The coming March 13-14 total lunar eclipse promises to be spectacular — if the weather permits.
This "blood moon" — the first to grace Earth's skies since 2022 — will be visible to people in the lower 48 states and greater Americas unless clouds get in the way. Now just days away, meteorologists have a good grasp of what regions will likely have good viewing opportunities during the night. Such a forecast can help you plan, or at least set expectations.
Unlike a total solar eclipse — which lasts for mere minutes and occurs over a narrow band of Earth — a lunar eclipse lasts for a long time and is visible to potentially hundreds of millions of people. During this coming eclipse, totality, wherein the entirety of the moon will turn reddish and rusty colors, will last for 65 minutes.
"It's a wider window. The whole country gets to see it, weather permitting," Bob Larson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told Mashable.
Who has good odds of clear skies? There's a lot of good news, but not for everyone.
"A good portion of the country will not experience stormy weather," Larson noted.
The total lunar eclipse weather forecast
A storm will center around the Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West over Thursday and Friday, making for a higher likelihood of poor viewing in that region, parts of the Northern Plains, and parts of the West Coast. But much of the nation is expected to have either fair or good sky viewing, particularly large swathes of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and other parts of the South and Midwest.
The AccuWeather cloud cover map below paints the looming weather picture.
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Totality — meaning when the moon is totally within Earth's shadow — will begin at 11:26 p.m. PDT on March 13, 2025 / 2:26 a.m. EDT on March 14 / 06:26 UTC, lasting for over an hour. And the reddening progresses over hours as the moon gradually moves into the Earth's shadow. (Technically, the eclipse starts with slight dimming on March 13 at 8:57 p.m. PDT / 11:57 p.m. EDT / 03:57 UTC.) So, weather permitting, you'll have ample opportunity to see the bloody colors in action.
These unique events happen when the sun, Earth, and moon align, allowing Earth to cast a shadow on the moon and block most sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. But our planet's atmosphere still allows red wavelengths of light to squeeze through and travel through space, illuminating the moon in reddish, rusty, orangish, or crimson colors.
"A good portion of the country will not experience stormy weather."
Importantly, the forecast provides a good idea of what to expect, but isn't perfect. And don't be discouraged by some cloud cover. While you won't see the moon through thick, lower-altitude clouds, the moon is still often visible through a lofty, high-altitude haze. You might still be able to peer at an eerie crimson moon.
And don't forget, you have time. You'll have 65 minutes of totality for cloud cover to evolve. It's worth waking up to check out, or at least gauge the clouds. Dress warm.
"Given the timing, it takes a commitment," Larson said.
Topics NASA
