Tourists who traveled thousands of miles to see the solar eclipse in Dallas – what was supposed to offer the best view – are rushing elsewhere as storm clouds gather over the Lone Star State.
Although Texas has one of the best geographic positions to view this once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, clouds began to gather around 9 a.m. local time as severe storms are expected Monday night.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth explained that the morning cloud cover would begin to dissipate around noon, allowing many to enjoy the spectacle in the sky.
In an advisory updated at 11 a.m., the Weather Service declared New England the new best place to watch.
People gather to watch a total solar eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas – the Lone Star State was originally thought to have the best views of the spectacle.
Clouds began to appear around 9 a.m. local time, as severe storms are expected Monday night in Texas.
Crowds gather at the Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards in New York City
In an advisory updated at 11 a.m., the Weather Service declared New England the new best place to watch
“The best viewing conditions are probably north of I-20,” the organization tweeted.
‘It might look BAD around 9-11am this morning BUT we expect some low clouds to disperse before the time of the eclipse. High clouds should remain thin in many places.’
Monday’s forecast has left those in the path of totality, where the moon will completely block the sun causing temporary darkness, holding their breath, as thousands of tourists and their money have flocked to the state for the event.
The Lone Star State will be the first state to see the celestial event around 1:27 pm ET, then Oklahoma will be next around 1:45 pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51 pm ET and Missouri about five minutes later.
Illinois is next in line in the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse around 1:59 p.m. CT and Paducah, Kentucky, about a minute later.
And Evansville, Indiana at 2:02 CT and then Ohio is expected to witness it around 3:13 pm ET.
State officials have estimated that up to 556,000 people will visit the Buckeye State.
Erie, Pennsylvania, is next, with the solar eclipse scheduled for 3:16 p.m. ET, followed by Buffalo, New York, around 3:18 p.m. ET.
The road will continue north, arriving in Burlington, Vermont at 3:26 pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27 pm ET, and Caribou, Maine at 3:32 pm ET.
The yellow lines represent the path where people will be able to view the solar eclipse on April 8, while the green line shows locations directly below the path of totality, or places that could experience darkness.
Some cities and towns, such as Austin and Killeen, expected their populations to double during the eclipse, prompting Travis and several other counties to declare states of emergency.
Some tourists who traveled to Texas to experience the darkness firsthand are now leaving the state for a better view.
Jontue Austin and his family drove 14 hours from Minnesota to Dallas, but after seeing the weather, they decided to jump ship.
They spent Sunday in North Texas, but decided to drive to Little Rock, Arkansas, on Monday morning.
“We didn’t come all this way to be disappointed,” Jontue Austin told DailyMail.com on Monday as he and his wife Phala checked their weather apps on Monday morning.
‘We’re going to go to Little Rock after we see the weather. That’s the closest we can get to a place where it’s still sunny.
In the Lone Star State, the eclipse will be visible between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., according to NASA. During that time, some areas directly in the path of totality will be dark.
People gather and wait to observe a total solar eclipse in Mazatlán, Mexico
Ironically, they choose the Lone Star State as their viewing area because of the climate.
‘When we saw the path of totality, we thought Texas would be the country least likely to experience rain. We also thought about going to New England, but it didn’t fit the schedule with the travel dates, so we decided to go to Texas,” explained the father of three girls.
The Austins had been on the fence about changing their travel plans for about a week, while keeping an eye on the forecast.
“We had already booked the hotel (in Dallas), so we were already in a hurry at that point,” he said, adding that they met a French couple at their hotel who were also nervously hoping the clouds wouldn’t ruin their trip.
‘At least we can drive somewhere. The French couple crossed continents by plane to let themselves go.
Without wanting to tarnish the experience of their daughters, ages 16, 14, and 11, the Austins were halfway to the neighboring state of Texas by mid-morning.
‘In all the years I have been here, I have never experienced a total eclipse, and by then I will be 60 years old. If not now when. Also, this eclipse has the longest totality, over four minutes, so it’s something special in itself for kids,” he said.
And it seems that other travelers made the same decision as the Austin.
Texas cities like Fredericksburg that expected hordes of crowds never got them.
‘I think part of it is the weather, expectations of cloud cover and expectations of rain. They are moving to other states,” said Shana Menzies, who operates a food truck. local station KXAN.
Jontue Austin and his family drove 14 hours from Minnesota to Dallas, but after seeing the weather, they decided to jump ship.
The Austins are heading to Little Rock, Arkansas, on Monday morning, hoping to find a better view of the eclipse.
The picturesque town, located in Texas wine country, barely had more visitors than on a normal weekend, other locals confirmed.
Bill Nye, the scientist, was scheduled to host a viewing party in Fredericksburg along with the The planetary society.
“They told us it was going to go from 10,000 inhabitants to 110,000 inhabitants,” Jean Bentley of Salt Lake City, Utah, told the outlet.
But the figures never materialized.
‘Today is the day! While we hope the weather will allow for full visibility, the full phase of the eclipse will begin in Dallas at 12:23 pm and totality will begin at 1:40 pm,’ the Dallas airport tweeted.
The Texas Total Eclipse Festival in Burnet canceled its celebration plans for Monday due to the severe weather forecast.
At least 30,000 people came to the small town for the festival, he reported. KXAN.
“We regret to inform you of the severe weather forecast, including risks of high winds, tornado activity, large hail and thunderstorms later today, including during the eclipse, Tuesday and Wednesday,” the organization said on Facebook.
‘Your safety is our top priority. With the support and coordination of Burnet County officials, local law enforcement agencies, and the National Weather Service, we have agreed to end the festival today in a calm and orderly manner.