The Chicago area forecast is looking a little bit sunnier for Monday's total solar eclipse.
"Still some clouds to start out the day," NBC 5 Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes said, of the forecast for April 8, adding that morning clouds could linger from rain Sunday.
"Some models show clouds gone by the time the sun comes up," Jeanes added, noting that clearer conditions were expected as the day goes on.
The latest cloud cover forecast map from the National Weather Service shows some cover over Illinois and Indiana Monday afternoon, though uncertainty still remains.
"The best chances for clear viewing remain in northern New England and from southern Missouri to central Indiana," the map said. "There is still uncertainty, so continue to check for forecast updates."
Some models showed clouds clearing entirely as the eclipse approaches, Jeanes said.
"It looks like some clearing right when the eclipse is about to begin," Jeanes said Friday. "Late morning, early afternoon some clearing around Illinois and Indiana which would be great news for those that are driving to Indiana or southern Illinois for the eclipse."
According to experts, the best time to look up into the sky (with proper eyewear) Monday will be between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., depending on where you live.
Can you see the eclipse through clouds?
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You may still be able to see the eclipse through clouds, experts say, as it could depend on the type of clouds that appear.
"Even 100% cloud cover, it could be thin clouds and you still may see at least a filtered view of the solar eclipse," Jeanes said. "So just because you see a lot of clouds on a computer model it doesn't mean you're not going to be able to see anything."
"If you have high thin clouds, it can block the view slightly but will still allow for much of the eclipse to be visible," Meteorologist Alicia Roman said. "If you have low, thick clouds ... it will still look darker for the duration of the eclipse, it just wont be as dramatic as if it were a sunny day and turning completely dark the next second. The skies will just dim or get a little darker."
When a solar eclipse happens, some clouds tend to disappear.
Scientists at the Royal Netherland Meteorological Institute recently found shallow cumulus clouds dissipate in large number when just 15% of the sun is covered. That’s because the earth’s surface cools when the sunlight is blocked, reducing updrafts of warm air that usually emanate. Those updrafts are necessary to form cumulus clouds since they carry water vapor as they rise into cooler altitudes.
What time is the solar eclipse?
According to NASA scientists, the eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8 in the afternoon hours across the North American continent, with the area of totality impacting areas in southern Illinois and central Indiana.
During a total solar eclipse, the new moon intersects the path of the sun in the sky, causing the sun to be partially and then nearly completely blocked from view.
In Carbondale, Illinois, the partial eclipse on April 8 will begin at approximately 12:42 p.m. During this time, special glasses will be needed to view the eclipse, though there are other ways of seeing the moon’s impact on the sun’s light reaching the Earth.
At approximately 1:59 p.m., “totality” will begin in Carbondale, and during this time, stargazers will be able to look at the eclipse without any aid whatsoever, with darkened skies and the famed “corona” blazing around the edges of the moon.
This period will not last for very long, as totality is expected to end at approximately 2:03 p.m., according to NASA scientists.
The partial eclipse will continue for another hour, ending at approximately 3:18 p.m.
Where is the "path of totality?"
The eclipse's "path of totality" will start in Southwest Texas and move northeast.
The path of totality includes the southern tip of Illinois, central and southern Indiana and Indianapolis. From there, it will race across Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York and into Maine.
The below map from the Adler Planetarium shows what the eclipse will look like in Illinois, with Carbondale, Mount Vernon, Metropolis and Mount Carmel among the southern Illinois cities in the path of totality.
