Will it be clear or cloudy for Monday's solar eclipse? Here's the latest forecast

Gary T. Mills, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
Updated ·4 min read
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This story has been updated with the National Weather Service's forecast outlook for Monday as of noon Friday.

On Monday, much of the United States will see a total solar eclipse, the first since 2017 and just the second since 1970.

Depending on where you are, though, will determine how much of the sun will be covered by the moon. Those along the path of totality — which stretches from northern Mexico into Texas, the Midwest and East Coast and, finally, southeast Canada before moving out to sea, according to NASA — will see a total solar eclipse, in which the moon appears the same size as the sun and blocks the entire disk, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes.

For those of us farther from that path, though, the sun will be less covered by the moon, meaning we'll see a partial eclipse.

In Jacksonville and across Northeast Florida, about 62% of the sun will be obscured.

That's still a reason to get out and experience the rare phenomenon, which in the U.S. won't happen again for another 20 years, on Aug. 23, 2044. Even then, its path of totality will stretch across Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota — hundreds of miles northwest from Monday’s eclipse path.

So, yes, for many of us, April 8 will be the best chance to see a solar eclipse, even if it’s just a partial eclipse in Northeast Florida. (Do you still need to wear special glasses? Yes.)

But what’s the chance that our skies will be clear, allowing us to see the moon pass in front of the sun, darkening the skies and landscape around us?

Eclipse 2024: Where's the best place to watch in Jacksonville?

The view from Northeast Florida: What Jacksonville area can expect from eclipse: UNF prof explains

What time will the 2024 solar eclipse be visible?

In Jacksonville, the eclipse will begin at 1:47 p.m. and continue to 4:19 p.m. At its peak at 3:05 p.m., about 64% of the sun will be obscured by the moon. (Search eclipse times by ZIP code.)  

What will the weather be like in Jacksonville for the eclipse?

Historically, the clearest time of day on April 8 is 12:30 p.m., when the chance of clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy conditions is 66%, according to data from weatherspark.com.

As of noon Friday, the National Weather Service is forecasting some clouds across Northeast Florida.

Expect "interludes of mainly thin cirrus clouds on Monday afternoon during the eclipse," said NWS senior meteorologist Ben Nelson. "These high altitude clouds are based at flight level, or between 25,000 and 35,000 feet."

The clouds are expected to cover about 25%-30% of the skies, he said, but cautioned that the forecast is subject to change as Monday nears.

"Oftentimes, these higher altitude cirrus clouds are the thin, wispy type of clouds that would generally not become opaque enough to obscure the partial eclipse during the early and mid-afternoon hours," he said in an email to the Times-Union. "However, it's still a little too early to rule out an episode of the thicker, more opaque high altitude clouds known as cirrostratus during the time of the eclipse, but that probability remains low at this time."

Temperatures are expected to climb to the upper 70s or lower 80s with low humidity and a southeasterly breeze at 10-15 mph. The chance for rain was estimated at zero percent, he said.

Along the path of totality, though, clear skies are most likely only in northern New England and from southern Missouri into central Indiana, the NWS said. Clouds are expected to cover the path in Texas, Arkansas and parts of Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania and western New York.

Eclipse lovers: Why you should watch the cloud forecast for the April 8, 2024 eclipse

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Map: Predicted cloud cover during solar eclipse

Select a location on the map below to see eclipse times, peak sun coverage and likely levels of cloudiness during the eclipse, based on previous weather. Lighter dots indicate a greater chance of clear skies. (Don't see a map? Click here.)

Solar eclipse viewing times: What time is the April 8 solar eclipse in Jacksonville? Find out with your ZIP code

What you should know: A total eclipse is coming April 8. Here's how to view it from Jacksonville.

See the latest weather radar from Jacksonville

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Solar eclipse weather forecast: Cloudy or clear skies?