Buffalo, NY

Weather Forecast Office

April 8, 2024 Total Eclipse

Overview

On Monday April 8, 2024 a total solar eclipse will cross North America. The eclipse will be seen across portions of Mexico, the central and eastern United States, and southeastern Canada. The path of totality will first enter the United States in Texas, then advance northeast across the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys and reach New York State during the mid-afternoon.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun at just the right time and orientation, with the Moon casting a shadow on a portion of the Earth's surface. Sometimes, the Moon only blocks part of the visible face of the Sun, which results in a partial solar eclipse. On more rare occasions, the Moon entirely blocks the face of the Sun and results in a total solar eclipse. Places in the path of totality, including most of Western and North Central NY, will experience several minutes of darkened sky similar to the twilight seen before sunrise or after sunset. If we have clear skies on the day of the eclipse, an incredible view of the Sun's corona will be seen during the few minutes of totality. The Sun's corona is normally not visible, except during a total solar eclipse. The corona is wispy, white streamers of plasma (charged gas) that radiate out from the surface of the sun.

Image Courtesy of NASA

Time of Totality

Climate Information

Cloud Cover

Safety Information

Additional Resources

Track and Timing of Eclipse Totality

LOCATION

PARTIAL ECLIPSE

BEGINS

TOTAL ECLIPSE

BEGINS

TOTAL ECLIPSE

ENDS

PARTIAL ECLIPSE

ENDS

Jamestown

2:03:38 PM EDT

3:17:55 PM EDT

3:20:46 PM EDT

4:31:43 PM EDT

Buffalo

2:04:56 PM EDT

3:18:20 PM EDT

3:22:06 PM EDT

4:32:10 PM EDT

Rochester

2:07:00 PM EDT

3:20:08 PM EDT

3:23:47 PM EDT

4:33:26 PM EDT

Watertown

2:10:05 PM EDT

3:22:33 PM EDT

3:26:12 PM EDT

4:35:01 PM EDT

Climate Normals and Records for April 8th

Period of Record Begins:

Buffalo: 1871 Rochester: 1871 Watertown: 1950

Temperatures

LOCATION	AVERAGE HIGH	AVERAGE LOW	RECORD HIGH	RECORD LOW	RECORD COLD HIGH	RECORD WARM LOW
Buffalo	51	34	84 (2021)	13 (1972)	26 (1920)	59 (1991)
Rochester	53	34	80 (1991)	17 (1972)	27 (1972)	60 (1991)
Watertown	50	30	77 (2021)	11 (1972)	32 (2003)	55 (1991)

Precipitation

LOCATION	PERCENT OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION (2000-2023)	RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION
Buffalo	41%	0.92" (2000)
Rochester	44%	1.02" (2000)
Watertown	35%	1.28" (2000)

Snowfall

LOCATION	PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE SNOWFALL (2000-2023)	RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL
Buffalo	19%	3.4" (1957)
Rochester	19%	3.3" (1979)
Watertown* *(from COOP Station)	13%	4.5" (1994)

Cloud Cover

Below are maps of cloud cover climatology for the afternoon of April 8th. This climatology is based on an average of all years from 1979 to 2022. While early April is historically a cloudy time period in the eastern Great Lakes, there can still be sunny days in early April. Also of note, this cloud climatology includes days with high, thin overcast when at least some view of the Sun can still be available.

Satellite Imagery on April 8 from 1979 to 2023

Click on the image below to see a loop of visible satellite imagery over the central and eastern United States on the afternoon of April 8 from 1979 to 2023. This series of images will take you on a journey of our weather on April 8th for the past 44 years. The images are compiled from a series of NOAA weather satellites ranging from some of the early generation weather satellites in the 1970s to the modern weather satellites of today. Image loop courtesy of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Image Courtesy of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)

Eye and Skin Safety During a Total Solar Eclipse

It is always harmful to your eyes to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection, with the exception of the few minutes during totality. Normal sunglasses DO NOT provide sufficient protection to look directly at the Sun, eclipse viewers will need special eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer. Looking at any part of the Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the lens will cause severe eye injury.

Below are some important safety guidelines to follow during a total solar eclipse, courtesy of NASA:

View the Sun through special eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality.

You can view the eclipse directly without eye protection ONLY during totality when the Moon completely obscures the Sun's bright face. You will know when it's safe to look when you no longer see the sun through your eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.

As soon as you see even a small portion of the bright face of the Sun reappear following totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the Sun.

Remember, totality will only last for a few minutes. The sun will still be bright during partial phases of the eclipse. If you are planning on being outside for an extended period of time to watch the entire eclipse, remember to wear sunscreen or protective clothing.

Cold Water Safety

Water temperatures on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in early April average mid 30s to lower 40s, so viewing the eclipse from a small boat can quickly become dangerous if an emergency occurs. Water temperatures on smaller inland lakes are also still very cold in early April. Water temperatures below 55 can cause cold water shock and hypothermia in a matter of minutes.