As the annular eclipse begins its path through the Americas on Saturday, the people on the Oregon coast have the privilege of being in the first place to catch a glimpse — but only if the weather clears.
For Oregon, being the first state is a repeat of 2017, when a total eclipse made landfall along its central coast. Although the weather cooperated that August, forecasters are projecting widespread cloud cover for much of the coast throughout Saturday. That could put a damper on eclipse-watching events, such as one in Shore Acres State Park in Coos Bay, where park officials have hundreds of eclipse glasses and a lineup of solar telescopes to give visitors a chance to witness the “ring of fire.”
“We are crossing all our fingers and toes and hoping for the best outcome,” said Lee Ricci, the park manager. The park still plans to hold an educational event about eclipses on Saturday even if visitors are unable to set eyes on it.
Will there be any significant clearing to view the solar eclipse this morning?
Unfortunately, current satellite imagery shows mostly cloudy skies across most of Oregon, except parts of northeast OR where there are some breaks in cloud cover. Sorry folks! 😢 #orwx #wawx pic.twitter.com/v3hBgsAjf1
— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) October 14, 2023
The best chance for clear skies is to the east, on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. There, in Klamath County, some 2,000 people coming from places all over the country, like California, Michigan and Georgia, were gathering at an eclipse festival that includes a watch party, activities for children and a Smash Mouth concert.
Julie Bennett, who travels the country in an RV and writes about her experiences, has been watching the weather forecasts all week and noted that skies were clear midday on Friday when the forecasts had called for clouds.
She also said that the whole sky did not have to be clear on Saturday to make the event a success.
“I was feeling nervous earlier in the week,” Ms. Bennett said. “I am cautiously optimistic, but probably more on the optimistic side.”
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