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Part III | Western New York Will Be in the National Spotlight by “Going Dark”

Part III – Sun, Sun, Sun – Will it Come?

Panic At The Disco must have channeled the beliefs of the ancients for the intro to their song ‘When the Day Met the Night‘: 

When the moon fell in love with the sun

All was golden in the sky

All was golden when the day met the night

In the eyes of our distant ancestors, the Sun and Moon are constantly chasing each other in the sky, only meeting for that brief moment in time, leading to the awe and wonder felt by the terrestrial inhabitants below.  Today, we have people who travel around the world to observe and experience the total eclipses which happen predictably around the world.  Local leaders will see huge dollar signs in the estimate of 7.4 million people who travelled to see the 2017 total eclipse.   But it will take planning and a little luck for these tourism dollars to flow into local coffers.

The upcoming eclipse is expected to be viewed by millions more people than the estimated 20 million people (including those 7.4 million tourists) that saw the 2017 eclipse.

The people running our regional tourism at Visit Buffalo Niagara will have the following positives to work with.  First, the total solar eclipse that will pass over Western New York on April 8, 2024 will be the last total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States for 20 years, making this an event that Americans will be amped up to see.  Second, visitors can be brought in for a long weekend as the 2024 eclipse will occur on a Monday.  Third, the upcoming eclipse is expected to be viewed by millions more people than the estimated 20 million people (including those 7.4 million tourists) that saw the 2017 eclipse.  Some of that is because the path in 2024 will cross over more populated areas of the country.  But the path of totality is missing mega-cities like Houston, Chicago and Toronto that are an easy couple of hours drive to be part of the unique experience.

On the flip side, things not in our favor are weather related for an outdoor event.  First, the average temperatures for this time of the year are only 56° for the high and 36° for a low.  Second, the historical records show a 60% chance of having a cloudy or mostly cloudy day and about a 44% chance of precipitation sometime during the day – which may include snow.  Third, it will likely be breezy (when is it not in Western New York) with the winds chilled by a still cold Lake Erie.  

We will be able to watch the eclipse as it moves towards us directly over Lake Erie.

Even with the weather, if we get the word out, we can still have a lion’s share of the tourist market because we have something that places like Dallas, TX and Evansville, IN don’t have.  We will be able to watch the eclipse as it moves towards us directly over Lake Erie.  We will have not only an unobstructed view along the lakeshore, but a unique view of the lake as it is swallowed up in darkness right in front of our eyes.  Only the view from the eastern shore of Lake Ontario will rival our good fortune.

There is one other local viewing site that is unique along the path of the 2024 eclipse.  That would be Niagara Falls.   The best view will be from the American side of the Falls as the path will sweep in from the southwest over the Horseshoe Falls (though the view from the 775 foot tall Skylon Tower equally spectacular).  As mentioned in a Forbes article detailing unique viewing experiences, their biggest question about viewing at Niagara Falls was “Will the famous multi-colored illumination of the water switch-on during totality?” 

Tomorrow, we will look at what local leaders will need to plan for to maximize the additional benefits from the tourists and how to turn the out of towners into our best ambassadors by rolling out the red carpet.

See Part I – Is this a Curse on Our Region?

See Part II – The Motion of the Celestial Spheres?

Lead image courtesy nationaleclipse.com

Order your eclipse glasses, Road Atlas, and swag

The post Part III | Western New York Will Be in the National Spotlight by “Going Dark” appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

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