Temperature Variance along the Path of Totality, Solar Eclipse 2017

The 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse cut a roughly diagonal path across the continental United States, beginning in Oregon and ending in South Carolina. Along the path of totality noticeable changes in air temperature were experienced, the extent of which depended on local factors such as existing weather conditions, elevation and time of day. Using the data from ASOS stations near the center of totality and then spreading outward by 5% increments to 75% of totality, the temperatures were gathered and compared. Locations along the center of totality where the event occurred near mid-day with clear skies experienced the greatest change, with temperatures dipping 3 to 4 degrees Celsius just after totality. These findings are in agreement with previous research. The temperature drop phenomenon decreased significantly with distance away from the center of totality, with changes in temperature along the 75% path being only 1 to 2 degrees Celsius. The goal of this research was to closely examine the temperature drop phenomenon along the entire path of totality, and to study the effects of topography, elevation, and local weather conditions on the change in temperature.