Partial lunar eclipse set for Thursday night, cloud cover may vary across U.S.

A partial lunar eclipse will be observable in North and South America on Thursday night, August 27, into the early hours of Friday, August 28. Meteorologists note that summer typically lacks large-scale storm systems, but scattered showers, thunderstorms or cloud cover could still impede visibility in some areas. A heat dome expected to remain over the Southwest may help keep skies clearer in parts of the country, though precise storm locations cannot be determined this far in advance.

In the Northeast, forecast models indicate scattered showers and thunderstorms from the mid-Atlantic to New England, which could intermittently obscure the eclipse. The South, from Virginia and the Carolinas to Florida and the lower Mississippi Valley, may also see scattered storms, though conditions could remain suitable for most viewers, especially in Oklahoma and Texas. The Midwest is projected to have relatively good viewing, except for possible thunderstorms over the Central Plains that might affect Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. The West is expected to enjoy mostly clear skies, aside from isolated showers in the Rockies or Desert Southwest and potential wildfire smoke.

The eclipse will be fully visible across much of eastern North America and South America, while observers in Europe and Africa will see the moon set during the event. In the western United States, western Canada, Alaska and Hawaii, the moon will rise as the eclipse begins. The partial eclipse will last about 3.5 hours, reaching its peak at approximately 12:13 a.m. EDT.