Eclipse Day weather for Montreal

Monday, August 21, 2017, Eclipse Day in North America.

Today is the day millions of sky gazers have been waiting for, Eclipse Day 2017. The Great American Eclipse as it has been dubbed, will move at more than 2400 km/h (1500 mph) from coast to coast, the first to do so since 1918. The eclipse will begin at 10:15 AM Pacific time in Newport, Oregon, moving rapidly across the US over the span of 1 hour and 33 minutes, and sliding into the Atlantic near McClellenville, South Carolina at 2:49 PM ET. Outside of the 70 mile wide path of totality, the rest of the US and southern Canada will be treated to a partial eclipse.

Here in Montreal, we can expect close to 60 percent of the sun to be shadowed by the passing moon. The eclipse will begin at 1:21 PM, reaching peak at 2:38 PM and ending at 3:20 PM. The forecast for today is perfect. Sunrise was at 6:02 this morning, with some high cirrus clouds present. The sky should be mostly clear today, perhaps a few wispy clouds, it will be warm and humid, with high temperatures close to 30C (86F).

Remember, damage to your eyes can occur in seconds, avoid looking directly into the sun without proper eclipse eye wear. Standard sun glasses will not protect your eyes from damage. For a safe alternative, the event will be streamed online by various news outlets as well as NASA. I plan on paying close attention to the weather during the eclipse for any notable changes, as well as the surrounding landscape. Enjoy and be safe!