To the surprise of many who are familiar with Maine’s temperamental weather, skies are expected to be clear during the total solar eclipse next Monday.
According to predictions from the National Weather Service, Maine will be one of the most promising places to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Following a predicted nor’easter moving in Wednesday night and lingering on Thursday, clouds on Sunday and Monday are expected to dissipate.
Maine’s often unpredictable weather makes viewing celestial events difficult at times, as cloud cover often obscures events like the Perseid meteor shower. Historical weather data show that during a typical year, Maine would likely experience a significant amount of cloud cover on April 8.
However, due to El Nino conditions, cloud patterns have been slightly altered this year, allowing Maine to see more sun, according to forecasters.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s on Monday. But don’t count on the warmth — air temperatures can drop dramatically by as much as 10 degrees in the lead up and aftermath of totality.
While the forecast will likely change within the next few days, the outlook for total solar eclipse viewing is promising.
