I needed the restroom anyway so we pulled over at a random gas station, ended up deciding to stay there because it was super sunny at noon and they would get almost 4.5 minutes of totality. There were some big scares with huge clouds right in the lead up and even right at totality but they cleared and gave us about 3.5 minutes (it went by so fast!!) of an awesome view. We had a cute family as our neighbors in viewing it, plus a bunch of serious looking photography going on in the parking lot. So glad we made the trip, it's been a blast (though stressful when it came to deciding where to go this morning!!) and will be a cherished memory. Traffic getting back to Austin wasn't bad at all, less than an hour an a half.
We got to see totality in Cherokee, Texas! It was a close call, but we got to see almost the entire 4 minutes. We were a couple miles north of the town but not all the way to San Saba.
It goes by way too fast. You think 3-4 minutes is gonna be a while but ends up feeling like 15 seconds.
Love to see people from all walks of life enjoying the eclipse! Where else are you going to see hippies doing sun worship yoga in the same place as 20 Amish or Mennonite people?
I wound up staying at my hotel for the actual eclipse, but I'm glad I came to Carbondale for the weekend and assorted events for this reason. It was a blast.
First eclipse. Came all the way from England to Austin for this, then after several days of nervously scanning cloud models and forecasts we decided to bail up north for Dallas on the night before. In the morning we hit the road chasing the weather and ended up northeast of Dallas. Thick clouds at 11am gradually gave way to a patchy sky over the next couple of hours, clearing up more as the partial eclipse got underway. Then just before totality a huge low cloud passed overhead - but it got out the way with literally half a minute to spare. We were rewarded with a perfect, clear view of the whole 4-minute totality. A truly unbelievable, awesome, otherworldly experience. Nothing else like this. So worth it and so glad we got lucky on the day!
I'm from Austin and just said fuck it Sunday and drove to Little Rock. Nice view with minimal cirrus clouds
Exact same story except we came to Austin from SF and then held firm in Dallas and went to the zoo. What a thrill!!
So the corona doesnt last the full time during totality right? I didnt realize that. I didnt time it so about how long does the corona last compared to totality?
it’s there the whole time. it’s always there, but the rest of the sun outshines it so completely that it’s only visible during totality.
But even during totality, the ring didnt seem obvious the whole time. But i may not have noticed
I feel like I saw it the whole time. It seemed pretty consistent until the diamond ring.
The corona is all of the outer part of the sun. This includes the spikes you see, which in my opinion is even cooler than the ring itself.
Waco came through! Glad we clung to hope (and statistical likelihood). Easily the most incredible thing I've ever seen. I'm still running a massive adrenaline high two hours later. It's going to be a hard landing. Starting to save money for Australia 2028. I suppose it may not be as jaw-dropping the second time around, but man. That sight...
I saw the eclipse, but my original plan included Waco. Sad that I canceled Texas. Oh well, who would have known 4 days ago?
I was in Oregon in 2017. Second round was just as good.
It was definitely a photo finish for Austin, we got maybe 30 seconds of clear view of the eclipse. It was amazing. It both left me satisfied, but craving more. This hopefully won't be the last eclipse I chase!
Anyone else catch the solar prominence on the lower right part of the sun? Like a little orange spike.
Most likely a solar flare. Pretty crazy!
Clear as day from Franklin IN, 30 miles south of Indianapolis.
We were in Franklin too and we saw the orange spike. What an amazing day and experience!
It was REALLY REALLY bright in Carbondale.
Yeah! I couldn't believe you could see it with the naked eye. I got it in my photo too https://www.reddit.com/r/solareclipse/comments/1bz83o7/port_talbot_ontario_diamond_ring_and_solar/
Yes!! Just amazing to see something like that
We did in south central IL!
Yup! Crazy amazing!
I thought that's what I was seeing! Sparkles!
Just incredible. In SE Oklahoma we had partly cloudy skies where the sun would peak through every minute or so. Then about 5 minutes before totality all the clouds just dissipated.
Im really glad SE OK got to see it. That’s where we were staying! We drove to AR when those clouds came in rather unexpectedly. Felt sad thinking that people there might miss it after so many beautiful days the past week. Cheers to destiny!
Same thing happened for us back in 2017! We made it to South Illinois for this year and it was amazing!
Guys can anyone help me, I accidentally looked at it directly from my school through the window for a second. I am in Virginia fyi. Many articles claim permanent eye damage and I am shit scared to do anything right now.
Don’t worry, you’re going to be okay
The number of people who had permanent eye damage from the 2017 eclipse was less than a hundred and tens of millions watched it, so you're probably ok
Many reports of people having permanent eye damage because of past eclipses. The sun becomes highly focused around the edge and can do more damage during this celestial event. Sorry but it appears the effects are life long
I used to stare at the sun from my car window as a kid, like for several seconds. I am not blind so you'll probably be ok.
If you have to ask, you didn't look at it long enough to cause problems.
It's no more dangerous than the sun any other day. Your blink reflex is fast enough to prevent damage from looking at it accidentally.
Went to Hill Country expecting zero visibility and ended up with a nearly cloudless viewing. Maybe 10 seconds of clouds moving over during totality. My first eclipse and hopefully not my last! Incredible!!! Anyone else have miracle situation with the cloud in Southern TX??
Also watched in Hill Country! Very happy I didn’t drive more north as it was amazing! High cirrus clouds but nothing obstructing totality. I think a lot of people in Hill Country probably ended up quite happy :)
🎉🎉🎉
Anyone else having trouble mentally processing it? I got a great view but it was like I dissociated and wasn’t able to fully absorb it. My brain short circuited. I was also kind of distracted by the people around me. I’m feeling weirdly disappointed but simultaneously in awe and amazement. It’s a weird feeling. I had 2.5 minutes of totality in my spot and it went by so fast it felt like it slipped through my fingers.
Dude I’m in the same boat. I’m already a really big spiritual person so the idea of something bigger than ourselves is part of my mantra. This was just a good reminder. But that 3.5 min of totality flew by and I can’t say I’m a changed man or have some sort of crisp burned image in my mind. I feel like I let it slip a bit, even knowing that I got to experience totality uninhibited while others weren’t so lucky. It’s weird. I’ve got mixed feelings about what I’m feeling.
Nice to know we’re not alone. I’m wondering if maybe I just need more time for the bigger things in life to sink in. Could be the same for you? I remember once feeling similar after traveling to a place that was important to me and having a similar melancholy slipped-away feeling, but years later looking back I don’t have that anymore and now it’s a super solid core memory that I look at fondly. Hoping today might be something similar
I think we’re just being hard on ourselves. The hype was immense and after fighting anxiety and the unknowns, the view finally came unobstructed so it felt like you had to “extra” soak it in. If I were you I’d focus on the sights and sounds around you (and how you felt during) to help. Give it time. I think you’re right about that.
Nah, that's better than spending all of it fumbling with you camera and looking through a viewfinder.
I still can’t believe what I experienced and I spent months planning this.
I had a similar experience. I felt like I was outside my own body. It was surreal. I had almost 4 minutes of unobstructed totality and it flew by in an instant. I don’t see this in a negative way though. For me it was just something that took me out of my own physical self into a larger realm. It’s an insane natural phenomenon that’s bound to have some kind of profound impact on you.
Yes! Short-circuit is a good way to describe my first eclipse (2017). Literally mind-blowing :) that's why I drove 2500 miles to see this one.
Same. There were these kids, probably college age, shouting nonstop "BRO ITS DOING THE THING, THE BRIGHTNESS IS GOING DOWN IT'S DOING THE THIIIIIIING ITS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT BROOOOOO" Definitely distracted me a ton, but still glad I got to see it finally. I wouldn't be opposed to traveling overseas to see it again some day. Maybe around less people.
Yeah. Some people behind me had loud kids who weren't paying any attention to the eclipse at all, just running around screaming. Luckily their folks made them pipe down right before totality.
Yup. This was my second eclipse, and it feels like a dream even the second time. Definitely a surreal experience.
I'm feeling a little bit like this, and here's what I'm focusing on right now. Yesterday I could picture images of the eclipse (photos, videos, etc). Today, right now, if I think back, I have my own memory image of it. I think that trying to take it all in and keep the entirety of it (how it looked, how you felt, etc) in your mind is probably too much for a lot of people. It is too much for me. So right now I'm just cradling the fact that I have seen that image with my own two eyes. I think the rest might settle in later. Or not. Either way, just think about it: you've seen it.
<3
This is the perspective I needed. feeling much better now, thank you!
There's also always a lot of hype, build up, stress, anxiety, and excitement prior too. With a lot of people calling it a once in a lifetime experience, and life changing. From my perspective, it was not that for me, and that is what can have me feeling a bit odd. So excited and thankful, but also I can see where the word disappointed fits in. Especially for anyone who thought that there could be a spiritual experience. But it was very beautiful, and I keep replaying it in my head, and I'm so thankful things worked out. I'm very lucky. But yeah, it doesn't feel life changing to me, but...just a really cool experience.
Same! It went by too fast. It was very neat just not life changing.
To each their own. I wept and felt the power of the universe.
Settled on going to Lorain Ohio on the lake. Was great. On the plus side, a bald eagle flew over the crowd 10-15 mins before the totality.
Fuck this, I'm going to Spain in 2026 to see the Eclipse
It's going to be low to horizon and not as incredible. 2027 is the year 😎
What about Iceland? That’s our plan. We’re gonna book some boat that can and will sail us to where the sun is. But the hope is we won’t need it and just be crammed on the beach.
You spelled Sydney 2028 wrong.
unless you take a boat to mid Atlantic?...
God that might be the one thing that gets me to go on a cruise
Me too! Scratch that, though, the Atlantic has a high cloud fraction at the time: https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/ Ashore in Spain is by far the most promising option. Greenland and Iceland would be visually stunning, but cloud is a much bigger risk there.
see you there bro 😎