Viewing the Great American Eclipse in the Ozarks

Tens of thousands of people are flocking to the eastern Ozarks to view Monday’s total solar eclipse.

The city of West Plains started celebrating over the weekend with eclipse-related events, including a balloon glow Sunday night that benefited the Child Advocacy Center.

The West Plains community was expecting anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 visitors over the weekend and on Monday.

Russellville, Arkansas is planning to conduct hundreds of weddings on eclipse day.

The Buffalo National River, Mountain Home, Arkansas and Poplar Bluff are among the other areas where the total eclipse will occur.

We’re expecting somewhere around 97% coverage of the sun in the Springfield area.

The City of Springfield is hosting a solar eclipse watch party at Hammons Field downtown, with gates opening at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Ozarks Technical Community College is hosting a viewing party at the Student Plaza with a food truck and a live D-J, along with space-themed snacks.

Several state parks and historic sites are hosting events to celebrate the eclipse.

Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service on the latest cloud cover estimates, along with how much the temperature is expected to drop during the eclipse.