The Near-Surface Meteorological Effects of the October 2023 and April 2024 Solar Eclipses as Observed by the Oklahoma Mesonet

The Oklahoma Mesonet is a mesoscale network of 120 quality controlled automated surface observation sites across Oklahoma. With both a high spatial (no station is greater than 33 miles from its nearest neighbor) and temporal resolution (observations are collected every 5 minutes), the Mesonet is well suited for capturing surface and near-surface mesoscale phenomena. On 14 October 2023, an annular solar eclipse crossed the United States along a path from Oregon to west Texas, and Oklahoma experienced solar obscuration ranging from 66% to 83%. On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse traversed the U.S. from west Texas to Maine, and Oklahoma experienced solar obscuration ranging from 77% to total obscuration (100%). This study examines certain surface variables’ response to these widespread but brief reductions in solar radiation, with an emphasis on how this response varies in relation to the extent and duration of solar obscuration. The 2024 eclipse case is especially valuable for its rarity; it was the first instance of “totality” in the state of Oklahoma since the solar eclipse of 1918, and will be the last until 2045.