TYLER, Texas — Did you notice the temperature dropping around noon on Saturday? Well, you are not the only one. Many East Texans noticed a slight chill in the air this weekend.
This was caused by the annular solar eclipse this Saturday. At Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, temperatures dropped around a degree and a half during the event.
This phenomenon also happened in Corpus Christi, which was directly in the path of the eclipse. At Corpus Christi International Airport, temperatures dropped almost three degrees during the event.
This all happens because of the lack of sunlight, which is also called solar radiation. During the eclipse, a significant portion of the sun’s rays are blocked by the moon.
This solar radiation is how the Earth warms during the day. Without a portion of the sun’s rays, temperatures will drop. This is the same thing that happens when temperatures feel cooler on a cloudy day.