Solar Eclipse Weather Forecast: Will It Be Clear In Path Of Totality?

ACROSS AMERICA — With Monday’s total solar eclipse just days away some early outlooks forecast disappointment for some people in the path of totality for the highly anticipated celestial event.

The U.S. path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, with the moon shrouding the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds. Everyone in the continental U.S. will see some of the phenomenon.

Totality will last twice as long as in the coast-to-coast solar eclipse in 2017, and the number of people in the path of totality — an estimated 32 million people — is much greater. It will be 20 years before North America sees a total solar eclipse, making this a must-see event.

Most forecast models for eclipse day suggest the best eclipse weather will be in the Northeast. The National Weather Service makes daily updates to its cloud cover forecasts along the path of totality.

Importantly, forecasting something as specific as cloud cover is “difficult to sort out, if not impossible,” Chris Buonanno, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Little Rock, told CNN.

• Related: Animals May Behave Oddly During Eclipse

Forecasters at The Weather Channel said northern New England looks to be the best bet for clear skies during totality, and that the Eastern Seaboard from the Carolinas to Maine should have decent visibility. Chances for good visibility are about 50/50 in states such as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, the forecast suggests.

Pop-up showers in the Midwest could be a nuisance but chances overall to see the eclipse are fairly good, while the rest of the country could have to deal with cloud cover in the afternoon, according to the outlook.

AccuWeather said in its week–out forecast Monday that most areas in the path of totality will have to contend with at least some cloud cover. The best locations for viewing appear to be in the Southwest and East, including in cities such as Albuquerque; Raleigh, North Carolina; Philadelphia, New York City; and Washington, D.C.

Forecasters also suggest high clouds could obscure views in the Great Lakes area, and that clouds may develop in southern California and southeast Arizona.

The poorest viewing conditions appear to be from Missouri and Kansas southward into central and east Texas. Poor viewing conditions are also expected from Wisconsin westward through South Dakota and Nebraska to Washington, according to AccuWeather.

• Related: You Must Protect Your Eyes, Regardless Of Eclipse Totality: What You Need

If you don’t have the necessary solar eclipse glasses to safely view the spectacle, or if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can watch a NASA livestream from several cities along the path of totality.

A total eclipse occurs when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun at midday, blotting out the sunlight. The full eclipse will last longer than usual because the moon will be just 223,000 miles from Earth, one of the year’s closest approaches.

The moon’s shadow will slice a diagonal line from the southwest to the northeast across North America, briefly plunging communities along the track into darkness. Totality will enter the continent at Mazatlan, Mexico, and exit at Newfoundland in Canada. In between, 15 U.S. states from Texas to Maine will experience totality, including snippets of Tennessee and Michigan. It will be a repeat for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois, which were also in prime position for 2017’s total solar eclipse.

The closer the moon is to Earth, the bigger it is in the sky from our perspective, resulting in an especially long and intense period of sun-blocked darkness. Totality will last the longest over Mexico at 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Elsewhere along the track, like in Syracuse, New York, totality will last just 1 ½ minutes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.