What will Hagerstown's weather be like for the 2024 solar eclipse?

We are just over a week away from the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.

Between about 2 and 4:30 p.m., sunlight will vanish. bringing night-time darkness to the region. And many are already planning ahead to witness the extraordinary moment of darkness.

Is it going to rain? Is there going to be a cloud cover? Here's an early weather forecast for Hagerstown and Washington County.

All about the solar eclipse: Total solar eclipse will cross 13 U.S. states on April 8: Is Maryland in its path?

Hagerstown weather for April 8, 2024

National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Steinbugl in the State College, Pa., forecast office said it was too soon on Friday, March 29 to be able to provide a forecast with high confidence for April 8.

However, looking at about 40 years of climatology information for the local Tri-State area for past April 8 dates, the average cloud cover is 60% to 70% on that day. The forecast is trending in that direction, but again cloud cover is one of those things that can change even in the short term, he said.

More on viewing the solar eclipse in Maryland

The state of Maryland is not in the solar eclipse's path of totality.

However, a partial eclipse — hinging on good weather and clear skies — will be visible throughout all 48 contiguous U.S. states, including Maryland.

A partial eclipse occurs when the orbiting moon passes between the sun and Earth, but the sun, moon and Earth are not perfectly lined up.

Marylanders who want to travel to witness the big event won't have to go too far. The total solar eclipse will be visible in nearby cities such as Erie, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Too-early eclipse forecast for Hagerstown, Washington County