Stay Away From Puget Sound During The Eclipse, UW Professor Advises

GIG HARBOR, WA - If you plan on watching the solar eclipse Monday morning, you might want to think about getting as far from Puget Sound as possible. University of Washington geophysicist Erika Harnett appeared on KUOW Thursday to answer questions about the eclipse. One bit of wisdom she imparted: the eclipse can cause temperatures to drop and clouds to form over Puget Sound.

And if that happens, you simply won't be able to see the eclipse.

"I've noticed during every single one of them, if it was not cloudy to begin with, it's cloudy during the eclipse," Harnett said of her past experiences watching partial eclipses the area.

However, current forecasts are looking bad for clouds at this point. National Weather Service Meteorologist Jay Albrecht said Friday that a high ridge of pressure will build on Monday morning, which should clear any cloud cover. There may be a few leftover clouds aloft between 3,000 and 4,000 feet.

Albrecht said that any temperature drop caused by the solar eclipse would likely only be a few degrees since the eclipse lasts only a few minutes.

The eclipse will begin around 9 a.m., and will peak in Puget Sound around 10:15 a.m. We won't see a total eclipse, but it will be between 90 and 95 percent. A weather front will bring clouds to the region Sunday, but current models show that high pressure system clearing the clouds between 7 and 8 a.m. Monday, Albrecht said.

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