Total solar eclipse was one year ago; Ohioans lucky with perfect weather
Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the 2024 total solar eclipse.
Ohio's skies began to dim a little before 2 p.m. April 8, 2024, and were completely dark by 3:10 p.m. when the moon fully blocked the sun's light.
Totality lasted nearly 4 minutes. The entire eclipse process took about 3 hours, an afternoon witnesses will never forget.
It was the last total solar eclipse in the United States until 2044, and the only one in the Buckeye State until 2099.
Since the United States became a country, only 21 total solar eclipses have been visible in the lower 48 states.
The previous total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806.
'April is such a variable month'
The high temperature April 8 last year was 70 and the day was sunny.
Ohioans were lucky, according to Rick Garuckas, a meteorologist who works in the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service.
"It's a good thing it was last year instead of this year," Garuckas said.
That's because this year's April 8 is forecast to be cloudy and nearly 50 degrees colder with a low of 20 and a high of 37.
"For April 8th, it could be as warm as the as the 80s to as cold as the 30s," Garuckas said. "It could be sunny, there could be snow, there could be some rain. April is such a variable month."
Remembering the 2024 total solar eclipse
Ohioans watched the eclipse last year at the Ohio State Reformatory, downtown Mansfield in Central Park, and in dozens of other public spaces throughout the region.
Dan Everly, one of the region's top astronomers, had been waiting for years to see the eclipse.
He and fellow astronomer Bryan Summer watched as a sliver of the moon crept in front of the sun at 2 p.m. A half-hour later, the sun was barely a third covered.
"Oh my gosh, it's amazing up there!" Summer shouted as he looked through a solar scope.
At 3:06 p.m., phone alarms went off; 5-minute reminders before totality.
"Do you guys see the birds coming in to roost?" Everly shouted. "They're all in that tree!"
By 3:10 p.m., even though the sun was still too blinding to view directly without the protection of solar glasses, the surrounding area had become dark enough for security lights to activate.
A minute later, darkness engulfed everyone watching.
"Look at this!" Summer shouted.
The temperature fell by at least 10 degrees, maybe more in some areas.
The immediate area was dark, but an orange glow was visible in the distance in each direction like a faraway sunset 360 degrees along the horizon.
"Isn't this the eeriest thing you've ever seen?" Summer's voice asked in the night. "It's absolutely spectacular!"
Then, before anyone was ready, a speck of sun pierced through the bottom of the moon.
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