Why Is This Johnson City New York Store Closing For 30 Minutes On

April 8, 2024, sure is shaping up to be an important day. Of course, the main event is the solar eclipse, and in our neck of the Southern Tier of New York State, we will observe 97 percent of the eclipse. If that were a test score, I'd be quite happy!

This rare eclipse will begin in our area around 2:10 p.m. with the maximum particle eclipse occurring around 3:23 p.m. and then be completely gone by around 4:38 p.m.

Read More: Binghamton Area 2024 Eclipse Path

In one of my articles about the upcoming solar eclipse, I mentioned that many New York State schools in the total eclipse path will either be letting the kids out early or cancel classes for the entire day.

Then, several schools in the Southern Tier also decided to have early dismissals on April 8th. Check out which schools are dismissing early HERE.

And even a major grocery store is getting in on the act on April 8th. According to one of our Buffalo Townsquare Media radio stations, Wegmans has announced that they will close several stores in New York State from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. so that their employees can enjoy a glimpse of the solar eclipse.

In the article, it's noted that stated that they don't want their employees to miss out on this amazing and rare experience. 46 Wegmans stores in New York State and 2 in Pennsylvania (in the Erie, PA area) will close for 30 minutes.

In New York State, Southern Tier Wegmans stores include Johnson City, Elmira, Corning, and Hornell. Other cities with multiple Wegmans stores observing the solar eclipse include Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and several in the Finger Lakes area, including Ithaca.

With all this excitement, let's hope for clear skies on April 8th.