Eclipse Day in Vermont Has Arrived! What to Know as Totality Approaches

The path of totality for the 2014 solar eclipse over the northeastern U.S. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Bright blue skies greeted Vermonters — and thousands of visitors — on Monday morning ahead of the 2024 total solar eclipse. Interstate traffic was beginning to stack up in some places, and early birds snagged prime viewing spots along waterfronts from Burlington to Newport and places in between.

In Burlington, the sky will begin to darken around 2:15 p.m. as the moon starts to obscure the sun; it will go completely dark at 3:26 p.m. The “path of totality” — where the eclipse will completely block the sun — includes the northwestern corner of the state, giving St. Albans and Enosburg Falls the longest exposure, three minutes and 34 seconds. Burlington will see about three minutes and 15 seconds of total eclipse, with the partial eclipse ending just before 4:40 p.m.

Many school districts are closed for the day, and businesses gave employees the day off or encouraged them to work from home. That is, except for restaurants and retail shops, which are expecting a surge in customers at a time of year that is typically quiet.

From St. Johnsbury to Middlebury and Berlin to St. Albans, northern Vermont towns in the path of totality have been planning events for months or years. Some people will be skiing at local resorts thanks to a storm last week, while others will be skydiving, boating or taking in the sights from terra firma. Seven Days has dispatched reporters to viewing spots around the state to document the experience for the April 10 issue.

You can help, too — send your eclipse and crowd photos to eclipse@sevendaysvt.com. We’ll compile the best submissions online and may even print them. Please include your name and phone number (just in case) so we can get in touch if needed. And remember to use the proper gear and lens filters when photographing the eclipse.

Here’s what else you need to know for the day and some links to our prior eclipse coverage: