Severe Weather Is Forecast Across the Tri-State Prior to Tonight’s Lunar Eclipse

Night owls across the tri-state area will have a chance to see a near-total lunar eclipse tonight as the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. Peaking just around midnight, roughly 96% of the Moon will be covered, created a reddish appearance that is usually associated with a the term "blood moon."

Poland.us - Arthur Skok August 27, 2026

Lunar eclipse head — Photo. Arthur Skok, 2024

The eclipse begins at 9:23 p.m. EDT, becomes more noticeable around 10:33 p.m., and reaches maximum eclipse at 12:12 a.m. Friday. Unlike solar eclipses, no special equipment is needed to view the event.

Viewing conditions around New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will depend on cloud cover. Forecasts call for scattered showers, thunderstorms, and periods of clouds across parts of the region.

That being said, some areas could catch breaks in the overcast skies during the eclipse.

WeatherStory1 — *The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for parts of the Tri-State region as a deep partial lunar eclipse is set to peak just after midnight Thursday night into Friday morning.*

Weather permitting, tonight’s eclipse will be one of the more striking lunar events visible from the region in the coming years, as the next eclipse with similar coverage will occur in 2029.