Eclipse 2024: Northern Vermont rated one of best places for viewing on April 8

If you find yourself in northern Vermont Monday for the eclipse, you're in luck. With under 12 hours to go, forecasters continue to paint the Green Mountain State, and the East Coast as a whole, as among the best places to view the moon temporarily swallow the sun.

Northern Vermont exists within the path of totality, the area where the eclipse can be seen in its full glory. The region's position, along with anticipated "favorable" weather, has made northern Vermont cities and towns like Burlington and St. Albans attractive viewing destinations for thousands of eclipsophiles.

The National Weather Service in South Burlington expects "some high cloudiness" tomorrow afternoon in northern Vermont during the eclipse but says the coverage will largely be "thin and translucent" and therefore unlikely to obstruct the view. Temperatures will also be ideal, resting in the 50s to around 60 degeees with gentle winds of10 mph or less.

Avoids roads, bodies of water and trails on eclipse day

Due to an estimated influx of up to 160,000 eclipse tourists, Vermont Agency of Transportation recommends locals refrain from driving on April 8 lest they get stuck in heavy traffic.

NWS Burlington also advises Vermonters and visitors alike to stay out of the water and off trials on the day of the eclipse.

"Water temperatures are dangerously cold," NWS Burlington said. "Please do not venture on local waterways. You can safely view the eclipse from the shoreline."

Mountain hiking trails are also "extremely hazardous" this time of the year, with the ground coated in mud, snow and ice.

"If a road looks muddy, staff off," NWS Burlington warned.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont eclipse weather holding steady