Appleton eclipse forecast: Will cloudy skies clear up in time to see the eclipse?

Unlike southeastern portions of the state, northeastern and northern Wisconsin don't have the best chances at clear skies to view Monday's partial eclipse.

Appleton is one of those areas where "quite a bit of cloud cover" is expected in the morning, though skies are expected to partially clear by the late morning or early afternoon, explained Scott Berschback from the National Weather Service in Green Bay.

The eclipse peaks around 2:08 p.m. in Appleton. Whether the clouds clear up by that time is still the big question, though forecasts might provide more certainty by late Monday morning.

More: What is the solar eclipse weather forecast for Appleton? Here's how it looks today.

"Just how much they clear, there's some uncertainty there, unfortunately," Berschback said. "A couple models have it cleared out all the way up through Green Bay. Some of the models keep the cloud cover pretty thick all the way through the early afternoon and all the way down to Oshkosh."

If the clouds are lower in the sky, they might entirely obstruct your view of the eclipse. Because Wisconsin is not within the path of totality, the effects are already similar to an overcast day.

"The sky will still dim, but you won't see the sun. You'll see kind of a halo of the sun behind the clouds. It'll still be visible, it just kind of takes away some of the effect," Berschback said. "The eclipse will still happen ... whether you see the full effect of it, that's the question."

But if the clouds are cirrus clouds — which are very high clouds around 20,000 to 30,000 feet in the air — they may be thin enough to catch a look.

John Gagan, from the National Weather Service in Milwaukee, said it's important to still protect your eyes, even if you're looking at the eclipse through gaps in clouds. Even if special eclipse glasses are sold out or unavailable, there are do-it-yourself projects to indirectly see the eclipse using supplies like cardboard or cardstock.

"Don't stare at the sun," he said. "The sun is still the sun, and it's still just as strong, and it's still just as damaging. Please, please, please wear that protection."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Appleton eclipse forecast looks cloudy, but could clear up in time