Michigan, Ohio forecast calls for cloudy start to the day before eclipse

Metro Detroit's forecast calls for clouds that may make it hard to glimpse Monday's eclipse.

The conditions are also expected to obscure the view of the eclipse closer to its path across North America, experts said.

Monday skies over southeast Michigan, Luna Pier and Detroit will begin cloudy but clear up by the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service's office in White Lake Township.

However, meteorologists with the agency also predict a chance for some cirrus clouds to pass over the area in the afternoon, which could block the view of the eclipse. Cirrus clouds look like horse tails and form at high altitudes.

Luna Pier's high temperature on Monday should reach a high of 69 degrees, according to the weather service. Metro Detroit should also be just as warm.

Farther south and closer to the eclipse's path, the forecast for Toledo, Ohio, calls for weather similar to Metro Detroit's, according to the National Weather Service's office in Cleveland.

The eclipse's totality is expected to happen in Toledo at about 3:12 p.m. and will last a couple of minutes.

Skies over the Toldeo are expected to start the day cloudy and gradually become sunny, it said.

Elsewhere across the United States, clouds are expected in much of the eclipse's path thanks to storms moving across the central part of the country. Experts said the northeast U.S. has the best chance of clear skies, along with parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois.

On Monday, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, creating a solar eclipse. The last time Michigan saw one was in 1954. The next time one will be visible in the state is August 2044.

Only a small part of Michigan will be in the line of the eclipse path. Experts said the best places in Michigan to see it will be in parts of Erie and Bedford Townships, including Luna Pier, in southeastern Monroe County. The totality of the eclipse is expected to happen there between 3:12 and 3:13 p.m.

Still, the eclipse should be visible across the state, depending on the weather. Metro Detroit is expected to see 99% of the eclipse.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

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