On April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible across North America and leave 31.5 million people in temporary darkness when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and casts its shadow on our planet. But depending on where viewers are, there may be clear skies or a greater chance of clouds blocking this event of a lifetime.
Come rain or shine, the eclipse is on its way. Will you have fair skies?
Are clouds going to block
your view of the solar
eclipse? Maybe!
Average cloud fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud
cover
25%
75%
Data not available
CANADA
Montreal
Path of totality
Burlington
UNITED
STATES
Buffalo
Syracuse
Indianapolis
Washington,
D.C.
Carbondale
Little Rock
Dallas
MEXICO
Austin
San Antonio
Torreon
Mazatlan
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-
Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite
Studies (CIMSS)
Are clouds going to block your view
of the solar eclipse? Maybe!
Average cloud fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud
cover
25%
50%
75%
Data not available
CANADA
Montreal
Burlington
Toronto
Path of totality
Syracuse
UNITED
STATES
Buffalo
Cleveland
Indianapolis
Washington,
D.C.
Carbondale
Little Rock
Dallas
Austin
San Antonio
MEXICO
Torreon
Mazatlan
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
Are clouds going to block your view of the solar eclipse?
Average historic cloud fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud cover
25%
50%
75%
Data not available
CANADA
Montreal
Burlington
Toronto
Syracuse
Buffalo
Rochester
Detroit
UNITED STATES
Cleveland
Path of totality
Washington, D.C.
Indianapolis
Cincinnati
Carbondale
Little Rock
Dallas
Fort Worth
Austin
MEXICO
San Antonio
Torreon
Mazatlan
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological
Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
Are clouds going to block your view of the solar eclipse? Maybe!
Average historic cloud fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud cover
25%
50%
75%
Data not available
CANADA
Montreal
Burlington
Toronto
Syracuse
Buffalo
Rochester
Detroit
UNITED STATES
Cleveland
Path of totality
Washington, D.C.
Indianapolis
Cincinnati
Carbondale
Little Rock
Dallas
Fort Worth
Austin
San Antonio
MEXICO
Torreon
Mazatlan
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
Cloud cover could affect one’s view of the eclipse in different ways. Thin cloud cover allows a view of the disk of the moon, but could limit the visibility of prominences coming off the sun’s corona, the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere. With thick cloud cover, an eclipse-viewer would still experience the darkening of daylight, but would miss features of this year’s particularly active sun.
Average historic cloud
fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud
cover
25%
75%
Least cloud cover around San Antonio
Path of totality
Dallas
Fort Worth
Shreveport
U.S.
Austin
Houston
San Antonio
30% clouds
Corpus
Christi
MEXICO
Laredo
Most cloud cover over Burlington
CANADA
Quebec
North Bay
Montreal
Ottawa
Burlington
80% clouds
Toronto
Path of totality
Rochester
Syracuse
Buffalo
Boston
Bridgeport
U.S.
New York
Philadelphia
200 MILES
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-
Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite
Studies (CIMSS)
Average historic cloud fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud
cover
25%
50%
75%
Least cloud cover around San Antonio
Path of totality
Dallas
Fort Worth
Shreveport
U.S.
Austin
Houston
San Antonio
30% clouds
Corpus
Christi
MEXICO
Laredo
Most cloud cover over Burlington
CANADA
Quebec
North Bay
Montreal
Ottawa
Burlington
80% clouds
Toronto
Path of totality
Rochester
Syracuse
Buffalo
Boston
Bridgeport
U.S.
New York
Philadelphia
200 MILES
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
Average historic cloud fraction for April 8 (1995-2023)
0%
100% cloud cover
25%
50%
75%
Least cloud cover around San Antonio
Most cloud cover over Burlington
CANADA
Quebec
North Bay
Path of totality
Dallas
Fort Worth
Montreal
Ottawa
Shreveport
Burlington
U.S.
80% clouds
Toronto
Path of totality
Rochester
Austin
Syracuse
Houston
Buffalo
San Antonio
Boston
30% clouds
Bridgeport
Corpus
Christi
U.S.
New York
MEXICO
Laredo
Philadelphia
200 MILES
Source: GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological
Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
Drawing conclusions about what historical cloud cover will mean for a particular location is even more problematic than doing the same for temperature or precipitation. Cloud fraction, a measure used to convey how often an area has been covered in clouds using satellite imagery, does not provide information about whether the clouds were dense or thin, scattered or broken, or whether the cloud cover lasted all day or burned off with the afternoon sun.
“The climatology of cloud cover is very imprecise. Temperature, precipitation and wind gusts are much easier to record historically,” said Don Paul, former chief meteorologist at WIVB and a regular contributor to the Buffalo News.
Buffalo, along the path of totality, has a higher chance of being cloudy, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad spot for a view of the total solar eclipse. According to Paul, the amount of cloud cover and the opacity of the clouds will be the big factors.
“Climatology for April is a bit easier to forecast, because there is more mixing in the atmosphere and the clearing of dense stratus clouds might be better than in, say, February,” Paul said. “Last April 8, Buffalo had an ideal clear sky. In general, sunshine does begin to increase as April begins in the Great Lakes.”
Texas has a higher chance of being cloud-free, but springtime is severe-weather season for the state.
“Thunderstorms tend to develop in western Texas along the dry line and move eastward from there. Low-level clouds come from the Gulf [of Mexico], moving south to north,” said John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist and regents professor at Texas A&M University. “The worst-case scenario is a cold front comes through, with a solid layer of low clouds.”
The eclipse will pass over Texas in the early afternoon and, luckily, thunderstorms often don’t develop until the late afternoon and evening. April, however, is also the beginning of tornado season in the state, which could cause safety concerns for those outside.
The eclipse date will also be peak time for early-season wildflowers in Texas, Nielsen-Gammon added — in case clouds block eclipse plans.
The Northeast is typically
cloudier in April
Average monthly cloud fraction for April
0%
100% cloud
cover
25%
75%
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Source: NASA Earth Observations
The Northeast is typically cloudier in April
Average monthly cloud fraction for April
0%
100% cloud
cover
25%
50%
75%
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Source: NASA Earth Observations
The Northeast is typically cloudier in April
Average monthly cloud fraction for April
0%
100% cloud cover
25%
50%
75%
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Source: NASA Earth Observations
It is important to remember that this is not a forecast. Weather systems can change and shift due to a number of factors, and just because an area generally has cloudy conditions in April does not necessarily mean you will be out of luck if you are in New England on April 8. “Don’t be too pessimistic!” Paul said.
Total solar eclipses don’t happen every year, and the next one viewable in the Lower 48 states won’t occur until 2044, so get outside and let’s hope for clear skies.
Editing by Emily M. Eng and Jason Samenow. Cloud fraction data for April 8 sourced from GOES imagery analysis by University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). Monthly cloud fraction data for April averages sourced from NASA Earth Observations.