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It’s looking like it’s game on for eclipse chasers coming to Mountain Home and Baxter County this weekend!
While southern Arkansas is looking at cloud coverage and potential stormy weather next Monday, the National Weather Service’s latest report shows that the Twin Lakes area has a high percentage chance of being able to view the 2024 eclipse.
Mountain Home currently has a low 35% chance of having some cloud coverage during the eclipse. As always, the weather forecast is still subject to change as Arkansas counts down its final six days to the eclipse.
“Models are showing large storm systems over the upper Midwest/northern Plains and southwest United States on the day of the eclipse,” said the NWS in a statement. “Ahead of the systems, a south to southwest flow will provide moisture/clouds and the possibility of showers from southern Arkansas to the Gulf Coast. As of now, there is a medium to high chance of viewing the eclipse along the path of totality in northern, western and central sections of the state.”
While the NWS has its eye on the sky, the Arkansas Department of Transportation has its eyes on the roads for April 8. According to their latest report, ARDOT has released a traffic forecast map ahead of the big day.
The map shows extreme traffic is expected on Interstate 40 from Alma to the Franklin Count line, on AR Highway 247 over the Arkansas River between Dardanelle and Russellvile, Interstate 55 from West Memphis to the Tennessee state line in Crittenden County, on AR Highway 70 from Garland County line to Benton, and from AR Highway 65 from Conway to Greenbriar in Faulkner County.
A high resolution version of the map can be seen here.
Next month’s eclipse will mark the United States’s third solar eclipse in the 21st century, with no other eclipse occurring in the U.S. again until 2044. Mountain Home and Baxter County will be under total darkness next April for over three minutes due to being in the path of full totality.
Mountain Home will be under total darkness for 3 minutes and 10 seconds. Norfork will see the most time under darkness with an impressive 3 minutes and 40 seconds.
The eclipse path will be between 116 to 118 miles wide. The entire event will last around 15 minutes as the eclipse travels across the state. Local residents and eclipse chasers can expect temperatures to quickly drop during the eclipse.
State officials expect over 2 million eclipse viewers to descend on Arkansas, as the state has some of the least amount of light pollution along the eclipse path, allowing tourists and residents to experience total darkness in rural areas of the state.
Baxter County officials are expecting the county’s population to surge anywhere between 150,000 to 250,000 people in the weekend leading up to the eclipse. Several eclipse tracking websites, including GreatAmericanEclipse.com, estimate some 84,000 to 337,0000 visitors will drive to the path of the eclipse on April 8.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation estimates some 1.5 million additional road users, including 500,000 Arkansans in other parts of the state, to drive to the location of the eclipse on the big day.
For visitors to the area, Mountain Home offers one of the best spots in the state to view April’s event. Not only does the city offer over three minutes of viewing time, but it also offers quality amenities in the forms of hotels, resorts, restaurants and pubs, fun activities and shopping.
Some stand-out amenities include Rapp’s Barren Brewery, the city’s downtown entertainment district, various parks, Mountain Mystery Escapes, Crush Wine Bar and more.
Mountain Home is also located next to Norfork Lake’s sandy beaches, offering visitors a chance to experience “the beach” while viewing the eclipse. If you are taking to either of the lakes or the rivers this weekend, please remember to be safe. Also be extra cautious if out on the water during the eclipse.
In the weekend leading up to the event, ASUMH will open its doors to music lovers by hosting a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert on April 6. And that’s not all, over the same weekend, Mountain Home’s Baker District will be hosting a block party for the Final Four college basketball tournament that is set to run from April 6-8.
Several other cities around the area are also planning their own events. Be sure to check out many of the local farms in the area, as they are also offering their own events over the weekend and quality spots to watch the eclipse from.
On the big day, the Baxter County Airport will be hosting a Fly-In event for pilots who are looking for a place to watch the eclipse. ASUMH will also be opening its campus to local residents and visitors during the eclipse, offering those in town some much-needed space to stretch out.
For those local residents who need a pair of eclipse glasses for the big day in April, the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce has you covered. The Chamber is currently selling glasses for $1.50 for the public and $1 flat for Chamber members. They are also selling commemorative t-shirts for the big event.
The Chamber’s glasses were branded and packaged with help from Dr. Rob Connor. All t-shirts were produced locally. Glasses are also available at Walmart in the event that the Chamber sells out.
Residents and guests should check their glasses for scratches and damage before viewing the eclipse on April 8. Each pair of glasses is rated for around five minutes of use when looking at the sun.
Following the eclipse, Operation Christmas Child will be holding a “No Eclipsing the Son…He Outshines” event at the EastSide Baptist Church on 9th Street on April 13 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will be a celebration of the organization’s success in last year’s Christmas operation.
