What's Special About the 2024 Solar Eclipse?

The weather cooperated this morning for a brief period of time. The clouds thinned out enough for us to see the partial solar eclipse along the horizon in northern Ohio. Pictures courtesy:  Doug Kishman, Mari-Dor Beach, Vermilion, Ohio at approximately 6:10am.

Solar Eclipses just as common as lunar eclipses.  The difference is that the path of visibility is much smaller during a solar eclipse than a lunar eclipse. Calculations indicate that anyone location on the Earth's surface will have a total solar eclipse once every 375 years. Space.com has an excellent write-up.

There are different types of solar eclipses:  Partial, annular and total.

The next Total Solar Eclipse that will pass directly over Ohio will be April 8, 2024. 

The next set of solar eclipses will pass within several hundred miles. If you miss the Total Solar Eclipse in 2024, you will have to wait until the end of the century--September 14, 2099--for the next TSE to pass directly over Ohio.

Here are ALL Solar eclipses world wide per decade and their paths. These graphics may be incomplete. Check the NASA site for any I might have missed.

2021-2029

2030-2039

2040-2049

2050-2059

2060-2069

2070-2079

2080-2089

2090-2099

Updated Rainfall vs Normal Since Early May

The first two weeks of May ended up above normal with the exception of Lake, Ashtabula and portions of Geauga counties. Rainfall averaged more than 1" above normal for 60% of the area.

Between May 15 and 31st conditions dried out significantly. More than 1" below normal during the second half of May for most areas.

The first week of June the frequency of more hyper-local rainfall has gone up.  Deficits are still widespread as of this writing (June 7).

This week, the Sonoran High (western ridge) and the Bermuda High sandwiched the central US low which has stalled allowing for disturbances to rotate around the low and into the Ohio Valley producing frequent afternoon/evening slow moving storms. Animation is from Monday through Thursday.

Dewpoints reached 70 for the first time this year.

Noon dew points, Tuesday June 8

Afternoon storms Monday, June 7 were heavy in spots. Around 60-70% coverage (1/4" or more) with15% of the area (1" or more) most of which centered in portions of Lake, Portage and southern Stark, northern Tuscarawas counties.

Total system rainfall forecast (not counting local storms) through Friday June 11.

HUGE Ups and Downs in May 2021 - Complete Recap

We started out May well below normal across much of the central US. I attributed this to many factors in a previous post you can check out HERE.

Temperatures started shifting back to near/above normal by the third week.

Overall temperatures in May were up and down..."winter to summer" conditions very similar to May 2020.

Rainfall departures were trending above normal after early month heavy rain.  Conditions started to dry out significantly by the middle/end of the month.

May 1-6 rainfall departure

May 10-20 rainfall departure

May 21-31 rainfall departure

Rain amounts were significant across multiple states early in the month.

The big May 9th rainfall was mixed with snowfall initially.

May 9 - snowfall in Wadsworth

Daily precipitation was lacking after the early month heavy rainfall event until the last week.

We were starting to see signs of drought in March and April. The recent rains have helps conditions somewhat.  Last year the conditions were wetter than normal in spring.

Long term drought indicator BLEND comparing to May 1 to may 15 shows little change across Ohio even with the rains.

We had our first dewpoint of 65 degrees on May 25th. 

A significant drop in severe weather across the central US as measured by severe thunderstorm/tornado warnings.

Our first severe thunderstorm warning of the year (longest stretch since 1986) was issued on May 26

First Severe Thunderstorm Warning of the year for northern Ohio--May 26

Friday, May 28 a strong northeast wind (gusts 50-55 mph) developed on the tail end of a midwest storm system. 

This piled up water over the western basin causing flooding Friday into Saturday.

Even though upper level temperatures (5000 feet were +8 celsius), the NE winds kept high temperatures in the lower/mid 50s Saturday. This marked only the 7th time we had a high temperatures UNDER 55 in late May/early June in the last 50 years!

A crazy May to say the least. Heat returning by the second week of June.  Stay tuned!