Nick Banning and Kristen Currie
4 months ago
Editor's note: This weather blog is no longer updated.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The day has arrived. The 2024 total solar eclipse is less than two hours away.
The First Alert weather team will continue to provide the latest information ahead of the solar eclipse today.
Current forecast is April 8
Here's the update at 12:15 p.m.:
No rain. No sprinkles. No drizzle.
Ahead clouds and radar will continue to show more sunshine over hilly areas, with a break in clouds for most locations along and east of Interstate 35.
If you want to get out of the area for better visibility, head to San Saba County where there's definitely more sun.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area may have fewer clouds, but it's still a lot. If you want to drive there, Little Rock, Arkansas is less than 8 hours away and the cloud cover should decrease, but there will still be some clouds.
Some cloud breaks are possible across parts of the country in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, with clearer skies over northern New England.
rainfall potential
Scattered showers, light rain or drizzle are possible between morning and 1pm, with only a 10% chance of rain during this period.
As totality ends, the chance of rain and storms will increase rapidly in the late afternoon and evening, with scattered showers and storms expected. If your eclipse viewing plans take you outdoors, make sure you have a way to get indoors quickly after the event if a storm occurs near you.
Bad weather after totality
The risk of severe weather is back to Level 5, Level 2, or minor risk late Monday afternoon and Monday night.
Very large hail is our biggest concern. A slight risk means hail up to 2 inches in diameter (the size of an egg) or larger is possible in the area. Risk areas also include a lower likelihood of isolated tornadoes, with the greatest threat in Lampasas, Williamson and Milam counties.
For the post-eclipse forecast, visit the major weather stories at the following links:
Timing is everything
Important time period? April 8 from approximately noon to 3 p.m. marks the entire length of the solar eclipse, including a partial and total solar eclipse in central Texas.
The “most” important time is generally April 8 from 1:30 to 1:40 pm.
Specifically, in Austin, totality begins after 1:36 p.m. and ends before 1:38 p.m.
How specific will we get?
Here's what we've done and what we will continue to do as it relates to responsibly predicting solar eclipses:
today: Hourly forecasts are available for April 8, but there is some uncertainty about exact cloud cover during the critical five-minute period.
Monday, April 8: Our best forecast will likely be multiple updates in the morning and midday to see where potential clouds are forming and any last-minute adjustments
The Holistic Path to Texas
Here's a reminder of the eclipse's path through Texas. Totality will be experienced between the red lines. The centerline will experience the longest total eclipse.
Above: Watch our special eclipse day coverage
