What's The Weather Forecast For Solar Eclipse In Metro Atlanta?

ATLANTA, GA — If you're preparing to take in the near-total solar eclipse that will darken metro Atlanta skies next Monday, you might want to pack an umbrella next to those fancy sunglasses.

The National Weather Service has put together its early weather forecast for Atlanta for Monday, Aug. 21, when the moon will almost completely block out the sun's rays starting right around 2:34 p.m. That's a late-summer afternoon in Georgia — and anyone who's lived here for long knows what that could mean, weather-wise.

National Weather Service meteorologist Sid King said Monday that the chance of rain on the day of the eclipse is currently forecast at about 30-40 percent. Beyond that, King said, it's still a little too early to tell.

"It's still several days out so, of course, we expect some modifications to the forecast as we get closer to that point," King said.

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He said that the weather service is predicting relatively typical weather patterns for this time of year. Based on that, he said, rain and storm activity would be spotty throughout the area and likely kick up in the late morning to early afternoon.

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In other words, if it rains where you are, there's a good chance it will happen around the time of the eclipse. But it might not last long, either.

"That's our hope — that if we do have a couple of pop-up showers, they can move out of the area pretty quickly," King said.

The high temperature next Monday should be in the mid-to-upper 80s in north Georgia, King said. Lows that Monday night will be down in the upper 60s.

The NWS extended forecast also calls for partly cloudy skies that day. King said they're expecting about 50 percent cloud cover, which could impact some folks' view of the eclipse.

According to a study of past cloud activity on Aug. 21, areas near the two coasts may be the most impacted by cloud cover on eclipse day. Increased cloud cover is possible as the eclipse moves past the Mississippi River and gets closer to us in Georgia, the weather service says.

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Next Monday will mark the first time since 1979 that a total eclipse has crossed the United States and the first time since 1918 that one will travel coast to coast. Everyone in the 50 states will be able to experience at least a partial eclipse, depending on weather, but no other country falls in the path of the total eclipse.

Metro Atlanta is roughly 40-80 miles outside the center line NASA describes as the absolute peak area for the eclipse. That means that, wherever you are in the area, you're going to get a pretty good dose of darkness on the 21st.

But if you're looking for the ultimate eclipse experience, a quick drive north will be in order.
Georgia's best eclipse spot is Rabun County — about a two-hour drive from downtown Atlanta.

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Photo via National Weather Service