Cloudy skies in Chicago area could impede view of the solar eclipse

Cloudy skies making their way to the Chicago area may impede the view of Monday’s solar eclipse, according to the National Weather Service.

A storm is expected to move from the southern Rockies to the Midwest Sunday and may leave some lingering clouds Monday.

“There will be some cloud cover in the morning, and it may stick around to the afternoon but for the most part, we are expecting skies to clear up enough for the eclipse to be visible,” said Rafal Ogorek, a meteorologist with the weather service.

A partial eclipse will start around 12:50 p.m. in the Chicago area, as the sun and moon line up. It should be at its peak starting at 2:07 p.m. — at its height, the moon will block about 94% of the sun in Chicago — and last for about four minutes, according to Michelle Nichols, director of public observing for the Adler Planetarium.

Temperatures Monday should be pleasant, in the mid-to-upper 60s most of the day.

People trekking to southern Illinois hoping to see the eclipse in totality should expect mostly clear skies in the afternoon.

“The best places to be for observing the eclipse will be from southern Illinois and Kentucky, eastward to the East Coast and up into New York state and New England. ,” said Joe Lundberg, a senior long-range meteorologist for AccuWeather. “These areas will either be in, or close to, the path of totality, where the least amount of cloud cover is anticipated.”

Those headed downstate should not encounter any weather issues on the way, but could if they plan to spend the night. Showers and storms starting overnight in Carbondale could affect the Tuesday morning commute.

“If anyone is staying overnight there, it might be a rainy commute on the way back,” Ogorek said.

Though it will be warm Monday, temperatures will be much cooler over the weekend.

Saturday will be mostly sunny and dry but temperatures will hover between the high 40s to low 50s. However Sunday, rain will be moving into the area and will continue for most of the day. There are also possibilities of an isolated storm or two, Ogorek said.