The time of the great eclipse of 2017 arrives on Monday, August 21st. Local officials have been planning for ten years in some cases to make sure all the bases are covered. But one thing you can’t control is the weather.
I have to admit, for a while there I was getting concerned about clouds moving in and ruining the view of the eclipse. But the latest trends now is for more sunny skies and hot temperatures. That is excellent news so let’s hope and pray the forecast holds. 
The thing is, the heat index may reach 100 degrees by eclipse time. So be sure you have plenty of liquids on hand and maybe an umbrella for shade. Just take it easy, have patience, and enjoy the show. It isn’t just the eclipse going on either.
The Kelly Little Green Men days is taking place as well. That is a whole other story in itself and is well worth attending. Don’t forget about the Summer Salute Festival in downtown Hopkinsville this weekend. The weather for the entire weekend is now expected to be sunny and rain free. There are reports that traffic in the area has increased as visitors are starting to arrive. Most grocery stores are reporting very brisk shopping that began last weekend. Hancock’s Neighborhood Market says they have been very busy but they have not run out of anything yet. The same for many of the stores in Hopkinsville.
Kroger reports sales exceeded the past Christmas Holiday.
Very heavy shopping has been reported at Food Lion, Walmart, and all other grocery stores in the area. Most of them planned for this and have restocked any bare shelves. AT&T says they think cell phones will stay up for the most part. They have brought in a portable mega tower that is said to be the equivalent of five normal cell sites. So if any outages occur, they should be short lived. As I look at everything in general, I believe the local officials have done everything possible to prepare for anything that comes up.
While the Orchard Dale historical farm just northwest of Hopkinsville, Ky offers the absolute longest moment of totality (when you count hundredths of a second), the total 
solar eclipse that will take place August 21, 2017 can actually be experienced throughout western Kentucky. Many communities and towns directly in the Path of Totality will experience the eclipse anywhere from a few seconds to 2 minute, 40 second time frame. Cities in Kentucky that will be able to view the eclipse in totality include Princeton, Cadiz, Benton, Eddyville, Dawson Springs, Paducah, Madisonville, Central City, Russellville, and Bowling Green.
Major cities in Tennessee along the eclipse path include Nashville and Clarksville, and it will be viewable in Illinois in Metropolis, Marion, Carbondale, and Cape Girardeau, among other locations. Murray, Mayfield and Wickliffe will experience about 99.99% totality. If you take a very short drive northeast (less than five minutes) from these communities, you’ll experience totality. Feel free to leave comments and be sure to hit the “Like” button at the bottom of this post.
