Insider Blog: How a total solar eclipse affects weather in the short term
The much anticipated total solar eclipse happens tomorrow afternoon, with the path starting near Eagle Path, TX all the way up to eastern Maine.
The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has been closely monitoring the forecast in Mid-Missouri and in the Midwest as the path of totality will slide by just to our south across the Missouri bootheel.
Temporary darkness will last around 4 minutes within the path of totality, but even that short window of time could have a big impact on the sensible weather in that location.
As the sun blocks out the moon, the ground begins to cool. Less humid locations will have the most dramatic temperature drop, while places with higher humidity might only experience a 5 to 10 degree temperature drop during totality.
As the sun stops heating the ground, we lose heating in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. That could in turn allow any clouds or beginnings of cloud updrafts to fizzle out. However, we likely won't experience that locally with high thin clouds overhead as high pressure settles to our west.
Wind shifts have also been observed in past eclipse events. The moon's shadow cools the air and allows it to sink in the vicinity, allowing winds to decrease. As sunshine returns, winds quickly increase as temperatures rapidly rise.
Another interesting but rare phenomenon called an eclipse breeze could develop, allowing clouds or even rain or storms to form. It's similar to a sea breeze in that cooler air undercuts a layer of warm air, forcing air to rise and create updrafts as the cooler air slides away from the totality zone toward warmer temperatures.
Radar sites might light up on Monday afternoon in zones known for having a large bird or bat population as the creatures think the sun is going down and come out of their caves. The same can be said for birds as totality ends and the sun comes back out.
The forecast for Mid-Missouri is looking good for viewing, as we can expect high thin clouds in the wake of a low pressure system that is exiting east Sunday night.
Temperatures are expected to be in the low to upper 70s from Columbia to Jefferson City to Poplar Bluff and Carbondale.
