Solar eclipse 2017

St. Louis?

The GFS ensemble members are converging on a "Bermuda High" setting up.

The short-range ensembles (SREF) also show this. So it looks like typical summer-type pattern over the Eastern CONUS.

The GFS model output data shows St. Louis with PC (partly cloudy) sky conditions and very low precip probability (15% for the second-half of the day - GFSX MOS FORECASTS).

Unfortunately, it's my experience that model projections for sky cover are abysmal. It would be better if the upper ridge was centered over the Midwest since that would suppress the clouds and would make the sky cover projection more straight-forward.

 

our relatives from nashville are here for a funeral, and will be in the air during the eclipse. a double whammy.

 

We're getting within time range of the GFS LAMP product, which is available as an hourly forecast for 24 hours out and updated hourly (requires a refresh to update). St. Louis is available at GFS LAMP FORECASTS but other major U.S. markets are also available.

Local time is UTC time minus 5 hours for the Central Time Zone.

Edit: Probably need to explain some of the terminology in that LAMP product. For sky cover, "CLD" = cloud cover; "FW" = few or mostly clear, "PC" = partly cloudy, "SC" = scattered or partly cloudy, "BK" = broken or mostly cloudy, "OV" = overcast. Still not necessarily completely reliable though.

 

Monday morning the weather's saying nothing' but sun, here in Vancouver. Supposed to be 89%, starting around 9:10am, max around 10:20.

 

looking great in some places!

 

just starting here, about 5% of total i think. we're only going to see about 60%.

 

It was pretty cool here, ended up hanging out in front of an old folks home: a lady had come by with a few pairs of the solar viewing glasses. We'd brought along some discard DVD discs, which are NOT kosher, but we got by, just sneaking peeks. Walking our Shiba down a trail, then out on the street by the old folks home. Birdies seemed to have mostly gone to bed, felt cooler, and like you're wearing sun glasses.

Rivalling the experience, is just seeing peoples' reactions, staff and residents, as they put on the glasses. And just looking around.

10:21 am was our peak, at 86%, and a few minutes later, walking along, started noticing wherever dappled light from trees fell it was in crescent shapes.

 

Worked out great for where I was in Columbia, SC. A few clouds passing by during the lead-up, but it was totally clear for the totality and then a few clouds here and there as the moon was moving away. We set up one of those $20 walmart inflatable 10x6 pools in the front yard on Saturday and then the wife, son and I just chillaxed with eclipse glasses and a beverage while the moon was passing by...................

 

disappointing here. you've seen one partial eclipse, you've seen 'em all.

 

We also have a lot of hawks in the area. Apparently not all birds agreed with what the news said about eclipses and how all the birds would bed down and go quiet. We had a a hawk circling directly between us and the eclipse during totality, It never got totally dark, more like a deep twilight. Wish I could have recorded it, it was a heck of a view and the hawk just made it that much better.

 

Auto exposure compensation makes it difficult to document photographically. I think it's more a visceral thing, great for socializing too, watching peoples' reactions.

About 3 minutes post peak for us (87%):



This by far better than anything I'd seen previously. It was always partially cloudy (at best) and no where as close to totality. Next time...

 

we're supposed to get one in a few years. not sure of the path, but northeast is in it.

 

Yeah, 2024. Buffalo New York for example, is right on totality. Comes ashore on west coast Mexico.

 

Spring City, TN, had 2:31 totality. Made a pin-hole viewer but the iPhone photos were disappointing. Did see Venus very clearly but no stars. I really enjoyed seeing the distant cumulo clouds fall apart as the eclipse got serious.

The drive up was normal as I took state roads that did not connect to big cities. But Spring City was nuts! $10 parking at some lots. But the Middle school was on a highway spur with free parking and about 300 ft up the ridge. Shade, porta-potties, free parking, and no crowds. Then the eclipse ended and the roads quickly jammed. Except for one Audi-hole, folks were courteous. Dynamic cruise control to the rescue.

Bob Wilson

 

Made a couple of pin-hole projectors, spent the afternoon out by the pool, gave one of the projectors to neighbours & kids. About ¾ of the way through there was enough cloud cover to see eclipse with nekkid eye, so I snapped a couple of shots with phone (…pauses to call Mom on Kodak Box-Brownie ) :

 

Public Safety Message, how not to observe a solar eclipse:

 

The eclipse was not very impressive in Seattle. 93% coverage of the sun only provided a shadow that dimmed the sky significantly but not enough for people to notice without science letting people know there was an eclipse today. Without science nobody would have noticed. Just 7% still lit the crystal clear blue skies with sunlight.