What is New York weather like for 2024 solar eclipse? See cloud cover map
NEW YORK -- All eyes will be on the sky Monday for the 2024 total solar eclipse, but will the weather cooperate?
History is knocking on our door as the phenomenon known as the solar eclipse rapidly approaches. It's all the buzz -- from fake glasses to when & where the best views will be, as well as the cautions, concerns and the intangibles. CBS New York's Lonnie Quinn will be travelling up to Lake Placid, New York to report on a potentially premium experience.
"I have covered numerous partial eclipses, but I have never experienced totality. This will be a bucket list item fort me. The real difference is...with a partial eclipse you must always keep the glasses on. Once totality takes over, I will be able to remove my glasses and simply experience something unique and unparalleled here on earth," he said.
NYC eclipse forecast
New York City is outside the path of totality -- just 10 percent shy -- but it should still turn out to be a substantial experience. Luckily, the weather forecast is on our side. High pressure is forecast to bring us a dry day with temperatures in the 60s. A few high clouds may drift by, but we are rain-free. We can expect mostly sunny skies, with a high around 64.
NYC eclipse viewing timeline: New York City will be able to see darkening skies around 2:50 p.m., with skies lightening up again around 4 p.m. Peak coverage will be at 90 percent at 3:25 p.m.
Upstate N.Y. eclipse forecast
The Upstate forecast is a little iffy regarding clouds vs. sun. During springtime, the state gets a wide variety of weather, and we just got through a very powerful Nor'easter that dumped snow in parts of the Adirondacks. Grey skies and unseasonably cool temperatures are the norm, but, thankfully, there are no major systems Monday.
However, the shield of high pressure that keeps New York City mostly sunny is less effective closer to the Great Lakes. Places like Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Rochester have a slightly higher chance of clouds marring the view at 40 to 50 percent. The good news is they are mainly high and thin clouds. Hopefully, luck is on our side, and any lake effect clouds are broken up by a south wind. Fingers crossed.
Rochester looks mostly to partly sunny with a high around 58, and Niagara Falls should be partly sunny with a high of 56.
Upstate viewing timeline: Skies will darken in Rochester around 2:05 p.m. before lightening around 4:33 p.m. The city will experience 3.38 seconds of totality at 3:20:48 p.m.
How will the eclipse impact animals, driving and vision?
The moon will pass between the Sun & Earth for a few fleeting moments, blocking or partially blocking the sunlight for up to 4 and a half minutes. Experts and enthusiasts alike claim the celestial event will transform day into night, revealing the stars.
Birds and bees could be silenced, and deer and other animals may exhibit unusual behavior. While there are no proven effects on humans, you're going to want the proper eyewear, as a retinal burn is absolutely possible if you stare directly at the sun even for only a few seconds. If you need eclipse glasses, NYC libraries will be distributing.
If you are driving Monday afternoon, regardless of location, please be vigilant -- Don't look up. Everyone, including their pets, will likely be distracted by the event. In fact, JAMA recently revealed a study, in conjunction with data from the NTSB, that showed during the 2017 solar eclipse, car crash fatalities were up significantly surrounding the eclipse exposure interval.
Our last total solar eclipse was fairly recent, just a few moons ago in 2017. However, the next one passing the continental U.S. will not happen until 2044. The next New York state total eclipse will not occur until 2079.
This is so cool. Best of luck to all of our "umbraphiles!"