GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — We are officially four days away from the Total Solar Eclipse, which means confidence in the eclipse forecast is increasing.
WEST MICHIGAN
A low-pressure system that will be losing strength will move toward West Michigan on Sunday afternoon. This is going to bring a period of rainfall overnight on Sunday. The good news is that since this low does not look to have a lot of moisture, we should enter into a clearing pattern behind the warm front that brings the initial rain. This means we could start Monday with a few clouds and lingering showers, but the skies are trending mostly sunny to partly cloudy by the afternoon hours. This comes with a forecast high in the 60s.
The eclipse will only be partial in Grand Rapids. It begins at 1:55 pm, reaches a maximum at 3:11 pm, and ends at 4:24 pm.
Here is an explainer of what you can expect to see if the skies remain clear:
Are you headed into the line of totality? As of Thursday, April 4th, southern portions of the United States are trending cloudier. The good news is that those clouds are high. High clouds are typically thinner and easier to see through. So, it may not completely ruin the view of the total solar eclipse.
This map takes you along the path of totality and accounts for cloud coverage/ precipitation during the event. You will notice that clearer conditions are closer to the midwest and stretch up into Maine.
Cloud coverage can be a tricky thing to forecast on a broad scale like this and will likely change locally. This map is updated daily and shared on our social media pages. Please be sure to continue to check in as our atmospheric pattern evolves.
