INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are now less than one month away from the spectacular total solar eclipse in central Indiana on April 8.

A huge factor in the viewing of the eclipse will be the weather conditions that day. How have previous years faired with weather on April 8 in Indianapolis?

Cloud cover and precipitation

In the past 10 years, it hasn’t been the best with clouds on April 8 in our area. Half of the days reported average sky cover for the entire day of mostly cloudy to cloudy skies.

Unfortunately, only one year had sky cover under 50%, and that was just last year.

Remember, the clearer the skies, the more prominent darkness will appear during totality. With clearer skies, you may even get to catch a glimpse of some planets and stars.

Although average sky cover was partly cloudy on the entire day in 2017 and 2020, clear skies worked in around 3 p.m. If Indiana is dealing with the clouds this coming April 8, hopefully, we can see something similar to these years.

In the last decade, some sort of measurable precipitation fell at the airport in Indianapolis in seven instances. Not the best stat if you are rooting for quiet weather for the eclipse.

Temperatures

Our average high on April 8 is 61 degrees. For the last 10 years, high temperatures have really been all over the place. Three times we’ve had temperatures in the 40s, but on the other side of the coin, three times we had temperatures above average in the 70s.

This wide range in temperatures is indicative of spring and any weather we can get during April.

Be sure to follow our forecast very closely as get towards the end of the month. You can find our latest forecast by clicking here.

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• April’s total eclipse will reveal a multitude of planets and stars in the sky
• Why Earth’s total solar eclipse is unique