Here’s Where You’ll Have the Best Eclipse Weather (and Where You’ll Be Screwed)
Hundreds of thousands of people are descending on small towns along the line of totality for Monday's total solar eclipse. Airline and hotel prices are through the roof and it could all be for naught if there's too much cloud cover.
Fortunately, in many places, the forecast should have you feeling optimistic. Here's a look from Weather.com at the eclipse forecast across the entire US, because it's not just people along the path of totality who will be looking up. (Hopefully, wearing the right eclipse glasses.) In fact, an early August survey showed more than 51% of Americans plan on watching the celestial event.
This is expected to be one of the worst areas for viewing the eclipse. The Weather Channel reports a larger stretch of the Upper Midwest and Central Plains may be contending with showers and thunderstorms blocking the view of sky-gazers.
The Southeast will contend with scattered cloud cover and possible showers.
For the most part, the day looks promising along the path of totality. Even in the areas with a disheartening forecast, there's reason for a bit of optimism. "A single thunderstorm won't last long enough to affect the entire two- to three-hour viewing period of the eclipse in any given area," Weather.com notes. "However, one of these stray thunderstorms could be so poorly timed it occurs over part of the area seeing an eclipse for the roughly two- to three-minute period of totality."
Hopefully, the day is clear for everyone at their peak time. If not, that's probably the one exception to Neil deGrasse Tyson's proclamation that "there's no excuse" to miss the eclipse.
Wanna see the solar eclipse for yourself? Check out Thrillist's state-by-state watch guides to the best viewing spots in Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Wyoming.
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