April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

[Henry]

Of all the times not to be in Chicago for the event, but I'm sure all my old friends and family back there are enjoying it right now. And even worse, Seattle is not going to get a glimpse of it at all, but Denver (where my brother Jeff lives) is 

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

The news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

[wanderer2575]

The weather forecasts for metro Detroit got progressively better after midweek last week (at that time calling for cloudy skies and possible light rain).  Today was sunny with some very thin cloud cover in some areas.  A significant dimming at the 3:15pm peak.  I went up to the top level of the parking structure near my office downtown, and it was kinda neat seeing the headlights on all the vehicles on I-94.  It didn't dim as much as I was hoping, but I thought it was quite a sight considering it's the first eclipse I recall seeing.  I wonder how nuts it is right now a little farther south in Luna Pier (totality).

[LilianaUwU]

It was cool, but it's probably much cooler in totality, which is something I couldn't see from Lévis.

[SEWIGuy]

Of all the times not to be in Chicago for the event, but I'm sure all my old friends and family back there are enjoying it right now. And even worse, Seattle is not going to get a glimpse of it at all, but Denver (where my brother Jeff lives) is 

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

The news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

August 23, 2044 is the next total eclipse in the contiguous 48.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_23,_2044

[wanderer2575]

It was cool, but it's probably much cooler in totality

No doubt, but the days when I had the patience and the stamina and the overall bodily ability to deal with the logistics and the crowds for something like this are sadly many moons (pardon the expression) behind me.  I'm okay with the extent that I saw.

[7/8]

Our eclipse viewing in Port Stanley, ON was a great success! We left home at 8:30am and it was overcast and drizzly. We got there at 10am way before the crowds (a bit too early TBH ). The sun started to come out around 11am and the skies were clear. Some thin clouds came in about 30 minutes before totality, which was a little stressful, but thankfully, that had no effect on the viewing experience!



The traffic leaving our parking lot has barely moved for the past hour, so looks like we'll be hanging in town for dinner lol.

It's a shame Niagara didn't work out for my boss, and for the many people who chose that as their base.

[Jim]

There were more clouds than I hoped at Snow Ridge, but it was still a spectacular event.  The clouds thickened annoyingly after 2.  We took the lift up to the summit and walked to a spot at the top of the ridge on the South Slope.  It had a nice view toward the sun to the south plus a sweeping view out across the valley to the north and west.  We could still see the progress of the eclipse through the clouds with the glasses.  And once I thought totality was just going to be the shadow, but no ring, the ring was there, the darkness was amazing and the experience was almost as good as the clearer day in Grand Island in 2017.  It was awesome to go from people being underwhelmed and kind of disappointed even seconds before totality to blown away by the spectacle.  We had a solid 3+ minutes with a good view of the ring around the sun despite the cloud cover.  The first light coming around the moon at the end of totality was also almost shocking.

Travel-wise, it was also a successful day.  We left from Amsterdam before 8:30, and were passing by Snow Ridge less than 2 hours later, encountering zero traffic.  We continued a few miles up the road to Whetstone Gulf State Park to walk around a bit.  Their parking lot was filling up and by the time we left at noon it was probably close to their capacity.  I would not consider it an ideal viewing location, given that you're in a canyon and can't see so much of the daylight around you while in totality.  We returned to Snow Ridge by 12:15 and parked right by the lift, spent the early afternoon trying (eventually successfully) to get some lunch from their tavern.

After totality, we took our time walking back down the ridge, then hung out around the lodge for a bit longer.  We could see traffic building on 26 so decided it was time to get going at 4:30.  We hit delays in Boonville (maybe 20 minutes), Alder Creek (5 minutes), and on the ramp to the Thruway EB at 31 in Utica (5+ minutes), but even so it took only 2:30.  Can't complain about that at all.

[webny99]

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

[cl94]

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

Buffalo came down to exact location. Most of my friends in the region didn't see it. A few small areas got breaks in the clouds. Decent chance that I wouldn't have seen it from either of my parents' houses had I shelled out to fly east for today. Niagara Falls was mostly a bust, as were most of the Buffalo suburbs.

It is quite ironic that the two places everyone was congregating for the eclipse (South Texas and Southern ON/ Central and Western NY) had the worst weather for viewing it, while Northern New England (which never has sun in April) had the best.

[Duke87]

what people even do while they're waiting.

I periodically checked on/photographed partiality, played with my phone some, chatted a little bit with other people who were nearby.

[vdeane]

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

And even the Texas area had the clouds break during totality, so they still got the good parts.  We literally got nothing, and we're the only part of the country that can say that.

The news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

Sadly, the 2045 eclipse is a 3-4 day drive from me (and the 2044 eclipse even further than that).  I've only traveled a round-trip distance like that once before (a trip that I have rather mixed feelings about), and the logistics of such an endeavor (hotel chaining, hoping you don't pop a tire, etc.) are very intimidating even without eclipse crowds/traffic.  Well, I could probably get to parts of Florida with only 2 days each way, but:
1. That would require the direct route, which I've already clinched
2. I-95 through the Carolinas is the most dreadful stretch of road I've ever had the misfortune of driving.
3. It's Florida, and I have very, very good reasons for never setting foot in that state again.  Some of these reasons already apply to other states in the path (or which I'd need to travel though) and I expect such to spread further.

what people even do while they're waiting.

I periodically checked on/photographed partiality, played with my phone some, chatted a little bit with other people who were nearby.

That reminds me, I need to get a phone that won't run down the battery with significant use.  And learn how to talk to strangers.

[LilianaUwU]

what people even do while they're waiting.

I walked along QC 171 before settling on a spot to watch the eclipse.

[Hunty2022]

what people even do while they're waiting.

I took occasional pictures of the landscape, looked through someone's telescope with their phone attached, and scrolled through this forum.

[webny99]

It didn't dim as much as I was hoping, but I thought it was quite a sight considering it's the first eclipse I recall seeing.  I wonder how nuts it is right now a little farther south in Luna Pier (totality).

Yup, even a 99% partial eclipse is just not the same as 100% totality. The way the moon's shadow comes and goes so quickly leading to full darkness (surrounded by 360 degree "sunset" if you're in a place with open views) is what makes totality unique.

Our eclipse viewing in Port Stanley, ON was a great success! We left home at 8:30am and it was overcast and drizzly. We got there at 10am way before the crowds (a bit too early TBH ). The sun started to come out around 11am and the skies were clear. Some thin clouds came in about 30 minutes before totality, which was a little stressful, but thankfully, that had no effect on the viewing experience!

Very nice. I almost mentioned yesterday that you probably wouldn't have to go so far west based on how clouds were tracking, so I'll bet you're glad to have decided that as well.

It's a shame Niagara didn't work out for my boss, and for the many people who chose that as their base.

I guess "didn't work out" is relative. I don't think anyone in totality would describe the experience as a total letdown, even if it was cloudy. The Falls would still be a cool place to experience the sudden dark and quietness, they just wouldn't have gotten the added effects of the sun's ring during totality. IMO the bigger issue with the Falls would be the insane and unavoidable traffic headed back towards Hamilton.

[webny99]

Buffalo came down to exact location. Most of my friends in the region didn't see it. A few small areas got breaks in the clouds. Decent chance that I wouldn't have seen it from either of my parents' houses had I shelled out to fly east for today. Niagara Falls was mostly a bust, as were most of the Buffalo suburbs.

I don't think it even came down to location in Rochester. The sun disappeared in slow motion around 2PM and did not reappear until some clearing around 5:30. Not even a sliver of the partial eclipse was visible, so everyone's eclipse glasses ended up being no more than a piece of trivia.

It is quite ironic that the two places everyone was congregating for the eclipse (South Texas and Southern ON/ Central and Western NY) had the worst weather for viewing it, while Northern New England (which never has sun in April) had the best.

I think it's probably safe to say "Niagara Falls" instead of Southern ON/Western NY. I don't get the impression that either side of the border in the Niagara region was any more attractive than other parts of the path, aside from the Falls themselves (and the Canadian side being essentially the South Texas of Canada, but less accessible, which created plenty of traffic problems on its own).

The extra dagger for WNY is that yesterday was so innocently beautiful with not a feather in the sky from dawn til dusk. It honestly reminds me of the Buffalo sports scene at times the way we come so close (nice weather in early April!), yet blow it so bad when it really matters. It's downright depressing to think about, that one honestly has to laugh to keep from crying sometimes and that's why the tweet I cited hit the nail on the head.

[oscar]

I happened to be in central Texas during the eclipse, even though I had no intention of viewing the eclipse. At least that part of Texas had minimal cloud cover.

The closest I got to the totality path (approaching from the north, on US 283) was Coleman TX, with expected partial eclipse over 98%. I didn't hang around Coleman for the partial eclipse there, but rather drove west farther away from the totality path. The eclipse caught up with me in Robert Lee TX, which got a partial eclipse over 96%. That's the one place I saw eclipse watchers, on the south side of the Coke County courthouse. The darkened skies at that point forced me to crank up the ISO setting on my camera from the usual 800 to 6400, to avoid underexposure of my courthouse photos.

[webny99]

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

And even the Texas area had the clouds break during totality, so they still got the good parts.  We literally got nothing, and we're the only part of the country that can say that.

I obviously feel the pain, but to offer a note of positivity, the cloud-covered eclipse was still memorable and I am glad to have experienced it for two reasons; (1) the mental and emotional stimulation of the total eclipse is a lot, and not constantly viewing the sun allowed more time to focus on the surroundings and the changing lighting conditions. The 15-20 seconds of transition to and from totality were incredible to witness, as was the quietness and stillness of totality and the shifting 360 degree "sunset" during those moments. and (2), for reasons I won't get into, my viewing plans ended up fixed and I could not pull off a last-minute location switch. But I also was home and didn't have to do anything to plan or prepare, so if I do ever get to see a clear eclipse in the future, I won't take it for granted and will appreciate it even more having had to plan for it and having had this experience first.

[hotdogPi]

Vermont and New York in totality by David Raucci, on Flickr

I like this photo better than any of the photos of the sun I took. Both my location (Burlington VT) and the mountains in the distance (NY) are in totality, but it's already ended in the sky in the distance.

[CtrlAltDel]

My cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Ha. Mena is about where I've decided to go.

I'm still near Mena and it's clearing up quite nicely. No need to travel north. Thank God, as I'm sure traffic is nuts right now (Lake Dardanelle SP is at max capacity and is closed to additional visitors). The partial eclipse just started here.

I ended up just east of where US-70 splits off of US-71, so a bit south of Mena. The sky to the north was clear but the sky to the south was a bit hazy, but luckily it cleared just before totality started.

[Rothman]

Legit feel bad for Texans for their dismal forecast, considering cities like Dallas and Austin have received among the most hype leading up to this.

They won't be getting any sympathy from those of us in the Great Lakes. Remember, they usually get beautiful weather this time of year while we put up with largely dismal and gray conditions for months on end.

Saw the eclipse in Goldthwaite, TX without any trouble.

[webny99]

Legit feel bad for Texans for their dismal forecast, considering cities like Dallas and Austin have received among the most hype leading up to this.

They won't be getting any sympathy from those of us in the Great Lakes. Remember, they usually get beautiful weather this time of year while we put up with largely dismal and gray conditions for months on end.

Saw the eclipse in Goldthwaite, TX without any trouble.

Last I heard, you were not a Texas resident, but perhaps you should be.

[Genghixiani]

Saw it in Daleville yesterday, and It felt weird seeing the streetlights going on at 3 PM. Really cool experience!  
Sadly I didn't get a picture.

[westerninterloper]

One of the more interesting things I watched yesterday was the traffic on Google maps, particularly in the hours after the end of totality, highways and even back roads between the center and the major metropolitan areas were jammed for hours, the last didn't clear until almost midnight (I-65NB from Indy to Chicago, and I-24EB from about Paducah to Nashville).

Is there any way to get a file/animation of yesterday's traffic on Google Maps, or another site? I would love to see how traffic responded to the eclipse yesterday.

[WillWeaverRVA]

We didn't get totality here, but it was enough to get me to go out and take some photos.

[ET21]

Ended up watching it at work in downtown Chicago, was very happy with the shots I was able to get with my phone camera and a pair of glasses in front of the lenses. 94% was def noticeable, got very dim and some high rise beacon lights turned on briefly.

Even made it on the local news (WGN)