weather prospects for this afternoons partial eclipse
talk about confused - looking at the accuweather forecasts it is looking like Newcastle will have at least 60% cloud cover from 4-5pm. looking further up the coast Taree has < 5% from 4-5pm. Is it worth the drive or is it nuts to travel
There's a big mass of cloud associated with a front moving E/NE across the state. Follow it's progress at the BSCH visible satellite images page if you like and see how it is progressing by early afternoon: http://realtime2.bsch.au.com/vis_sat...art=&stop=#nav
The attached image from the latest GFS weather model run doesn't look great from a cloud cover perspective at 4pm (follow the BSCH link to 'forecasts', selecting total cloud cover from 'complete charts list', and the forecast starting from 12Z). The big red wedge of cloud is heading east. But the further northeast you go, the better odds you might have especially *if* the front progresses more slowly than forecast. Not great for me in Sydney, but more chance in Newcastle or Taree. The eastern edge of the front is thin high cloud which, if we're lucky, will afford photogenic views, but obviously as it thickens we'll eventually lose...
Big cloud deck coming. Virtually guaranteeing the east coast will be overcast by 4pm
You should know this is normal esp. for Sydney whenever there's something interesting.
The beat chance - if you have the day off - is to jump in a car or plane and head west or southwest in the hope of getting out under the blue sky that follows it.
First stop would be mt Blackheath (clear western horizon), then mt Canobolas, then anywhere after Canowindra
talk about confused - looking at the accuweather forecasts it is looking like Newcastle will have at least 60% cloud cover from 4-5pm. looking further up the coast Taree has < 5% from 4-5pm. Is it worth the drive or is it nuts to travel
You gotta be in it to win it. How bad do you want it?
If you're in Adelaide stay put - the sequence of satellite images on the BOM website suggest it will clear before the eclipse, and its reasonably clear behind.
But it's already over NSW and should wipe out Sydney, Newcastle and quite possibly Taree by 4pm. I wouldn't like to try to out run it by driving north from the hunter valley or Sydney, you'll lose out IMHO as it's moving more than 100km/h. Thin cloud already over Western Sydney.
If you want to see it get on a plane and fly either to Brisbane or Adelaide.
NW Tas is having a lovely heavy downpour, and the clouds are so thick the planes are bouncing off them. It's not about to improve apparently.
Shame because I was very keen on trying out a particular foreground too :-)
Well, I am taking my chances and will stay put. Actually - not quite, because I will be observing from Razorback Mountain between Picton and Camden.
Skippy suggests that all of the cloud expected for this arvo is high cloud. If there is going to be cloud, that's the best type to have for a solar event. I agree that the right density can actully enhance the experience, though not necessarily at such a low altitude. Anywho - it's not entirely hopeless for Sydneysiders.
