ARKANSAS, Ark. — Arkansas will soon be in the path of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
A huge factor for the thousands of travelers and residents planning to view the historic event is whether or not the sky will be clear enough to see the moon eclipse the sun.
So, before the skies go dark in Arkansas on the afternoon of April 8, many are wondering: What is the weather going to be like?
Well, as we stand right now, there is still a lot of uncertainty on what exact weather conditions we will see on April 8.
Temperatures will climb into the 70s on Sunday, April 7, before the eclipse, as moisture filters in across the Natural State.
Weather forecast for April 8 in Arkansas
Updated April 4th, 2024 2:10 p.m.
The good news, is that rain chances look very low during the eclipse, but rain chances Sunday morning and Monday evening will leave some cloud coverage to linger throughout the eclipse.
We are expecting some scattered showers and possible thunderstorms Saturday night into Sunday morning. Cloud coverage will clear going into Monday morning. So, when you wake up the day of the eclipse, you may be pleasantly surprised about how much sunshine you see. The bad news is that more showers are expected Monday evening in Arkansas. Before the arrival of those rain chances, cloud coverage will build from the south.
Southern portions of the state will have the worst visibility with chances of mostly cloud skies to overcast conditions. Places north of I-40 will have the best chances of seeing partly cloudy skies, which if you are in the right location, it could be optimal for viewing conditions. Unfortunately, you may just need some luck on your side to avoid the cloud coverage.
If you are one of the lucky ones, that is just stuck with partly cloudy conditions, it won't feel to bad outside! Temperatures are expected to be in the low-to-mid 70s, and you may even get some sunshine.
These clouds will most likely be very thin, and extremely aloft in the atmosphere. If that is the case, we are still hopeful for at least some mediocre viewing capabilities.
5NEWS is hosting a solar eclipse special between noon and 2:30 p.m. on April 8. You can watch for free with Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV by downloading the free 5+ app. Tap here for how to get 5+ on your smart TV.
Solar eclipse path of totality in Arkansas
What we do know is that the path of totality is 100% over a majority of the River Valley. Across Northwest Arkansas, you can expect around 95% of totality. In locations in the path of totality, you can expect close to four minutes of complete darkness.
So, it'll still get dark in the middle of the day (which is an odd event all on its own). However, looking up to see the sought-after eclipse may not be in the cards this time around.
With that being said, we could have a miracle! As the day of the total solar eclipse gets closer, we will continue to update the forecast on the chances for cloud coverage or even rain chances for April 8.
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