Tourists who traveled thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Dallas — which was meant to provide the best views — are racing elsewhere as storm clouds gather over the Lone Star State.
Although Texas has one of the best geographical positions to observe this unique celestial event, clouds began rolling in around 9 a.m. local time as severe storms are expected Monday evening.
The National Weather Service in Forth Worth explained that morning clouds would begin to break around noon, allowing many to enjoy the spectacle in the sky.
In an updated advisory at 11 a.m., the Weather Service declared New England the new best viewing spot.
People gather to watch a total solar eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas – The Lone Star State was originally thought to have the best views of the spectacle
Clouds started rolling in around 9 a.m. local time as severe storms are expected in Texas on Monday evening
Crowds gather on the Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards in New York City
In an updated advisory at 11 a.m., the Weather Service declared New England the new best viewing spot
“Best viewing conditions are likely north of I-20,” the organization tweeted.
‘It may look BAD around 9-11am this morning, BUT we expect some low cloud to clear before the time of the eclipse. High clouds should remain thin in many places.’
Monday’s forecast has those on the path of totality – where the moon will completely block out the sun and cause temporary darkness – holding their breath, as thousands of tourists and their money have flocked to the state for the event.
The Lone Star State will be the first state to experience the celestial event around 1:27 PM ET, with Oklahoma being next around 1:45 PM CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51 PM ET and Missouri about five minutes later.
Illinois is next in line on the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse around 1:59 PM CT and Paducah, Kentucky about a minute later.
And Evansville, Indiana at 2:02 CT and then Ohio is expected to witness it around 3:13 ET.
State officials estimate that up to 556,000 people will visit the Buckeye State.
Erie, Pennsylvania is next, with the eclipse set for 3:16 PM ET, followed by Buffalo, New York around 3:18 PM ET.
The path continues north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26 PM ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27 PM ET, and Caribou, Maine at 3:32 PM ET.
The yellow lines represent the path where people can view the solar eclipse on April 8, while the green line shows the locations directly under the path of totality – or places where darkness may occur.
Some cities and towns, such as Austin and Killeen, expected their populations to double because of the eclipse, prompting Travis and several other counties to declare a state of emergency.
Some tourists who traveled to Texas to experience the darkness firsthand are now leaving the state to get a better view.
Jontue Austin and his family drove 14 hours from Minnesota to Dallas, but after seeing the weather they decided to jump ship.
They spent Sunday in North Texas, but decided to drive to Little Rock, Arkansas on Monday morning.
“We didn’t come all this way to be disappointed,” Jontue Austin told DailyMail.com on Monday as he and his wife Phala checked their weather apps on Monday morning.
“We’re going to Little Rock after we check the weather. That’s the closest we can get to a place where it’s still sunny.”
In the Lone Star State, the solar eclipse will be visible from about 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., according to NASA. During that time, some areas directly on the path of totality will be in darkness
People gather and wait to observe a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico
Ironically, they choose the Lone Star State as their viewing area because of the weather.
“When we saw the path of totality, we thought Texas was the least likely to get rained on. We also thought about going to New England, but that didn’t fit into the calendar of travel dates, so we decided to go to Texas,” the father of three girls explains.
The Austins had been on the fence about changing their travel plans for about a week as they kept an eye on weather forecasts.
“We had already booked the hotel (in Dallas), so at that point we were already stuck,” he said, adding that they met a French couple at their hotel who were also nervously hoping the clouds wouldn’t ruin their trip.
‘At least we can drive somewhere. The French couple flew across continents only to be abandoned.’
Not wanting to dampen the experience for their 16, 14, 11 girls, the Austins found themselves in the neighboring state of Texas by mid-morning.
‘In all my years here I have never seen a total solar eclipse, and by then I will be in my sixties. If not, when now. “Also, this eclipse has the longest totality, over four minutes, so that in itself is special for the kids,” he said.
And it seems other travelers have made the same decision as the Austin.
Texas towns like Fredericksburg, which expected hordes of crowds, never got them.
“I think some of it has to do with the weather, the cloud forecast and the rain forecast. They are moving to other states,” said Shana Menzies, who operates a food truck local station KXAN.
Jontue Austin and his family drove 14 hours from Minnesota to Dallas, but after seeing the weather they decided to jump ship
The Austins head to Little Rock, Arkansas on Monday morning in hopes of finding a better view of the solar eclipse
The picturesque town, located in Texas wine country, saw barely more visitors than on a normal weekend, other locals confirmed.
Bill Nye, the Science Guy, would collaborate with the The planetary society.
“They told us the population would go from 10,000 to 110,000,” said Jean Bentley of Salt Lake City, Utah.
But the numbers never materialized.
‘Today is the day! While we hope the weather will allow full visibility, the full phase of the eclipse in Dallas will begin at 12:23 PM and totality will begin at 1:40 PM,” the Dallas airport tweeted.
The Texas Total Eclipse Festival in Burnet canceled its party plans for Monday due to severe weather forecasts.
According to reports, at least 30,000 people came to the small town for the festival KXAN.
“We regret to inform you of the severe weather forecast, including the risks of high winds, tornadic activity, large hail and thunderstorms for later today, including during the solar eclipse, Tuesday and Wednesday,” the organization said on Facebook.
‘Your safety is our top priority. “With the support and coordination of Burnet County officials, local safety agencies and the National Weather Service, we have agreed to end the festival today in a calm, orderly manner.”