Flying this weekend to take in the August 21 solar eclipse? Storms could mean flight delays for travelers headed from the southeastern United States.
According to the latest forecast from Accuweather.com, sporadic thunderstorms could cause some moderate travel disruptions over the weekend, with most of the storms occurring between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time. In addition to flight delays, locations that are hit by storms could experience early morning fog and low clouds a day or two later, which could impact viewing conditions on Monday.
The greatest concentration of storms will be in the southeast, on both Saturday and Sunday, according to Accuweather. In the Midwest, a few storms are also possible in an area ranging from Wisconsin and Michigan to Tennessee on Saturday, as well as a separate storm system in the I-95 corridor in the northeast. Storms are also possible in the southwest, in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, but most of the northwest will be rain-free.
That’s important because Oregon – particularly Redmond – will be one of the most popular travel spots to view the eclipse, according to a recent study from Cheapflights.com. Travelers are also flocking to Casper and Cheyenne, Wyoming; Columbia, South Carolina; and Boise, Idaho.
While hotel rooms are hard to come by during the eclipse, there are still a few last-minute eclipse travel deals available in campgrounds or, for a more luxury experience, on private jets through companies like Champagne Eclipse Jets Tour and the Ultimate Solar Fest Air Tour.
Even Southwest Airlines is getting in on the action by offering travelers onboard flights that will be in the air during the eclipse a special experience, which will include special viewing glasses, cosmic cocktails and social media engagement.
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