SatSunSep27There is hope to see at least some of the lunar eclipse tonight in the Mid Atlantic. After all the chatter of the coastal storm that fizzled, we got some sunshine instead of rain today. The late afternoon visible satellite showed the breaks in the clouds across the southern Chesapeake, plus dry air actually moving in from the east. This contradicts the moisture that moving in from these areas this past week. Meanwhile, clouds still were hanging around much of metro Baltimore. I chose this image since the sun was too low in the later frames, missing the lower clouds.

If you were outside last night, thin spots in the cloud cover did allow for the bright moonlight to get through, and we had a few lucky breaks in the overcast as well. I see something similar for tonight. I don’t think it will be perfect, but a chance to see something.  We have tight timing tonight and trying to pin down the precise locations for best viewing will be tough.

Suggestion: Normally a lunar eclipse can be seen even around city lights. But with partly or mostly cloud skies possible, that could scatter more light and make the total eclipse and red moon tough to see. So, in that case, if you sense enough clearing and want to see the sky show, I would recommend a short drive to a less urban area.

Here is the latest HRRR Forecast Model cloud coverage simulation. I don’t use this product often, so I would use this as a gauge and with a grain of salt. But its the best we’ve got now (plus you sharing your observations with the group). There will be a few hours this evening with dry air moving in, but that will be replaced early Monday morning. We have a three hour and twenty minute window for the visible eclipse between 9:07 PM and 12:27 AM.

Notes:

  • This forecast model does show dry air pushing in to central Maryland for eclipse viewing. Ironically the dry air has been moving in from the ocean.  I can not promise complete clearing as might be suggested here. But this is much more promising than the expected storm.
  • It looks like a great than 50% chance to view the eclipse around Baltimore as a central point. East and north will may have better luck.
  • The duration of the eclipse will span three hours and twenty minutes. So there is plenty of time to see some part of the eclipse.
  • After checking the simulation and other eclipse info, please go back online to Facebook or Twitter and share your observation of cloudy, clear, or in between in the post with this article. Thanks!

Cloud Simulation

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Also see:

Complete Timeline Info And Animation For This Eclispe

EclipseSep27

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