If anyone tells you that April 8’s total solar eclipse is sold out and, besides, it will be cloudy, show them a map of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and explain to them that inland lakes can reduce cloudiness.
It’s a quirk of the path of totality on April 8 that almost the entirety of two of the Great Lakes in North America—Lake Erie and Lake Ontario—will experience a total solar eclipse. Cloud cover or not (and early weather forecasts suggest clear skies, as of Monday, April 1), it will still get dark.
Only the southwestern corners of each will not experience darkness in the day and the chance to see the sun’s corona with the naked eye, denying the inhabitants of both Detroit and Toronto something genuinely spectacular.
Hundreds Of Miles
The Niagara Peninsula between the two will be a draw for Canadians—as will Niagara Falls on both sides of the border—but hundreds of miles of coastline on both lakes might be the wise choice on April 8 in the northeast U.S.
About 5.6 million people live along Lake Ontario, about 2.8 million each in Canada on the northern coast and the U.S. on the southern coast.
The latter is in western New York State and about a five or six-hour drive from New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
Reducing Cloud
There’s a 70% chance of cloud in some areas in this region of the path of totality (though only according to historical climate statistics), but with careful positioning, you can reduce this. “In the case of New York, the lakes are your friend,” said meteorologist Jay Anderson, who presents a climatological analysis of eclipse tracks on Eclipsophile and recently published an update on Sky & Telescope. His cloud cover graphs reveal that, in some cases, there can be as much as a 15% change from the north side to the south side. “There are good spots along the south shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario that convey a 10% climatological advantage—though that advantage only comes with certain kinds of weather patterns, such as northwest flow across the lakes coming onto the land.”
What all eclipse chasers should understand is that “eclipse cooling” could see convective clouds dissipate.
Good Choices
Anderson’s conclusion is that lower elevations and a position on the south side of the larger lakes will give a greater likelihood of sunshine on eclipse day. Anderson also reveals some helpful details. “Rochester is definitely a good choice, Buffalo is not a bad choice, but Niagara Falls is a bit iffy—it’s a good spot, but there are potentially better places around the corner,” said Anderson. “On the other hand, if there’s a weather system leaving, then places farther to the north and west will be the first ones to clear off.”
This is all based on climate, but attention will turn to actual weather forecasts as April begins. Lake Erie, Cleveland, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester and Lake Ontario will all be major eclipse-observing locations, but which will turn out to be the best? Luckily, Interstate 90 runs parallel to Lake Erie between Toledo, Ohio and Syracuse, New York—all within the path of totality—via all the major cities and destinations. Just don’t expect it to be traffic-free on the morning of April 8.
Where To Experience Totality On Lake Erie (U.S.)
“Lake Erie will be a beautiful location so watch the eclipse,” said eclipse expert Jay Ryan, a former contributing editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, who runs Eclipse Over Cleveland, in an interview. He plans on being at Edgewater Park close to the city on the Lake Erie shore. “It’s an open body of water, as far as the eyes can see in all directions, and I’m hoping to see what the moon’s umbral shadow looks like off over the lake.” Visit Cleveland has a useful 2024 Solar Eclipse hub, with notable options including Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and the Total Eclipse Fest 2024, Great Lakes Science Center (NASA event—expect crowds!).
Other choices include the Shores & Islands in Ohio and many, many others:
Ohio
Avon Lake, Bay View, Berlin Heights, Birmingham, Castalia, Catawba, Cleveland, Elmore, Fremont, Genoa Township, Huron, Kelleys Island, Lakeside: Total Solar Eclipse Celebration, Lorain: Total Solar Eclipse, Marblehead, Middle Bass Island, Milan, North Bass, Norwalk, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton: The Park Goes Dark-Solar Eclipse Watch Party, Put-in-Bay: A Monumental Eclipse, Sandusky County, Toledo Solar, Vermilion.
Pennsylvania
Erie, Elk Creek Beach, Avonia Beach, Walnut Creek Beach, Cranch Park, Shorewood Beach, Freeport Beach.
New York
Dunkirk, Ripley Beach, Brookside Beach, Lake Erie State Park, Sunset Bay Beach, Evangola State Park, Lake Erie Beach Park, Buffalo Municipal Bathing Beach, Buffalo Harbor State Park
Where To Experience Totality On Lake Ontario (U.S.)
“I’ll be in a lovely little spot on Lake Ontario called Fair Haven Beach State Park,” said Dr. Tyler Nordgren, an Ithaca, New York-based astronomer, author of Sun Moon Earth and eclipse artist at Space Art Travel Bureau, in an interview. “It looks like being up against Lake Ontario gives you a slightly better chance of clear skies at that time of year.”
Here are dozens of places to see the eclipse on the shores of Lake Ontario:
New York State
- Fort Niagara State Park
- Four Mile Creek State Park
- Wilson-Tuscarora State Park
- Niagara County Krull Park
- Barker Bi-centennial Park
- Golden Hill State Park (Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse)
- Lakeside State Park, Waterport
- Lake View Park, Kent
- Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, Hilton
- Braddock Bay Park, Rochester
- Ontario Beach Park, Rochester (Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse)
- Peace Sign Garden Durand Eastman Park, Rochester
- Webster County Park, Rochester
- Beechwood State Park, Sodus
- Sodus Point Beach Park, Sodus
- Chimney Bluffs State Park, Huron
- Breitbeck Park, Oswego
- Mexico Point State Park, Mexico
- Sandy Island Beach State Park, Pulaski
- Lakeview Wildlife Management Area, Henderson
- Southwick Beach State Park
- Black Pond Wildlife Management Area
- Robert G. Wehle State Park, Henderson
- Long Point State Park – Thousand Islands, Point Peninsula, Chaumont Bay
- Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area, Chaumont
For the latest on all aspects of April 8’s total solar eclipse in North America, check my main feed for new articles each day.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
