Skies are expected to be partly cloudy during Monday’s solar eclipse, making for decent viewing conditions across the state, officials said Friday.
Jeff Hood, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, said those seeking the best views should head for Jonesboro.
With 94.7 percent of the sun obscured by the moon there, the city already has the advantage of its geographic position. But Hood predicts it will also have some of the clearest skies with about 30 to 40 percent cloud coverage.
By comparison, eclipse watchers in Little Rock can expect to see 88.6 percent of the sun blocked by the moon through 40 to 50 percent cloud coverage.
Hood said that the views should be decent everywhere if there are breaks in the clouds, which is expected to be the case as long as the forecast doesn't change dramatically between now and Monday.
For students in at least two Arkansas school districts, it won’t matter.
In a statement Thursday, the West Memphis School District announced its students would be watching the eclipse “safely in their buildings” on a NASA livestream rather than going outside to see it in person.
The North Little Rock School District said Friday it will be adopting a similar policy.
According to Julie Drake, a spokeswoman for the school district, the decision came after the eclipse-viewing glasses some teachers had ordered were recalled.
Staring at an eclipse without special glasses can damage a person's eyes.
Regardless of their effectiveness, Drake added that the glasses present a supervision problem. They obstruct everything but sunlight, making it impossible for teachers to monitor their students while watching the eclipse.
“We thought the students needed adult supervision,” Drake said. “But we also didn’t want to endanger the eyesight of our teachers.”
In Little Rock, students with signed permission slips will be allowed to watch the eclipse for 20 minutes, according to spokeswoman Pamela Smith.
“We had a number of parents who communicated they wanted their kids to experience the eclipse, because it is a once in a lifetime experience,” she said.
Students without a permission slip will have the opportunity to complete a writing exercise as they watch the livestream indoors.