“Don’t be that host who waits until it is too late and then finds that all of the Moon Pies, Sun Chips, Starbursts and Capri Suns have been sold out, and your once-in-a-lifetime eclipse party is a failure,” Day said.
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The total solar eclipse scheduled to occur over North America is only four weeks away, and Wyoming is getting ready in a big way.
On August 21, the 70-mile-wide zone of totality will give the United States the best seat in the world to view this spectacular event.
In fact, it’s likely to be seen by more people than any other eclipse in history. But preparing for the eclipse, especially for hosting the most people Wyoming has seen in years, is also something to consider.
Government officials are encouraging locals to treat the event as one would a winter storm warning by stocking up on supplies early, before the eclipse tourists come to town. The local stores in small towns like Kemmerer and Diamondville may not be prepared to handle the massive increase of customers coming through town, so residents should prepare accordingly.
“Wyoming is expecting upwards of 500,000 people traveling to see the eclipse,” said Justin Day, Lincoln County Public Health Response Coordinator.
Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, and Idaho Falls are all in the totality path. Since Kemmerer is one of the gateways to Wyoming’s northern treasures, we are almost guaranteed to see an increase in traffic. Over a year ago, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) began examining the key areas of transportation to help facilitate the movement of people to and from the zone of totality and other transportation-related issues.
Residents are encouraged to prepare for the eclipse and the accompanying population increase by having plenty of food, medication, water and fuel on hand.
But Day urged locals to prepare for the fun part of the big event as well.
“Don’t be that host who waits until it is too late and then finds that all of the Moon Pies, Sun Chips, Starbursts and Capri Suns have been sold out, and your once-in-a-lifetime eclipse party is a failure,” Day said.
“For those residents of north Lincoln County, with Idaho Falls being in the totality zone, there will be thousands of tourists traveling to Idaho Falls to see the eclipse,” Day said. “This will mean possible heavy traffic and gridlock on Highway 26 and in Idaho Falls, so plan to either travel before or after the event.”
The same travel advisories ring true for US Highways 189, 30 and 89.
“At about 10 a.m. Monday, August 21, 2017, near the northern portions of Lincoln County a total solar eclipse will begin,” Day said. “The first hour and 30 minutes or so will just be a partial eclipse. Then, at approximately 11:30. a.m., the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, blocking out the majority of the sun’s light for anywhere from around 30 seconds to over 2 minutes (the duration depends on your location). After that the sun will be partially eclipsed until about 1 p.m.”
WYDOT, in conjunction with the Wyoming Office of Tourism, produced an interactive map that shows the path of the eclipse, community events, public camping locations and other vital information, which can be found at travelwyoming.com/eclipse.
Keep in mind, WYDOT will be using its overhead message signs to display important messages to travelers. If the department needs to redirect traffic or if there’s vital information about an event further down the road, the overhead signs will display that information.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol will be increasing patrols within the state during the eclipse to ensure the safety of motorists and residents.
WYDOT will ensure the state’s 37 rest areas are well maintained and ready for the increase in visitors. The rest areas will have extra supplies such as toilet paper and hand soap to accommodate the increase.
The local gas stations and convenience stores are likely preparing for the increase in traffic as well.
“The most important thing to remember is that people who are traveling will need to plan on extra time, be patient and, most importantly, pay attention to other traffic,” Day said.
For those traveling to Grand Teton or Yellowstone, be aware that parking will be banned on the main highway through the parks. The park service plans to route eclipse traffic off the main highway onto nearby roads. They will become reversible one-way roads on the day of the eclipse, facilitating people who arrive in the morning and leave in the
