Solar eclipse weather forecast for the New Jersey area

Everyone wants to see the moon blocking out the sun during a rare solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. But no one wants clouds to obscure their view as the moon obscures the sun.

Will cloudy skies spoil our chance of seeing the eclipse in the New Jersey area? This is what weather forecasters predict.

National Weather Service – New Jersey

the National Weather ServiceNew Jersey's main forecast office says Monday will get off to a great start, with mostly sunny skies. However, some mid-level clouds may form in the afternoon – when the solar eclipse begins.

Overall, the office expects “a very good view of the solar eclipse across our region.”

One interesting piece of weather news: “While we expect temperatures Monday afternoon to rise in the upper 50s to low 60s, we may see temperatures actually drop by 10 degrees or more due to the loss of solar radiation during the peak of the eclipse.” Noticed the service.

National Weather Service – New York

Forecasters from New York Weather Service The regional office, which covers New York City and its nearby suburbs — including northeastern New Jersey — says some cirrus clouds may drift across the sky Monday afternoon, but it calls for mostly sunny skies during the eclipse.

Accuweather

Forecasters from AccuWeather They expect a “low chance” of cloud cover across New Jersey and New York City on Monday. They expect a mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon, when the eclipse occurs, but more sunshine than cloud cover.

When is a solar eclipse seen?

Weather patterns sometimes change from day to day, so we'll have to wait and see what Mother Nature brings us on Monday. Even if the sky is completely clear, sky watchers in New Jersey and New York City will not be able to see a total solar eclipse. Instead, they will see about 90% of the Sun obscured by the Moon for several minutes in the afternoon.

In the Garden State, the moon will begin to drift in front of the sun at 2:09 p.m. Monday, with maximum darkness occurring at 3:24 p.m. After a few minutes, the Moon will cover a smaller percentage of the Sun, with final occlusion occurring at around 4:35 p.m

At maximum coverage of the eclipse, the sun will appear like a thin crescent shining in the noon sky.

“For those who witness a partial eclipse, the sun will always appear crescent-shaped, as if it were a cake with a bite taken out of it,” said Logendra Ojha, an assistant professor at the University of California, California. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University.

“It won't get completely dark like it does during a total eclipse,” Oja added. “This ‘sting’ will swell and then diminish as the eclipse progresses.”

Are safety glasses needed to view the eclipse?

“It is absolutely essential to wear solar eclipse glasses during the eclipse!” Amy Gallagher says, Planetarium director at Raritan Valley Community College In New Jersey.

“It's the same sun we see every day. But during an eclipse, people try to overcome the natural reaction to look away from the bright sun and stare at the eclipsing sun.” But this can hurt your eyes. Even if a small portion of the sun is visible, you need a filter.

Gallagher noted that special solar filters are also needed if you plan to take photos of the eclipse with your cell phone or any camera. She said that the solar filter should be placed above the external lens of the phone or camera, which is the side closest to the sun.

If you use a solar filter on your phone or camera, you don't need to wear those special glasses if you're looking through the lens. But make sure the lens has a filter.

You will need to wear your safety glasses if you put your phone down and want to look at the sun.

Current weather radar

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Lynn Melisurgo It can be reached at [email protected] Or on X in @LensReality.