Total Solar Eclipse: How Much We’ll See, When In Peekskill, Cortlandt

PEEKSKILL-CORTLANDT, NY — Excitement and concern are building in Peekskill and Cortlandt over the weather forecast for the April 8 solar eclipse. While we’re not among some 32 million Americans living in the path of totality, we don't want to miss out on the celestial sensation.

However, cloudy skies and rain may well change the experience.

It "depends on how thick and how extensive the clouds are," veteran Hudson Valley meteorologist Joe Rao said in a recent column on Space.com. "Regardless, you will certainly notice some very unusual effects when the moon's shadow passes by."

In the United States, the path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth.

In Peekskill and Cortlandt, the moon will cover about 92 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code.

Here are the details:

• Partial eclipse begins: 2:11 p.m.
• Totality begins: 2:52 p.m.
• Maximum: 3:26 p.m.
• Totality ends: 3:58 p.m.
• Partial ends: 4:36 p.m.

Want to get into the path of totality? The New York State Parks and Historic Sites will host a range of events and activities to celebrate the rare total solar eclipse in western New York, the Finger Lakes and the Adirondacks.

If you're partial to a partial view, Hudson Valley events include:

• Bear Mountain State Park: Eclipse Viewing at Bear Mountain, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Hudson River Museum: Super Solar Eclipse Viewing Party, 2-5 p.m., 511 Warburton Ave. Yonkers, NY 10701
• Cranberry Lake Preserve in North White Plains, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lasdon Park, Arboretum, and Veterans Memorial in Katonah, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Trailside Nature Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Related:

• Celebrate The Eclipse With An Astronaut At The Hudson Valley Museum
• Westchester County Parks To Host Solar Eclipse Viewing Events

Long-range forecasts are predicting a cloudy day with rain likely for the big event, so keep checking NASA's Eclipse Explorer for a weather update.

The total solar eclipse starts in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Related:

• Animals May Behave Oddly During Eclipse
• As Eclipse Day Approaches, Hochul Warns About Harmful Rays and Scams
• Some Hudson Valley Schools Will Close Or Dismiss Early For The Eclipse
• You Must Protect Your Eyes, Regardless Of Eclipse Totality: What You Need