The National Weather Service reported on Wednesday that it still expected cloudy conditions during the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.
It forecasted a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 83.
Meteorologists said clouds won't necessarily make the eclipse unviewable.
Thinner high clouds could be transparent enough to allow for decent viewing conditions and breaks in cloud cover could also occur over the viewing window.
Here is the eclipse cloud cover forecast as of April 3rd. The most likely forecast still shows mostly cloudy skies, and there was a slight trend to cloudier conditions from the previous forecast. Continue to check back for updates as the forecast evolves. #Eclipse2024 #txwx pic.twitter.com/MPxSZRF470
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) April 3, 2024
The image below shows what is known as a prognostic chart, or prog chart.
Mainly used by aviators, these charts show future positions of weather features based on various forecasting techniques including computer models.
It shows that on Sunday April 7, a cold front will approach the San Antonio area from the west. The dashed line over Texas indicates a dry line, which is a delineation of moist air and dry air.
In warmer months, storms can fire along the dry line and typically move eastward. Cold fronts can also produce storms, depending on their strength, speed and other factors, such as available moisture and instability.
There are several different weather computer models that forecasters rely on.
One is the ECMWF, better known as the European model. The image below shows the model’s potential of rain for Monday, April 8, at 1 p.m.
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's forecasts showed that Texas had a 33 to 40% probability of above normal precipitation during the time frame of the total eclipse.
TPR will continue to update this forecast between now and April 8.
Marian Navarro contributed to this report.
