251 replies to this topic

[nixeris]

I am abandoning the plan to drive to AR from San Antonio Sunday. It is 10 h drive, uncertainty of traffic, staying in Elantra overnight. I will drive to the MX border - Del Rio, which appears to have same chances as Little Rock per some models. It appears to be clear - but by 5 pm.

[nixeris]

Which model are you looking at? I’m on the pivotalweather site and all look bleak for the MX border. I’m planning that drive to AR from San Antonio tomorrow evening (Sunday). Are you familiar with the route? Do you think traffic will be bad overnight?

Edited by nixeris, 07 April 2024 - 12:29 AM.

[timmywampus]

I'm still here in Fredericksburg. Can't bail, I have to ride it out.

Stay strong, brother!

[zman2100]

I am in Austin with my pregnant wife, toddler, and baby. Cloud forecasts for Texas across multiple models indicate high level clouds across most of the state which likely aren't as much of an issue, but there's still no unity on the low and mid-level clouds that would pose more of a definitive problem. I will check models and satellite imagery in the morning and then will decide if getting in the car with my 3-year old son and leaving my wife and daughter behind and going north to Waco or Dallas area would be worth it or not.

[Bryguy]

Stay strong, brother!

I was using a pair of sunoculars this morning checking out the big sunspot through the upper level haze. The mind is strong, the stomach is in knots. Plus, the storms they are calling for with large hail I do not want to be caught on the roads. Regular rain is not an issue, but severe weather with hail and gridlock don't mix too well.

 

If gridlock has subsided by midnight I have to hit the road by 2:30am to get to San Antonio Airport for an early flight. Also have to turn in the rental car.

[sandman1330]

Staying tonight in Longview. Going to get up very early, plan A is sulphur springs, going to drive there first thing in the morning. If indications are for cloud out, we will leave and drive up the totality path to the northeast, several potential spots identified along the way as far as Russellville. That’s my limit, no further than Russellville, though its forecast is currently beautiful. If traffic is bad and we are stuck on the road when totality hits, at least we are in the path and can pull over and watch.

 

I want to be back in Houston by Monday night, so it’s a balance between going farther northeast to chase perfect weather, and a long arduous traffic filled overnight drive back to Houston after…

[Cajundaddy]

If cloud cover today holds for tomorrow we have a shot in Del Rio.  We were just there scouting sites and while not totally clear we had strong shadows and could definitely see it.  This is our Hail Mary as NE TX is not an option for us.

[Moravianus]

How busy looks Del Rio ? I am debating driving from San Antonio not through Uvalde and avoid the AFB but through the north through Kerville.

[nateman_doo]

Here in Utopia and tonight is supposed to be great. tomorrow... meh. 

[timmywampus]

Here in Utopia and tonight is supposed to be great. tomorrow... meh. 

Yeah. I’ve been watching my odds steadily decline. Who knows. Good luck to all of those that tried to plan. 

[BRCoz]

Well all I can say is I tried.  The weather won and I'll be heading toward home tomorrow and if I get a chance to pull off the road I will.  Five hour drive tomorrow then another nine to ten hours Tuesday.

[ecuador]

I'll drive N/NE from Austin tomorrow. Unless anything changes, I think I won't try to go too far, I'll stop somewhere before Dallas, maybe as far as Hillsboro and whatever happens, happens, at least it's not my first eclipse. I am not very clear at what kind of place to stop at though, during the last eclipse I was in TN and there were many parks to choose from etc, browsing these areas now the only parks I see advertised are sold out. Don't know if I should just pull up at a service area or something like that... Any suggestions, welcome...

[chakel]

Del Rio is looking quite promising for tomorrow's TSE. 

 

Best wishes for clear enough skies for all viewers,

John

[nateman_doo]

Yeah. I’ve been watching my odds steadily decline. Who knows. Good luck to all of those that tried to plan. 

normally Texas is a safe bet.  If you had to plan out years in advance to pick a single location for the chances of a clear day... its southern texas.  Why, because if you dont like the weather in Texas.. just wait 15 minutes.  Its just a thing.  Hoping for some sucker holes is as good as I am hoping for.

 

"Inshallah" as they say.

[Cajundaddy]

Sitting at our observing site in Del Rio.  Currently a thick marine layer projected to burn off noonish.  Forecast for totality is 32% cloud cover so we are hopeful.

[jesse 3]

Hope this method works




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[Moravianus]

Sitting at our observing site in Del Rio.  Currently a thick marine layer projected to burn off noonish.  Forecast for totality is 32% cloud cover so we are hopeful.

Arrived from North at Del Rio. Where did you set up ? Around Brackettville, some observers and side of the road and some sucker holes. Here at 11am, overcast, it will be clear at 5pm

 

Edit

At 11:45 driving back direction Brackettville based on satellite clouds and cloud forecast on Windy.

Edited by Moravianus, 08 April 2024 - 11:43 AM.

[Daveatvt01]

I’m in Del Rio too- over by the lake. It’s overcast without a patch of blue sky to be seen so far. We have had a few peeks of the sun through the clouds recently though.

[NTR180]

How did things end up in Del Rio?

[spacetimepictures]

Enjoyed totality here at TSSP as the clouds let us a patch of perfectly clear sky! Naked eye prominence, diamond rings, corona, everything..
Traveled from Paris, France with the family for this event, quite the commitment, a true nail-biter until the last second, but worth every instant!!

[Daveatvt01]

We ended up leaving at 12:15 and drove 45 minutes NE towards Rocksprings, TX- at first just based on the NWS satellite, then chasing breaks in the clouds. Success! It was amazing! The whole family got to see this one!
 

 

[zman2100]

I was one of the many in Austin who thought I was dead in the water. I flew here with my pregnant wife, 6-month old baby, and 3-yr old son. I'd told her I'd likely be getting in the car and driving with our son day-of to get to clearer skies and she said she'd stay behind with the baby because she didn't want to spend hours in the car. Well, this morning when push came to shove and we were getting ready to leave, she said screw it and all four of us got in the car and started driving north towards Waco. Stopped in Temple to evaluate forecasts around 9:30a and made the decision to go northwest from there to Gatesville. We set up in the Walmart parking lot with probably 60 other viewers and had mostly nothing but thin, wispy high-level clouds and got 4:15 of the 4:28 totality (a low level cloud blocked it for about 15 seconds and that was it). Unforgettable experience and my wife is very glad she made the decision to come with us.

[harpo80]

Our daughter said she'd like to see the Magnolia (Chip/Joanna Gaines' place) in Waco, and since the forecasts up there were much better than Canyon Lake we headed up there and joined the crowd on the grounds for about 4 minutes of totality, only interrupted by about a minute of stray cloud.  Awesome, no other word for it.  The naked eye prominences to the southwest were very impressive.  Storms built up as we drove home.  So glad this worked out OK.

[sternenhimmel]

We ended up going just northeast of Dallas hoping for better chances, and the clouds completely parted in time for totality. I think Dallas also mostly had clear skies during totality from the people I spoke to.

Really glad it worked out.

[OK Apricot]

After a lot of deliberating, and in hindsight maybe overkill, but I drove 550 miles and ended up at the watch party in Evening Shade, AR. A very homely feel, lovely attendees and one gorgeous blue sky. Crystal clear from about 40mins before totality, not even a thin wispy cloud! It doesn't get much better than that for a TSE virgin!