Annular Solar Eclipse Passes Through the West

There were great sites throughout the western US for annular solar eclipse on Saturday, October 14th. Many areas of the West were partly cloudy, but the Ring of Fire was clearly visible for areas in the Southwest and through Texas. If you missed it, bookmark the next solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. 

Here is a look at the satellite image over the US on October 14th, where the dark spot passing over Earth is the Moon's shadow as it passes in front of the Sun, blocking out the light.

Forecast for Mon (Oct 16) to Tue (Oct 17):

A storm system will bring widespread precipitation to Northern California and the PNW, with high snow levels of 8,000-9,000 feet. Some snow showers will extend into the northern Rockies, with light snow accumulations. Heavier precipitation and lower snow levels will extend into Canada and Alaska, which will continue for much of the week ahead. 

The Northeast will continue to see cooler weather and scattered light rain showers. A few snow showers are possible through the higher terrain from Maine to West Virginia with little to no snow accumulations.

Forecast for Wed (Oct 18) to Thu (Oct 19):

A weak storm system will bring scattered rain through the Midwest, with quiet and dry weather for the remainder of the US. 

The storm train will continue into British Columbia and Alaska, as snow levels lower and bring heavy snow to the higher terrain. The early season snowpack will continue to build in these areas. 

Forecast for Fri (Oct 20) to Sat (Oct 21):

A few snow showers will continue through British Columbia and Alaska, extending into some inland areas as well. Temperatures will turn colder behind the train of storm systems. Some rain could approach the PNW on Saturday, October 21st, but model uncertainty makes the forecast a bit uncertain.

The storm system moving through the Midwest will bring rain to the East Coast and Southeast. A few snowflakes could fly north of the Great Lakes but will not accumulate much.

Outlook for Sun (Oct 22) to Thu (Oct 26):

The weather pattern will become more active across the US. The storm track will return over the PNW and bring a round of cooler storm systems with the possibility of high elevation snow accumulations. This train in storm systems will extend through other parts of the Interior West, bringing more chances of high elevation snow. 

The Midwest and Northeast will see a storm system clearing at the beginning of next week on Monday, October 23rd. This will dry things out as temperatures stay average to above average in the Midwest and stay cooler than average in the Northeast. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (October 18).

Zach Butler

P.S. We now have iOS widgets!

It will take you 30-60 seconds to set up, and then you'll be able to see current conditions, check the forecast, and keep an eye on your favorite cams right on your home screen(s), without opening our app.

Our new “Current Conditions”, “Snow Summary”, and “Mountain Cams” widgets are available exclusively to All-Access subscribers with the latest version (5.4.2) of the OpenSnow iOS app installed.

Learn More → NEW: iOS Widgets