Lunar eclipse in Seattle gets cloudy weather outlook

Seattle is back to its overcast ways as summer begins to wane — just in time for a sky-high spectacle you’d certainly prefer clear skies for. Yay.

The moon will pass into the earth’s shadow during a near-total lunar eclipse today around 9 p.m. At its peak, 96.3% of the moon will be covered by the earth’s dark umbra. 

But you may not get to see it if you’re anywhere on the west side of the Cascades, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dana Felton. 

Scattered clouds will begin to fill in this morning, making for completely overcast skies that will shut out the sky until about 7 p.m., Felton said. By then, they will start to break apart. 

“I don’t think it’s going to be totally overcast” by the time the lunar eclipse reaches its peak, Felton said. “There’ll be some breaks in the clouds, but whether the moon shows up in those breaks is another thing.”

The east side of the state will see some high clouds throughout the day as well, but they will thin out by nighttime, Felton said. 

So if you really want to see some guaranteed eclipse action, consider a road trip over the mountains.

If you’re not that committed but you’re still interested in the big shadow, consider moving around in a big field to try different vantage points through breaks in the clouds. 

Thursday, Now on the other side of the last 8 p.m. sunset of the year, is part of a cool stretch in Seattle.

We’ll only see a high of about 72, a few degrees below the norm of 76 this time of year, Felton said. Then, an upper-level trough due Friday will bring clouds and even cooler temperatures, and even a chance of showers Saturday morning.