Can a total solar eclipse affect the weather?

(WSYR/NEXSTAR) – We all know the total solar eclipse is going to be a sight to see, but will it have any impacts on the weather during those short 4 minutes or less?

The answer is yes. The temperature could drop up to 3 to 6 degrees, and without the sunlight it will feel even cooler.

During a partial eclipse on May 10, 1994, for example, the National Weather Service saw the temperature at the Capital Airport in Springfield drop 4 degrees between 11 a.m. and noon, despite the nearly cloudless sky.

Due to the cooling air and lack of sunlight, the clouds’ structure/shape likely will change, especially if there are sun driven cumulus clouds that afternoon.

In Syracuse, New York, WSYR meteorologist John DiPasquale says there may be a little change in the wind speed once the moon blots out the sunlight but probably nothing too noticeable for most.

Wave heights at Syracuse-area lakes, especially Lake Ontario, may also change a bit, DiPasquale added. If conditions are right and there’s a lake breeze off Lake Ontario, that may lighten up too thanks to the slight temperature drop.  

Should a cold rain fall just before the eclipse, there’s also a chance that the temperature drop could turn the precipitation into snow or an icy mix.