Solar eclipse weather forecast: Will clouds ruin the view in SC?
With the way the forecast is shaping up across South Carolina for the day of the eclipse, it might be wise to bring an umbrella, and lower expectations.
The National Weather Service is expecting at least some clouds and the possibility of rain across the state.
According to Michael Stroz, meteorologist with the NWS, partly cloudy conditions can include scattered cumulus clouds, high cirrus clouds, and overcast skies with cloud breaks.
“It’s just a mix of sun and clouds,” said Stroz. “But just overall, for the entire day, it is partly cloudy, and it could become a little more like mostly cloudy skies, especially later in the afternoon if a lot of thunderstorms do develop.”
In Beaufort County, conditions are forecast to be partly cloudy on the day of the eclipse in Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. There is a 40 percent chance of rain in Bluffton and Beaufort, and a 30 percent chance on Hilton Head Island.
The forecast in Charleston is much the same as in Beaufort County, with partly cloudy conditions and a 40 percent chance of rain expected.
In Santee, which can be reached from Beaufort County in the same time it would take to reach Charleston, but which has nearly a minute more totality, the forecast also is for partly cloudy conditions with a 40 percent chance of rain.
The same conditions pop up in Orangeburg, Columbia and Summerville.
“It is a pretty uniform forecast across the entire state,” said Stroz. “Wherever you’re at it is looking pretty similar as far as the forecast goes, whether you are in the Lowcountry or Upstate.”
AccuWeather gives the odds of precipitation as 51 percent in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island and 60 percent in Beaufort on Aug. 21. While Charleston is given a 55 percent chance of rain, Santee and Orangeburg are given a 53 percent chance, and Greenwood and Columbia are given a 51 percent chance.
The eclipse will reach its peak around 2:40 p.m. in the Palmetto state, though the exact time will vary based on where in the state you are.
Updated Aug. 18 at 11:45 am
| City | Eclipse Starts | Totality? | Clouds Possible/Rain Chance | Totality begins | Totality duration (mm:ss) | Eclipse ends | Sun Coverage | Drive time from Beaufort County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rantowles* | 1:16:29 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:46:21 p.m. | :45 | 4:09:40 p.m. | 100% | 1:00 to 1:30 |
| Bowman | 1:14:37 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:43:39 p.m. | 2:19:00 | 4:07:57 p.m. | 100% | 1:20 to 1:40 |
| Santee** | 1:14:56 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:43:39 p.m. | 2:37:00 | 4:07:59 p.m. | 100% | 1:30 to 1:45 |
| Charleston | 1:16:56 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:46:19 p.m. | 1:38:00 | 4:09:55 p.m. | 100% | 1:30 to 2:00 |
| Summerville | 1:16:08 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:45:15 p.m. | 2:06:00 | 4:09:13 p.m. | 100% | 1:30 to 2:00 |
| Orangeburg | 1:14:01 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:43:00 p.m. | 2:23:00 | 4:07:25 p.m. | 100% | 1:40 to 2:00 |
| Moncks Corner | 1:16:21 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 40 percent | 2:45:12 p.m. | 2:27:00 | 4:09:15 p.m. | 100% | 1:50 to 2:15 |
| Columbia | 1:13:06 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 30 percent | 2:41:48 p.m. | 2:30:00 | 4:06:17 p.m. | 100% | 2:15 to 2:30 |
| Greenwood | 1:14:48 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 40 percent | 2:43:44 p.m. | 1:38:00 | 4:07:22 p.m. | 100% | 3:30 to 4:00 |
| Clemson | 1:08:26 p.m. | Yes | Yes, 0 percent | 2:37:12 p.m. | 2:38:00 | 4:02:35 p.m. | 100% | 4:15 to 4:30 |
| Savannah | 1:15:07 p.m. | No | Yes, 30 percent | 2:45:59 p.m. | - | 4:09:34 p.m. | 97.03% | 0:30 to 1:00 |
| Beaufort | 1:15:57 p.m. | No | Yes, 30 percent | 2:46:30 p.m. | - | 4:09:44 p.m. | 98.84% | - |
| Bluffton | 1:15:29 p.m. | No | Yes, 40 percent | 2:46:12 p.m. | - | 4:09:39 p.m. | 97.87% | - |
| Hardeeville | 1:15:00 p.m. | No | Yes, 30 percent | 2:45:44 p.m. | - | 4:09:16 p.m. | 97.68% | - |
| Hilton Head Island | 1:15:48 p.m. | No | Yes, 40 percent | 2:46:30 p.m. | - | 4:09:52 p.m. | 97.93% | - |
*Nearest place to see totality **Longest totality time within two hour drive
Michael Olinger: 843-706-8107, @mikejolinger
This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Solar eclipse weather forecast: Will clouds ruin the view in SC?."