SC eclipse forecast: Clouds abound, but some cities will be clearer than others
Clemson remains the clearest spot in the Palmetto State to take in the eclipse as the big day draws nearer, the National Weather Service reports.
The forecast in the northwestern South Carolina college town is for mostly sunny skies and calm breezes with nary a mention of rain and very few clouds expected.
Weather in the rest of the state is not expected to be so bright, though some cities have windows of clarity that could provide great views of the eclipse.
In Greenwood, for instance, there is a 20 percent chance of rain after 11 a.m., but conditions are expected to be mostly sunny when rain isn’t in the area. It is virtually the same story in Columbia, except the chance of rain is 30 percent and it is expected to roll in after 3 p.m., meaning you might have mostly clear skies until just after totality.
In many spots in South Carolina and around Beaufort County conditions look to be partly cloudy with chances of rain between 30 and 40 percent. That is the case in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hardeeville, and Savannah, and also in Bowman, Orangeburg, Moncks Corner and Santee, which is less than two hours from Beaufort County and will have one of the longest totality times in the state. Provided you can see it, of course.
Hilton Head Island joins Rantowles, Summerville and unfortunatley Charleston, where many had planned to take in the eclipse, as places with an increasingly bad weather outlook. Conditions in all of these places are expected to be mostly cloudy with a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain.
The National Weather Service forecasts that scattered and numerous showers will be moving through the South Carolina and Georgia coastal regions on Monday. Their best case scenario is that any showers or storms that hit do so in the early to mid morning before at least partially clearing by early afternoon.
Their worst case scenario involves storms remaining in the area through the morning and into early afternoon, blocking the eclipse as it reaches its peak.
| 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, 50 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, 50 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, 40 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, 20 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 | Mostly clear, 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, 40 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, 40 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, 40 percent | 2:45:44 p.m. | - | 4:09:16 p.m. | 97.68% | - |
| Hilton Head Island | 1:15:48 p.m. | No | Yes, 50 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 19, 2017 at 6:41 PM with the headline "SC eclipse forecast: Clouds abound, but some cities will be clearer than others."