Solar Eclipse 2024 Map Shows Where Clouds Could Block Visibility

The total solar eclipse is only a week away, but early weather forecasts show that cloud cover could hinder the experience in at least one state.

On Monday, April 8, the moon will be positioned so that the entire disc of the sun will be blocked in several states, plunging millions of people into darkness during the early afternoon. The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading over the North Atlantic.

The spectacle is expected to draw crowds from around the nation as people head to areas in the path of totality to witness the eclipse. Meanwhile, officials across the country have voiced concerns about stretched public safety resources and an "enormous strain" on local hospitals and congested roadways. At least four states have urged residents to stock up on groceries and gas and to fill medical prescriptions in the days leading up to the eclipse, as it is expected that traffic could overwhelm local roads.

Some cities in Texas are expecting their populations to triple for the eclipse, but clouds could diminish the experience, according to a forecast map shared by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday morning.

"#Eclipse2024 Update: The weather pattern still favors clouds & rain on April 8th, but all may not be lost yet! There's a low - medium chance some locations may be able to see the eclipse through a veil of high clouds or partial cloud clearing. Stay Updated!" the NWS office in Fort Worth posted to X, formerly Twitter.

NWS meteorologist Juan Hernandez told Newsweek that it will still get dark during the eclipse even if clouds are present. However, if cloud cover is thick enough, those within the path of totality wouldn't be able to view the moon moving in front of the sun with special glasses.

There's still a chance for the forecast to change, but Hernandez said people should expect some cloud cover.

"There's pretty good confidence that we will have clouds in the area just because of the weather system that's coming in at that time frame," he said. "The main question right now is even if it's cloudy, what is the quality or thickness of those clouds?"

Depending on the elevation and thickness of the clouds, one might be able to still view the eclipse even if clouds are present.

Capital Weather Gang, which posts worldwide weather news from The Washington Post, also shared an eclipse map that predicted cloud cover for the big day. According to the map, Texas cities within the path of totality will experience some of the most cloud cover, as could Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Cleveland, Ohio.

"A week until eclipse, cloud cover forecast still challenging. Big picture, we can say: * Texas looks cloudier, New England sunnier. But devil in details: Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo coin flip sunnier v cloudier," the post reads.