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Best odds for clear skies during 2017 solar eclipse

By Dave Dildine

WASHINGTON — It’s a little early to know exactly where cloud cover will be a factor for viewing next month’s total solar eclipse but climate records do reveal a few hints.

Using hourly climate data from more than 800 weather stations, researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have mapped viewability percentages for the eclipse during the hours that the moon’s shadow will slide across the continent on August 21. The probabilities are based on data logged from 2001 to 2010.

The measurements reveal that viewers in the heartland and Intermountain West will have the best odds for clear blue skies. Along the total eclipse path, morning humidity in Oregon and afternoon pop-up storms in the Southeast yielded higher probabilities of cloud cover in those regions.

See the interactive map below. Skywatchers in locales with higher percentages are more likely to have a view unobstructed by clouds.

In Washington, the partial solar eclipse will occur during the mid-afternoon hours.

At 2:42 p.m. on August 21, the researchers found that there is a 35 percent chance of broken clouds and 25 percent chance of overcast conditions based on readings from Reagan National Airport.

People aren’t the only ones hit by heat. What to do if you see wildlife affected by hot temperatures

By The Associated Press
As Europe scorches under extreme heat, people aren’t the only ones impacted by the high temperatures and humidity. Birds and other wildlife are at risk without respite, too. Birds, especially, are crucial to ecosystems across the globe, providing services like pollinating flowers, controlling pests naturally, dispersing seeds and even serving as early warning systems. Experts said there are ways to respond if people see a bird in need in the heat, and how to react to other wildlife. Here's what to know. What happens to birds in high heat?
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