Wichita saw a temperature drop during the peak of Monday’s eclipse. Here’s what happened
The sky grew a little darker in Wichita Monday afternoon thanks to a rare celestial event.
A total solar eclipse made its way through Mexico, Canada and the U.S., completely blocking out the sun for those in the path of totality. While Wichita wasn’t in the path of totality, it still saw a big chunk of the sun blocked by the moon, seeing 87.59% coverage.
While a shadow over the sun makes the sky a little darker in the area, it can also make it evidently cooler.
According to a tweet released by Wichita’s National Weather Service, the temperature in the Wichita area dropped from 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 61 degrees during the eclipse’s peak, which was at 1:48 p.m.
Robb Lawson with NWS said this drop was expected due to a drop in solar radiation during the event.
“[It was] definitely expected, we were definitely kind of watching it happen,” Lawson said. “It’s less solar radiation that causes the temperatures to drop.”
The 4-degree drop in temperature occurred in just 30 minutes, from 1:23 p.m. to 1:53 p.m. Monday.
The next solar eclipse will happen Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.
