Meteorologists ‘more optimistic’ about total solar eclipse viewing conditions in D-FW area (2024)

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse. For more, visit dallasnews.com/eclipse.

About an hour ahead of the total solar eclipse, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth say conditions for viewing the celestial event are looking more optimistic than what was previously in the forecast.

Steve Fano, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, said the agency expects many parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area to have some visibility.

“There will be enough breaks in this low cloud deck that most areas will have good viewability at some point in time,” Fano said. “It could be obscured by clouds over the time of totality, but just based on everything right now, it looks a little more optimistic than we had been thinking.”

Earlier on Monday, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth had said the “best viewing conditions” for the eclipse will likely be in places north of Interstate 20.

As the day heats up late morning, Fano had said some cumulus clouds could also form over North Texas. The total eclipse itself will contribute to those clouds breaking, as clouds “typically need some source of heating” to form, Fano told The Dallas Morning News.

“It is possible that the eclipse could actually help clear some of those lower clouds out during eclipse time, it won’t have any bearing on the high clouds,” Fano said.

The height of clouds plays the largest role in whether they will affect eclipse visibility, according to the weather service. Some effects of the eclipse will still be felt regardless of visibility, particularly in the path of totality.

NASA has said a partial eclipse is predicted to start about 12:20 p.m. in Dallas. Totality, or the moon fully covering the sun, is anticipated to begin at 1:40 p.m. and last about four minutes.

For months, city and county officials have made preparations to be able to support the influx of tourists and eclipse chasers expected in the area. Storms that are expected Monday evening are adding to the existing concerns over traffic delays following the eclipse.

The highest chances for severe weather in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will start between 7-8 p.m., with large hail and flooding being the largest threats, Fano said. A “break” in storm activity is expected early Tuesday morning, but “additional storms are likely during the late-morning to afternoon hours,” he added.

“It’s the same storm system that’s bringing these multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms,” Fano said, adding that some rain chances will persist into Wednesday.

In an Instagram post shortly before 10 a.m., the Texas Eclipse Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Burnet County on Monday, announced that it would be ending early because of severe weather threats in central Texas.

“With the support and coordination of Burnet County officials, local safety agencies, and The National Weather Service, we’ve agreed to end the festival today in a calm orderly manner,” the post read.

MONDAY (TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE): Partly to mostly cloudy and warm. There’s a 70% chance of late afternoon and evening showers and storms, some may be strong to severe. High: 83. Wind: S 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY: Cloudy with a 100% chance of showers and storms. Some storms may be severe with heavy rainfall. Low: 63. High: 72. Wind: E 10-15 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy and pleasant with a 70% chance of showers and storms. Low: 58. High: 69. Wind: N 10-20 mph with higher gusts.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny and mild. Low: 55. High: 75. Wind: NW 10-15 mph.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and mild. Low: 52. High: 78. Wind: S 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Mild with a mix of clouds and sun. Low: 58. High: 79. Wind: S 10-20 mph with higher gusts.