Excitement is building areas of a total eclipse that will pass over a 100 mile+ wide line up the coast of Northeast North America on Monday afternoon, providing totality over a number of ski areas in states and provinces including Vermont, Maine and Quebec.
Although some ski areas in the region have already ended their seasons, mother nature seems to have lined things up well for those still open, with up to 35 inches (87cm) of snowfall in the past week, one of the snowiest of 23-24, but clear skies forecast for most for Monday.
The forecast is actually better in the Northeast of the continent than in normally sunny Mexico and Texas where most eclipse watchers are heading as totality is due to last about a minute longer there and it was thought clear skies were more likely.
Ski areas seeing totality will include Stowe in Vermont, Tremblant in Quebec and Sugarloaf in Maine. Other ski areas not quite getting totality in the region will get 98/99% or higher. Ski areas and everyone else across almost all of North America will see a partial eclipse, and it will also be briefly visible to a small degree from the British West Coast including Scottish ski slopes (lifts closed for the evening) at sunset.
Many ski areas in the path of totality have organised festivities around the eclipse including bands performing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Most will shut their lifts down for all of part of Monday afternoon for safety reasons and to let staff view the eclipse. All are warning not to look directly at the eclipse without suitable eye protection.
