Local News

Solar eclipse hype for La Crosse likely to meet with rain

Published

8 years ago

August 21, 2017

Brad Williams

Total solar eclipse in La Crosse area in 2099

Rain is in the forecast for those excited to see a partial solar eclipse from the La Crosse area.

If you can get above the clouds, it will happen just after 1 p.m.

For those hitting the road, it’s the first total solar eclipse from the contiguous U.S. was in 1979. At the time, only the Northwest U.S. was able to witness the sight, according to NASA.

It will start in Oregon around 9:05 a.m. (PDT) and end in South Carolina around 4:09 p.m. (EST). It will last 2 minutes, 40 seconds.

(Click the picture for all kinds of great ways to view from NASA)

For those who didn’t make a road trip out of the event, no need to worry. There’s another total solar eclipse April 8, 2024, in late afternoon/early evening for much of the U.S.

“Chance of a lifetime, or wait another seven years,” University of Wisconsin-La Crosse astronomer Bob Allen joked.

Allen said that eclipse will go from Texas to Maine and cross by Carbondale, Ill., which is about 580 miles from La Crosse.

For those really anxious, there’s a solar eclipse in two years over South America.

For those really young, the next total solar eclipse directly over La Crosse happens in 2099.

And, for those who want to watch online:

NASA live streams:
Facebook Live
Twitter/Periscope
Twitch TV
Ustream
YouTube

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.