The Bare Dark Sky Observatory is located in a temperate rainforest. On average, the area receives 52 inches of rain per year, whereas most places in the United States get 38 inches of rain per year. That temperate rainforest location, coupled with the fog that rises from the North Toe River during the summer months, creates challenges for forecasting the weather.

The staff prefers to make any call to move the event into the Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium thirty-six hours in advance of an event. That, however, is not always possible. Even when meteorologists forecast clear skies, conditions can rapidly deteriorate just prior to an event. Or, the forecast may promise a poor viewing night that turns out to be a great night for sky watching.

There are several tools that the staff members use in trying to get the best forecast prior to an event. The Weather Chanel and Accuweather are popular sites, but they often will have different forecasts. The NOAA weather discussion page is helpful as well. There are also several astronomy specific sites, such as Astrospheric, Scope Nights Astronomy, Good to Stargaze, and Clear Dark Sky. The Bare Dark Sky Observatory has its very own Clear Dark Sky site, linked to the Mayland Earth to Sky Park. You can use each of these sites as well.

Mayland Earth to Sky Park - Clear Dark Sky page

The ESP team uses all of these tools in an attempt to make the best educated guess regarding the weather for our ticketed, viewing nights. We will send out a notice as soon as the decision is made via email. But even then, the weather can change, leading to a last-minute modification of location.  Thank you for understanding. Our weather here on earth, unlike the stars, can be highly unpredictable.