By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
LANCASTER – With most of Coos County entirely in the path of totality and even most of the southern part of the state getting in on about 95 percent totality, the solar eclipse on Monday is expected to draw thousands to the Granite State for the afternoon spectacle with a number of events planned across the state.
Check map above, but some southern Coos County towns will be slightly less than 100 percent like Gorham, Shelburne, Randolph, Whitefield, and most of Jefferson, and some of Berlin.
The weather appears to be cooperating with a forecast for mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s.
The last time there was an event like this was in 1959 and the next one won’t come until 2079 so it is being considered a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Here, in Coos County, the disk of the sun will be fully obscured by the moon while it will be primarily obscured in all parts of the state.
Lancaster is leaning into the opportunity to welcome people who have never been there and have Solar Eclipse themed everything this weekend and into Monday.
The state lists more than 20 events at visitnh.gov with museums, breweries, ski areas and hotels getting in on the event with scientists, exhibits, art, outdoor Reggae music and even a drum circle at America’s Stonehenge. There are special gallery exhibits at WREN in Bethlehem and Meredith Fine Arts Gallery.
Events are also planned with music in Columbia, atop Mount Washington, in Sugar Hill, Jackson, Lincoln, Franconia and a number of spots in the Mount Washington Valley.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and the Mount Washington Observatory are planning special events Monday while hotels like The Wentworth in Jackson are bringing in an astrologer, Paul Winalski and the Starlight Lodge in North Conway planning events while the Colby Hill Inn in Henniker also plans to have an earth science professor help them with a picnic they have planned for their lawn.
In Manchester, Arms Park will be the place to see the spectacle with an event planned there by See Science Center.
Ski areas including Wildcat in Pinkham Notch, Cranmore in North Conway, Loon in Lincoln, King Pine in Madison and Cannon Mountain in Franconia all plan events outdoors and in the Lakes Region, the Castle in the Clouds will be hosting an event.
If you plan to travel to see the eclipse be sure to think self-sufficiency, bring eclipse glasses, a paper map, a full tank of gas, water and food for a day or two, and be willing to leave no trace, and stay on the roads and on public property.
Expect it will be hard if not impossible to find lodging in Coos County at this point, and a premium charged if you do find something. Be mindful also that this is a very rural part of the state and that there are very few gas stations and restaurants and restrooms in the region.
Cell service may be pressed to the limit and roads after the event could be clogged with southbound traffic.
If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.
For more on events and resources, go to visitnh.gov
The National Weather Service will have up to date information including the path of totality and the number of minutes on a specific location. Information is at https://www.weather.gov/gyx/eclipse.