Forecasted cloudy skies won’t alter Arkansas agencies’ eclipse plans

Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis (right) describes at a press conference on Monday, March 4, 2024 how his department has been promoting Arkansas as a tourism destination for the April 8 total solar eclipse. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (center) and several other cabinet officials also told reporters during the briefing at the Arkansas Department of Transportation central office how the state is preparing for the anticipated influx of visitors for the eclipse. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)

Arkansas state agencies moved forward with preparations for next week’s total solar eclipse as officials with the National Weather Service in Little Rock on Friday said the forecast could include cloudy skies.

Science and Operations Officer Chris Buonanno said it’s “a difficult forecast to make,” but he anticipates “a gradient of cloud cover from south to north” during the eclipse, with people in the northern part of the state having a better chance for more ideal viewing conditions. 

The temperature is expected to drop four to 10 degrees and depending on the type of cloud that forms, that decrease in temperature could cause the clouds to vanish like they did during the 2017 partial eclipse, Buonanno said.

“The cumulus clouds basically disappeared with the loss of heating because they’re caused by the sun’s heating of the earth and the nature of the heating in the atmosphere,” he said. “If those type of clouds form, they will actually disappear as the loss of solar heating and then they’ll come back after the eclipse is over.”

After the eclipse, Buonanno said he and his colleagues are “definitely worried” about the possibility of heavy rain and severe weather, especially with an influx of visitors who may not be familiar with local storm shelters or where to seek information. 

“The type of system and forecast we’re dealing with that day is complex,” he said. “There’s a lot of variables so that makes it definitely [a] more difficult situation. Springtime can be quite difficult and quite dangerous.”

Arkansas officials said last month that they expect between 300,000 and 1 million people to visit the state for the total solar eclipse that will cover much of Arkansas.

While the cloudy weather could deter some visitors from travel, state agencies are continuing with plans they’ve created to deal with potential issues caused by a large number of visitors traveling to Arkansas.

“Unfortunately, we have no way of predicting how the weather forecast may impact traffic flow in Arkansas,” Arkansas State Police Communications Director Cindy Murphy said. “The forecast will not alter our staffing plans for the day of the eclipse.”

Arkansas State Police will deploy troopers across the state Monday. Travelers can also call *ASP (*277) to report non-emergency travel situations and the call will be transferred to the nearest ASP troop headquarters. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation is planning a “construction holiday” Friday through Tuesday, during which there will be no road work due to the expected increase in traffic. 

The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management will operate its Emergency Operations Center from Saturday to Wednesday. ADEM conducted a live training exercise two weeks ago to prepare for Monday’s eclipse, according to a press release.

“ADEM is continually working to explore and resolve any possible scenarios that may occur during the Great American Solar Eclipse,” ADEM Director A.J. Gary said. “We are focusing on preparedness to ensure the safety of all Arkansans and travelers who make their way into our state. We hope this will be the most uneventful activation our Emergency Operations Center has seen so the public can enjoy and celebrate this historic event.”  

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