1925: Solar eclipse causes rapid temperature drop in New Jersey

During the total solar eclipse in December 1834, the Gettysburg, PA Republican Banner reported that in some places, the eclipse caused the temperature to drop by as much as 28 degrees Fahrenheit, from 78 degrees F to 50 degrees F. During a total solar eclipse on the Norwegian island of Svalbard in March 2015, temperatures dropped from 8 degrees F to minus 7 degrees F. The change in temperature during a total eclipse will vary based on location and time of year. The temperature change created by the loss of light from the sun's disk will be similar to the difference between the temperature at midday and the temperature just after sunset, except the change will occur more suddenly, which is why this is often one of the very noticeable effects of a total solar eclipse. On January 24, 1925 a total solar eclipse over the far northern part of New Jersey, under clear skies, the temperature fell significantly during the afternoon to near 0.

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