A total solar eclipse was visible in over a dozen U.S. states on Monday afternoon. But parts of three New England states — Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont — were among the best places in the country to view the big event due to the mostly clear weather forecast.
You can follow our live updates all day long from NBC10 Boston reporters and meteorologists, NBC News and our NBC affiliate stations in Maine and Vermont.
Capturing the eclipse in Maine
By Steve Shannon | NBC10 Boston
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We started setting up by Flagstaff Lake in Eustis, Maine, around 12:30 p.m. After using a phone app to check where the sun would be, we began to put the gear for. Our kit includes a close-up stills camera, a wide stills camera, a wide video camera and a close-up video camera.
The close-up video camera is the setup that required the most work to get going. It's a Canon C100 with a Tamron 150-600mm lens with a 2x adaptor. Shooting 1000mm on a mechanical tripod head that will rotate to follow the sun, with the hope of sending back live pictures and creating a time lapse at the end of the day!
Getting to the path of totality
By Michael Rosenfield | NBC10 Boston
Southbound traffic in northern New England was backed up after Monday's eclipse, just as northbound traffic had been before it.
"We wanted to be a part of it, because we probably won't be a part of the next total one that's around here," said Dawn Newton of Colchester, Connecticut.
Monday morning, it was bumper-to-bumper at times, forcing some to change their plans.
"We were using Waze to help navigate it," said Frank Hekel of Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. "We took a few detours, but at the end of the day, we just got stuck in it."
Hekel and Nicole Curran, who wanted to get to the path of totality, decided to pull over in New Hampshire.
"We got a 99% view and a head start on the traffic back," said Curran. "We're pretty happy about the experience, it was pretty amazing."
Dr. Andrew Szentgyorgyi from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics traveled to Texas. He says it's always a crapshoot when it comes to chasing an eclipse.
"We had to drive 250 miles to find a hole in the clouds. Unfortunately, Texas is cloudy and New England is clear," said Szentgyorgyi. "People in New England who drove up to Burlington were winners."
Breathtaking view from Burlington, Vermont
By Matt Fortin | NBC10 Boston
Crowds with a front-row view to the solar eclipse in Burlington, Vermont, were left in awe.
The view made for a worthy trip for people from all over.
"We got here before dawn, 5 something in the morning, and here we are," said Terry Day of Virginia.
"I needed to be in the path of totality, so I had to be here," said Michelle Jones of Philadelphia.
"These things are like once, maybe twice, in a lifetime," said Massachusetts resident Jennifer Garland. "I don't want to miss it, these things are almost mystical."
Burlington landing in the path of totality and the great weather were strokes of luck, but the city has been carefully planning the events surrounding the eclipse for a year.
It could be a tough commute heading out of Burlington, and the city is hoping that people stay a while to ease traffic. For the businesses here, they hope the taste tourists had of Burlington will be enough to bring them back.
Photos from Moscow, Maine
By Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
Several dozen people gathered by the Kennebec River in Moscow, Maine, inside the path of totality, on Monday afternoon to view the eclipse.
Here are some viewer photos from the area, courtesy of Kelton Reed.
The NBC10 Boston team is ready for the eclipse!
By Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
The NBC10 Boston team is so ready for Monday's eclipse.
Award-winning photographer Mark Garfinkel is all set up and ready to capture images of the celestial event.
And meteorologist Pete Bouchard and other members of the NBC10 Boston crew are outside the Boston Media Center in Needham ready to take it all in.
Even hours before the eclipse, the NBC10 Boston morning team was ready for action!
And somehow, meteorologist Tevin Wooten made the four-hour drive from Needham to Lyndonville, Vermont, to take in the eclipse.
Eclipse chasers from all around make their way to Maine
By Steve Shannon | NBC10 Boston
I left New Hampshire at 5 a.m. to make my way up to Flagstaff Lake in Eustis, Maine. Thankfully, this area has not had the heavy traffic we have seen in other parts of New England. The only time I had to slow down was for traffic going to Sugarloaf ski resort.
I made it to the lake around 8:30 a.m., and found people had already started to line the roads along the water. I met one eclipse chaser from Oregon who had been planning to travel to Texas before the weather forecast came out.
A filmmaker I met from Virginia was very excited to be here, originally planning to be in Plattsburgh, New York, before changing his mind at the last minute. Walking up and down the road, it was a very relaxed atmosphere, with families in camping chairs setting up hours ahead of the eclipse, which will hit our location here in Maine around 3:20 p.m.
Traffic delays getting worse in NH
By Mary Markos and Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
Major traffic delays are being reported on Interstate 93 in New Hampshire as solar eclipse tourists seek to make their way to northern New Hampshire and Vermont in time for Monday afternoon's big event.
NBC10 Boston's traffic map shows heavy delays from the Hooksett area all the way to Bow and Concord, where things start to ease up a bit. Traffic begins to back up again on I-93 as you approach the White Mountains region and Franconia Notch State Park.
New Hampshire State Police shared aerial video of the backups on social media.
The traffic backup raises the possibility that many motorists won't have reached their desired destinations when the eclipse occurs.
"We know exactly where we're going to stop on the highway — it's in the path of totality," one person said. "But I don't know with this traffic if we can make it or not. We'll try."
Maine State Police already appear to be preparing for that possibility, warning motorists on social media not to stop or get out of their vehicles to watch the eclipse.
Burlington is bustling!
By Matt Fortin | NBC10 Boston
Vermont’s largest city has rolled out the red carpet for visitors from all over who are anxious to see a rare total solar eclipse.
Burlington's lakefront has been gradually filling up throughout the day, with solar tourists setting up telescopes, tents chairs and more. Many people are lining up at merchandise tents to get a souvenir to mark the occasion.
Jennifer Garland, of Massachusetts, said she missed the last total eclipse in 2017, so she was sure to have a spot early in the day in Burlington right on Lake Champlain.
“I had cancer at the time,” Garland said, recalling 2017. “I couldn’t travel… It killed me. These things are like once, maybe twice in a lifetime, and I don’t want to miss it.”
As of noon, parking lots were quickly filling up and crowds were filling downtown Burlington's sidewalks toward the lake for viewing.
Hands on learning experience
By Mary Markos | NBC10 Boston
Kailani Fyfiele, 7, of Boston, was another total eclipse tourist we interviewed along I-93 in New Hampshire on Monday. She said she is excited to take pictures of the total eclipse to show her freinds back at school.
She was headed to Stowe, Vermont, with her family on Monday.
Dushyant Bhagay and his son, Aayush, are from Montreal, but he Dushyant said the eclipse is better in the U.S. He said they came to visit family in Massachusetts on Friday and were heading back north to watch the eclipse on Monday before making their way back to Canada.
The DiGiorgio family — father Michael, mother Jill, and sons Cameron, 13, and William, 10 — were traveling from Reading, Massachusetts to Burlington, Vermont, together on Monday. Cameron planned the whole trip after learning about the eclipse in science class.
If they get there early enough, William said he is excited to see the world's largest filing cabinet, which is located in Burlington.
A man and his best friend taking in the eclipse together
By Mary Markos | NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston caught up with John Ati and his dog Tor along I-93 in New Hampshire. They were on their way to Montpelier, Vermont, to watch the eclipse.
John said he thinks it will be cool to see his place in the cosmos. And he said he doesn't think Tor will notice!
Ati is an engineer who works in the aerospace industry and has never seen an eclipse before. In addition to Tor, he made the trip up to Vermont with a group of friends.
What time can I see the eclipse in Maine, NH and Vermont?
By Pamela Gardner | NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston meteorologist shared some of the peak viewing times for the eclipse for northern New England states in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday morning.
The peak viewing time in Burlington, Vermont, is at 3:26 p.m., while the peak viewing time in Colebrook, New Hampshire, is at 3:28 p.m. The peak viewing time in Presque Isle, Maine, meanwhile, is 3:33 p.m.
Maine, NH, Vermont have the most Google 'eclipse' searches
By Joe Murphy | NBC News
A higher proportion of people are searching Google for "eclipse" in states along the path of today's solar eclipse – with the highest proportion in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Traffic backing up ahead of I-93/I-89 split in NH
By Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
Significant backups are being reported on Interstate 93 north in New Hampshire, just south of the I-93/I-89 split heading to Vermont or northern New Hampshire.
Aerial images from NBC10 Boston's SkyRanger helicopter showed northbound cars blanketing the highway, while southbound traffic continues to flow freely.
New Hampshire officials had warned in the days leading up to the eclipse that motorists should leave early to make sure they aren't stuck in traffic when the eclipse occurs.
Rooftop views of the eclipse
By Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
Boston isn't in the "path of totality" for Monday's eclipse, but it's still going to be a spectacular event. And there are some spectacular options to watch the eclipse as well.
The Revere Hotel hosted a solar eclipse party on its rooftop from 12-5 p.m. Guests will get special glasses, there will be eclipse decorations and there will be eclipse-themed food and drink, like the Eclipse Elixir and Moon Pies. Over 100 people are expected to attend.
View Boston — the former "Top of the Hub" — also hosted a viewing party for the eclipse, with glasses and discounted tickets. Aerial video from NBC10 Boston's SkyRanger helicopter showed a good crowd of people gathered on the roof deck.
Hundreds of people also put blankets out on Boston Common to get a view of the eclipse on Monday afternoon.
Drivers aren't bothered by eclipse traffic
By Mary Markos | NBC10 Boston
People have never been so happy to sit in traffic.
The path of the total solar eclipse cuts across more than a dozen states, and northern New England has the best weather for a clear view. Officials across the region have been urging people to get there early and stay late, pack snacks, fill up their gas tanks and be patient.
We’re just a few miles south of the Interstate 93/Interstate 89 split – so drivers here are heading to both northern New Hampshire and Vermont. And it’s already backed up as of 10:30 a.m. AAA Northeast says they expect traffic to be like a holiday weekend!
State officials are estimating up to 20,000 people will head to the northernmost part of New Hampshire, up to 40,000 people will visit Maine and around 160,000 are going to Vermont. But that’s not stopping people driving hours for a once in a lifetime experience.
“We want to see the entire eclipse, get the full experience, so we don’t care about the travel," Danielle Printz said. "We got the day of from work today, so yeah, it’s worth it."
"I definitely think there’s going to be some traffic, but my son really enjoys this type of stuff and it's just going to be an experience that we don’t get to see too often," said Dave Dixon.
Good morning from Vermont!
By Matt Fortin | NBC10 Boston
Good morning, from Burlington, Vermont!
Activity is beginning on the shores of Lake Champlain in anticipation of Monday's total solar eclipse.
Hours before the eclipse, solar tourists look comfortable with blankets, coolers and snacks. Traffic so far isn’t too bad getting into town.
Traffic already backing up in NH
By Alysha Palumbo | NBC10 Boston
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, traffic on Interstate 93 north was already backed up ahead of the split to Interstate 89 to Vermont as last-minute travelers made their way to northern areas of New Hampshire and Vermont to see the eclipse.
When and where to see Monday's eclipse
By Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
Here's a quick look at the "path of totality" for Monday's eclipse, which will include parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
And if you're planning on heading north on Monday, here's a look at the best spots in northern New England to see the eclipse.
We also heard last week from the governors of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont on their advise for viewing the big event.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott compared the eclipse excitement to "peak foliage weekend on steroids," while New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu advised people to expect traffic similar to what you'd see for a New England Patriots game.
Eclipse traffic expected to be heavy
By Alysha Palumbo | NBC10 Boston
While many tourists headed north over the weekend, even more are expected to make the drive from parts of southern New England to the north during the day on Monday.
NBC10 Boston's Alysha Palumbo, in Hooksett, New Hampshire, said the traffic heading north wasn't too bad on Monday morning but was still a bit heavier than usual.
Authorities have urged people to fill their gas tanks, and bring plenty of snacks and water in case of major traffic delays. They have also said that people should leave early, stay on major roadways and not stop on the highway to view the eclipse.
Your last-minute eclipse forecast
By Tevin Wooten and Sydney Welch | NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston meteorologist Sydney Welch says that the weather will be in the low 60s with mostly clear skies for Monday's eclipse. That means that while there may be some hazy skies, it shouldn't get in the way of eclipse viewing.
Meteorologist Tevin Wooten added that the forecast is still in our favor despite the inbound clouds.
The peak eclipse is about 3:29 p.m. in Boston. The partial eclipse starts at 2:16 p.m. and ends at 4:39 p.m. And don't forget to wear your eclipse glasses!
7 a.m.: Tourists arrive early
By Marc Fortier | NBC10 Boston
Many eclipse tourists traveled to Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont over the weekend, making sure they arrived early and didn't have to fight last minute traffic.
In Vermont, downtown Burlington had a Mardi Gras vibe on Sunday, as people packed the pedestrian mall.
And as early as Saturday in Maine, things were already getting pretty wild in Houlton, Maine, including this group of costumed aliens that was seen making their way through the streets.
And numerous people shared photos of cars decorated with eclipse messaging.
