What does the forecast look like for Monday's total solar eclipse? Here's what we know.
SOMERSET ― The weather forecast is optimistic for a decent view of the total solar eclipse on Monday, especially if a low-pressure system isn’t in a hurry to pass through Somerset County later on in the day.
Somerset County's view: Where and how to safely watch the April 8 total solar eclipse in Somerset County
John Banghoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College, said on Wednesday that the forecast for Monday is 59 degrees with mostly sunny skies in the morning, but some high clouds could arrive late in the afternoon as a low-pressure system approaches the area on Monday.
“We’re not expecting completely overcast skies,” he said, noting that they expect about 50% cloud cover on Monday, which is better than usual for this time of the year. There is also a 20% chance of showers on Monday afternoon.
“At this point, we could end up with a decent view of the eclipse,” Banghoff said. “(The skies) will be better in the morning but there will be increasing clouds Monday night into Tuesday.
“If the (low-pressure) system slows down, it will be better (clearer skies). If the system speeds up, there may be more cloud cover.”
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The National Weather Service will continue to update its forecast for Monday throughout the weekend at weather.gov.
Eclipse glasses in short supply
Meanwhile, local supplies of eclipse glasses are nearly gone.
The Walmart Vision Center in Somerset had received 800 pairs of glasses to sell for the event, but they were down to less than 50 pairs as of Tuesday afternoon, said Erin Pannunzio, center manager.
“People are buying them left and right,” she said.
The Johnstown Walmart Vision Center was sold out of eclipse glasses as of Tuesday, as well.
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The Somerset County Library’s allotment of eclipse glasses has all been reserved, according to a post on its Facebook page. There may be a few available on Monday if some of the reserved glasses are not picked up, the post read.
The Mary S. Biesecker Public Library plans to release its supply of eclipse glasses starting at 4 p.m. Friday, until the supply is gone.
If you aren’t able to find a pair of eclipse glasses, there are other alternatives. The Somerset County Library also has pinhole viewers that can be used to project the image of the eclipse in front of you as you stand with your back to the sun.
NASA has also designed a pinhole viewer for the eclipse that can be printed and cut out to use; the graphic and instructions can be found at https://science.nasa.gov/learn/heat/resource/2024-total-solar-eclipse-usa-map-nasa-pinhole-projector/.
Even a pasta colander can be used as a pinhole viewer; visit https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety for more tips on how to safely watch the solar eclipse.
Another safe and easy way to watch the eclipse is by watching a livestream of the event online.
NASA has a livestream planned at go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2024. To register, click on the News and Events tab and scroll down to select Virtual Events. Space.com and timeanddate.com are also scheduled to host livestreams of the total solar eclipse.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: National Weather Service is optimistic for decent view of total solar eclipse on April 8
