Solar Eclipse 2024: Sun shines again across Northeast Ohio April 8 | Live updates

After months of anticipation, emergency preparedness planning and hype, the day of the solar eclipse is finally here.

The peak of the solar eclipse -- when the moon completely blocks the sun, save for a shimmering ring of golden sunshine called a "corona" -- happened at about 3:14 p.m. in Akron and lasted 2 minutes, 46 seconds before darkness started to lift.

After a soggy morning, the skies cleared for the afternoon. The National Weather Service in Cleveland is forecasting partly sunny skies this afternoon with a high temperature of about 72 degrees.

You can follow all of our reporting here live, as eclipse day 2024 unfolds:

Did you get chills during the eclipse?

Anyone else feel a chill in the air during the eclipse? It wasn't just you: The National Weather Service reported that temperature dropped almost 10 degrees leading up to and during the total solar eclipse, according to data from the Cleveland-Hopkins Airport:

Traffic troubles after the eclipse

All of those visitors who merged with Greater Akron locals to watch the eclipse are now trying to get home and, as local leaders forecast, there are some traffic problems.

According to the Ohio Department of Transportation's OHGO website:

• Expect lane closures on Interstate 76 East at Interstate 76 East/Interstate 77 South due to a crash.

• Expect lane closures on Interstate 80 East, the Ohio Turnpike, beyond Route 44 due to a crash.

However, Tommy Smoot, the director of the Summit County Emergency Management Agency, said he had not heard of any major incidents connected with the eclipse and that, so far, things have gone smoothly.

"We had a number of events in the county," Smoot said. "We saw lots of different license plates, a lot of people coming from other states. We don't have an exact number of how many visitors we had but a lot of events were maxed out. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event. The weather cooperated this afternoon. We've had a few minor accidents, like on Route 8 and on 77, nothing out of the ordinary."

Witness to the eclipse

Here are some of the things our Beacon Journal photographers and reporters saw before, during and after the eclipse:

We saw the whole of the moon

What did you think?

As day turned to dusk during the eclipse, the street lights downtown Akron flicked on.

At the MAPS Air Museum in Green, Pink Floyd blared on the speakers and the Akron Art Museum played a hit list of sun- and moon-themed music.

When totality arrived, there were cheers in Akron, from Highland Square through downtown and onto Goodyear Heights.

In Cleveland, at Progressive Field, everything went quiet as darkness fell and then, at the end of totality, the Corner Bar broke out into cheers of “Jose! Jose! Jose!"

Dogs barked in some neighborhoods while birds and other creatures went silent in others.

And for better or worse, some people celebrated with fireworks or by honking their car horns.

We're heading toward totality

Now's the time to step outside, put on your eclipse glasses and look up.

No one alive has seen a full eclipse in Greater Akron.

This is your chance.

At 2:45 p.m., the Weather Channel said it was 72 degrees in Akron. The temperature is expected to drop when the moon covers the sun.

'It's once-in-a-lifetime,' at Progressive Field

Sisters Tiffany and Jasmine Nason traveled north from Wooster to watch the eclipse at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Monday.

They said they drove most of the way, then took the RTA. train into downtown.“Actually it was surprisingly pleasant,” Tiffany said.Traffic was light they said, but the metro was packed with Guardians fans.“It’s once-in-a-lifetime,” Tiffany said.“And Opening Day,” Jasmine said.

Michele and Eric Harrison, of Tallmadge, brought a nice camera and a filter to photograph the eclipse from the stadium.

They said they waited until Friday to buy tickets, wanting to make sure the forecast looked promising. They said traffic was much easier than anticipated and they didn’t mind paying $40 for parking today.“It’s worth it today,” Michele said.

Freeway closure: State Route 2 at I-90 east of downtown CLE

All lanes are closed on Route 2 West at I-90/ Route 2 West, near the Burke Lakefront Airport, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Cleveland police confirmed in a social media post that the state route was closed until further notice. No details were given as to why.

Local officials have warned there could be traffic tie-ups related to the eclipse, both because the area was expecting an influx of visitors seeking to see the event and because people would pull off the road to witness it.

Signs were up on roadways earlier today warning people not to stop along freeways.

The unusual thrill at Cedar Point today is in the sky

April 8 has always been too early for Cedar Point amusement park to open.

The winds off of Lake Erie can still be brutal in April. And sometimes, it still snows.

But today's eclipse changed Cedar Point's history.

For the first time since it opened as a bath house in 1870, Cedar Point welcomed guests to ride the rides and check out mother nature's afternoon sky show.

People from across the US are pouring into MAPS Air Museum for eclipse event in Green

Dennis Bachtel, helping to guide vehicles at the sold out MAPS Air Museum eclipse event Monday, said he's seen people from across the country today. They'd come to Green from as far away as California and Seattle.

More than 350 vehicles were expected for the sold-out event, MAPS marketing manager Doug Perry said.

"The first car in this morning was from New Jersey and she was a meteorologist," Perry said.

Kent welcomes locals, out-of-towners with glasses, toys, sweets and maps

The information tent on Kent's Water Street is set up to welcome eclipses tourists with stickers, magnets and maps.

Executive Director for Mainstreet Kent Heather Malarcik said the tent also offers minor medical assistance for anyone who needed help.

Malarcik said she expecting locals, but out-of-towners too, hoping to catch a glimpse of a total solar eclipse.

Food trucks and brick-and-mortar businesses aimed to cater to eclipse lovers.

Daisy Pop's food truck was selling "eclipsefetti" pops with sprinkles and a "2024 Eclipse" label. And they offered a do-it-yourself sweet eclipse, selling separate moon-shaped chocolate pops and sun-shaped vanilla pops.

"We've been gearing up for this I'd say for probably a year, doing the meetings and learning all about it," Daisy Pop owner Amy Mucha said. "It's hard to believe the day is finally here."

At Kent's Off the Wagon toy store on East Main, interactive puzzle blocks were set up outside so adults and kids could play.

The store is also selling eclipse glasses designed by local art teacher Cody Knepper.

"I think it's gonna be a really cool moment when the eclipse starts," said Jade Brundelet, an Off the Wagon employee. "I feel like it's the perfect place to be around here, and it's a really cool sense of community."

Locals may have heeded leaders' advice: Stay Home

By 1 p.m., Akron Zoo workers Angie Walsh and Abby Sipos had talk to about 62 people visiting the zoo for the eclipse.

Many, Walsh said, are from out of town.

"I think a lot of local people are probably staying at home in their backyards, hanging out, trying to stay out of traffic and stuff," said Walsh, an education mission coordinator.

She and Sipos are talking to people about a citizen science undertaking at the zoo today called the "eclipse soundscapes project."

The project enlists zoo-goers to record animal reactions during the eclipse.

If you had planned to venture out to watch the eclipse, many venues -- including local and state parks -- are already at capacity.

What's poppin'? Solar eclipse 'astronaut' passes out popcorn coupons

Cuyahoga Falls downtown EclipseFest 2024 is getting busier as the clock ticks toward the eclipse.

The phenomenon begins about 1:59 p.m. and should peak about 3:15 p.m.

Rachael Vanfossen of Metropolis Popcorn in Cuyahoga Falls got into the spirt by dressing as a solar eclipse astronaut and handing out coupons.

Akron RubberDucks' Party in the Park: Hitting one straight to the moon(or the sun)

Trish Ostroski, 76, of Cuyahoga Falls takes a pitch inside the Akron RubberDuck's stadium today at the Party in the Park until Dark event to celebrate the eclipse.

Fans can take batting practice in the minor league park and watch the moon overtake the sun from the outfield grass.

Nothing says eclipse quite like Santa, alien mini golf and two Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles?

Castle Noel, the year-round Christmas museum in Medina, today is hosting two of the six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles in the world.

It's only the second time in recent memory that two of the hot dog-shaped vehicles have appeared at the same place at one time, organizers said.

Castle Noel, which is just off Medina's historic town square, was created by artist Mark Klaus. The museum has a collection of Christmas movie memorabilia, including the original slide featured in "A Christmas Story."

Klaus later added Alien Vacation Mini Golf to the museum, which fills a former Methodist church and several nearby buildings.

Suburban D.C. travelers following their eclipse bliss pop up at Akron's Daily Pressed

Randy Payne, of suburban Washington, D.C., said he decided to drive to Akron on a whim Sunday night.

"The weather gods are cooperating," he said Monday morning while waiting for breakfast at The Daily Pressed downtown.

Clouds over downtown disappeared by 11 a.m.

Three others at the Daily Pressed Monday morning also drove from the D.C. area.

Marquise McDonald, Frank McDonald and Lamares Alston said were staying in Pittsburgh because Cleveland was to chaotic. They plan to hover around downtown Akron to observe the moon overtake the sun.

Akron Zoo opens doors, expecting 2,500 visitors on eclipse day

When the Akron Zoo opened its doors at 11 a.m., people were already lined up outside.

Carrie Bassett, the zoo's education mission manager, said that the zoo has several events planned throughout the day, including two citizen science projects.

Among the crowd is Connie Benner. Benner is celebrating her 52nd birthday today.

"I have been counting it down since I knew (the eclipse) was going down on my birthday," she said. Joining her is her sister in law, daughter, niece-in-law, and her great nieces and nephews.

"I just prayed for nice weather, so we have that now," Benner said.

Early in the day it looked like Benner's birthday wish might come true. The clouds cleared shortly before the doors open.

Will early birds get best seats for eclipse?

Eric Flanders of Akron's North Hill neighborhood set up lawn chairs atop of one of Cuyahoga Falls’ parking garages at about 10 a.m. for himself, his wife, son and daughter to view the eclipse in the afternoon.“You never know, even today, if you’re going to get a clear view of it,” he said from the garage roof at about 10:40 a.m.Flanders said he and his family will check out the street level of Cuyahoga Falls’ EclipseFest throughout the day.

But when the moon starts to cover the sun, they plan to return to their rooftop seats.

Joe Siegferth, Cuyahoga Falls Ward 4 councilor, said he will watch the eclipse this afternoon if he helping with crowd control.Siegferth said Cuyahoga Falls’ “beautiful downtown” and “walkability” makes the city well-suited to hosting many people, adding that he hopes the eclipse event allows out-of-town visitors to see what all the city has to offer — and that they decide to return.

Worried about radiation from the eclipse? Don't be, NASA says

NASA is using part of its website to debunk myths about today's total solar eclipse, including worries about radiation.

When the disk of the moon fully covers the sun, NASA says, the brilliant corona emits only electromagnetic radiation, sometimes with a greenish hue.

"Being a million times fainter than the light from the sun itself, there is nothing in the coronal light that could cross 150 million kilometers of space ,penetrate our dense atmosphere, and cause blindness," the space agency said. "However, if you watched the sun before totality, you will catch a glimpse of the brilliant solar surface and this can cause (eye) retinal damage."

NASA points out that it's human instinct to quickly look away from the sun before any damage is done. But health officials urge people to wear special glasses to look at the sun leading up to the total eclipse.

The space agency said the electromagnetic radiation from the corona, seen as light, is "perfectly safe."

There is also another form of radiation that travels to Earth from the sun that is also safe.

"Deep in the solar interior where nuclear fusion takes place to light the sun, particles called neutrinos are born, and zip unimpeded out of the sun and into space," NASA said. "Every second, your body is pelted by trillions of these neutrinos no matter if the sun is above or below the horizon."

The only consequence, NASA said, is that a few atoms in your body are "transmuted into a different isotope by absorbing a neutrino."

" This is an entirely harmless effect," NASA said.

It does not harm people, including those who are pregnant, NASA said.

Mr. Funs having a good time with eclipse

Mr. Funs Costume & Curiosity Emporium on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls has geared up for eclipse day as if it were a festival.

The shop received a bunch of eclipse-themed merchandise over the past three week. By Thursday, about 25% of the shirts, hats, magnets, tumblers and other gear had sold out.

Hunter Riggs showed us his store's eclipse gear.

Clearing skies, warming temperatures ahead of eclipse

Sunshine is moving from west to east after overnight rain in Greater Akron.

This picture was taken from the Beacon Journal offices downtown about 10 a.m.

Staff in Copley and Medina reported that skies iin their areas were already clear.

The National Weather Service office in Cleveland has forecast near-perfect weather this afternoon in Greater Akron. Not only will it be partly sunny, temperature will climb to a seasonably warm 72 degrees.

Dark Side of the Spoon

Retired Beacon Journal Reporter Jim Mackinnon, known for his puns in stories and around the newsroom, won a contest to name Strickland's eclipse-themed sundae: It's called Dark Side of the Spoon.

Strickland's announced the Mackinnon's winning name early this morning on Facebook.

The sundae − which includes vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and a Moon Pie surrounded by whipped cream clouds − is available today only between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Akron's four parks, downtown viewing location all booked

The city of Akron this morning said all eclipse viewing sites set up by the city − four parks and an expansive downtown parking lot near Spaghetti Warehouse − are completely booked with people who pre-registered.

All nine of the city's community centers, however, are open. People do not need to register in advance to visit those, Mayor Shammas Malik's office said on Facebook.

"Please stay safe on the roads today and be patient with out incoming visitors," the mayor's office said on Facebook. "Let's enjoy this rare

Reminder: No parking on state Route 8, Ohio Turnpike or other freeways

Digital signs this morning warned drivers on the Ohio Turnpike and state Route 8 not to stop along the roadways to watch the eclipse: “No shoulder parking."

On most any other day, few would ever think to stop along these busy routes for anything other than an emergency.

The solar eclipse, forecast for decades, is not an emergency.

Local officials have urged people to stay home and watch the eclipse from their own yards.

Northeast Ohio this weekend was already busy with travelers visiting to see the celestial phenomenon.

Norton Councilman Jamie Lukens Sunday noted his own experience Sunday on Facebook after visiting the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

"Well… today we went to Cuyahoga Valley NP on a whim just to do a hike and it was nutso up there already," Lukens wrote. "We were very surprised to see plates from Michigan, Virginia, Florida, NY and every state between."

Lukens wrote that he had been skeptical about the predicted influx of visitors for the eclipse, but the number of visitors to the park changed his mind.

"Honestly if you can watch from home tomorrow and avoid major cities I would recommend it!" he said in the post.

When was the last solar eclipse seen in Ohio?

For Ohioans, this is once-in a lifetime event. The last total solar eclipse visible here was in 1806, just three years after Ohio was named a U.S. state and 30 years before a fledgling Akron was incorporated as a village.

All of Greater Akron today is in the U.S. zone of totality, a thin band of area stretching from San Antonio, Texas, through Indianapolis and Northeast Ohio and on to Niagara Falls, New York.

Solar eclipse 2024 will bring unprecedented traffic to Akron, Cleveland

Because of the rarity of the total solar eclipse and the limited places to see see it in its totality, Northeast Ohio today is expected to be swamped today with visitors pouring in from central and southern Ohio, surrounding states, and other places beyond the zone of totality.

The Akron Beacon Journal has reporters and photographers stationed across the region covering Greater Akron watch parties, the celestial thrill at Cedar Point and the unprecedented sky show leading before 2024 home opener for the Cleveland Guardians.

Eclipse traffic: How bad will the roads get at the time of totality?

We'll also be following the weather, traffic jams and potential service interruptions, including cell phone service, as crowds descend on Northeast Ohio, searching for the best view of the eclipse.

Eclipse weather: What is the forecast today in Akron?

Rain and low-level clouds are currently moving throughout Northeast Ohio, according to a post on X from the National Weather Service in Cleveland. The rain should be gone by noon today and some low-level clouds will linger over Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania.

Temperatures across the region are expected to reach the low 70s today. There will be a brief drop in temperature during the solar eclipse's peak around 3 p.m. today but once the sun is uncovered, the temperature will rise again.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: When is the solar eclipse? Follow the April 8 phenomenon in Ohio