Solar eclipse 2024: Here's an early Fort Collins weather forecast

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·4 min read

The reason there is so much hype surrounding the April 8 total solar eclipse is they don't happen very often.

If you miss this year's total solar eclipse, you will have to wait 20 years for the next one to touch the U.S.

In Fort Collins, this year's show will be muted since here we will see roughly 63% totality from the April 8 eclipse. And the weather may not help.

Here's an early look at Fort Collins weather forecasts for the April 8 solar eclipse

The National Weather Service says its weather forecasts are 90% accurate for five-day forecasts, 80% for seven-day forecasts and 50% for 10-day and longer forecasts.

It does not offer 10-day forecast but other weather sites do. Here are the Fort Collins forecasts for April 8 as of March 30:

What time does the 2024 solar eclipse happen in Colorado?

The eclipse starts around 11:30 a.m. with max partial eclipse at 12:41 p.m. in Fort Collins. The eclipse will end around 1:30 p.m.

More: Use these tools to see when the solar eclipse will be visible in Colorado, other areas

Where can I watch the solar eclipse in Fort Collins?

Northern Colorado Astronomical Society will have volunteers with telescopes stationed in the west parking lot of Fossil Creek Park in Fort Collins from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, April 8. Maximum coverage for the Fort Collins area will happen at 12:41 p.m., and NCAS Outreach Coordinator Greg Halac told the Coloradoan via email that the partial eclipse will be the most interesting to the average viewer from about 12:10 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. This is a drop-in event.

There will also be a solar telescope set up at the Sunlight Peak observatory on the west side of the Front Range Community College Campus, 4616 S. Shields St. in Fort Collins, near the library. The telescope will be set up from 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the public is welcome to stop by.

Know of another public watch party? Let us know about it through this online form.

NASA is offering coverage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time as the eclipse travels through Mexico and across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in the U.S.

Coverage will include live views from across the path, expert commentary, live demonstrations and more, according to its website.

Here's more information on that and other solar eclipse viewing options if you live in Colorado.

Do you still need to wear safety glasses if you are not in the path of totality for the April 8 eclipse?

NASA says you must look through safe eclipse glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times when watching partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes. Those phases happen before and after totality. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector.​

It's only safe to view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face. As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately protect your eyes.

Where can I find eclipse glasses in 2024?

Eclipse glasses have their safety certified by the International Organizations for Standardization. You can tell if a pair of solar eclipse glasses meets today’s standards if they are labeled ISO 12312-2, sometimes written as ISO 12312-2:2015.

You can find a list of certified solar viewer and filter suppliers at https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters.

What's the 2044 eclipse path going to be?

The path of totality for the 2044 total solar eclipse is Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota in the U.S., according to NASA.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Will weather impact Fort Collins viewing the 2024 solar eclipse?