How a typhoon near Japan should keep our skies clear for eclipse viewing Monday

SEATTLE -- Weather is all about balance.

Q13 News Meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson says a typhoon over the Pacific Ocean is impacting our weather and will actually keep things clear in the Pacific Northwest.

How does a typhoon help us see the solar eclipse in Seattle?

"If you stick your heel down in the mud, the heel goes way down into the dirt, and the mud starts to squeeze up and out," Stevenson said. "That's kind of what the jet stream does as we get a trough carved out by that typhoon. It pumps up the high pressure for us on Monday, so that's going to keep our skies clear."



Any areas that might still be cloudy around eclipse time?

"We may still have some low clouds, marine air closer to the coast, but inland it looks like we're going to have spectacular viewing on Monday morning.

What about the typhoon?

As of Wednesday morning, the center of Typhoon Banyan is located about 1,060 miles north of Wake Island, or about 1,510 miles east-northeast of Tokyo, Japan. Banyan is racing towards the northeast at 32 mph, having highest sustained winds of 60 to 65 mph.

Banyan continues to cross open seas far to the east of Japan, thereby posing no threat to land. Over the next 24-48 hours, Banyan will accelerate towards the northeast, weakening significantly.

Before nearing the western Aleutian Islands, Banyan will transition to a post-tropical cyclone.

When can I see the eclipse (Monday, Aug. 21)?



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