Moon shot: Weather conducive for solar eclipse viewing in Spokane next week

Late Monday morning, the sun will disappear from residents in North America for the first time since 2017.

Mexico, Texas, Indiana and Maine are a few places where people can experience a total solar eclipse, meaning their view of the sun will be completely obstructed by the moon.

But in Spokane, residents will only get a taste of the spectacle. According to NASA, the sun will be around 27% concealed by the moon creating a partial eclipse.

Though Spokanites will experience marginal effects of the event, if at all, weather is not expected to impede their view, according to Krista Carrothers, forecaster at the national weather service.

“Skies look to be pretty clear,” she said.

NASA estimated first contact to be around 10:40 a.m., meaning the edge of the moon will appear to touch the edge of sun.

At around 11:35 a.m., the eclipse will reach its maximum, when the sun is most hidden. At this point, observers have the best opportunity to see the night sky darken and temperatures drop.

The event will conclude at around 12:30 p.m. when the moon’s edge makes its last contact with the sun.

A solar eclipse is different than an annular eclipse that occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and sun, but does not completely cover the sun, making what appears to be a disk.

Though solar events are anticipated decades in advance, weather does not always cooperate.

During last year’s annular eclipse, gloomy weather made the event unviewable in Spokane, disappointing around 150 people who attended a viewing event at the Spokane Tribal Gathering Place behind City Hall, according to previous Spokesman-Review reports.

But Monday morning, Carrothers is anticipating conditions to be conducive for viewing in the Lilac City.

“Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 50s, maybe even low 60s,” she said. “Skies should be clearing at least in the morning. Clouds look to come in the afternoon.”

Spokanites will need all the help they can get to experience the effects of the moon’s journey in front of the sun.

Carrothers remembered a few years go when she was in the path of a partial eclipse when she saw around 50% solar obscuration.

“I noticed minimal change,” she said. “But it was cloudy that day.”

Based on this experience, she anticipates there to be small viewable effects in Spokane, if any.

Instead, she recommended residents doing something else with their Monday morning.

“I would say enjoy the sunshine,” she said. “(Tuesday) we got up to 73, but temperatures will continue dropping until Saturday when the high will reach about 49.”

Starting Wednesday, there is a slight chance of showers that will persist most of the week, she said.

“Monday will be the first nicer day we will get.”