LONG ISLAND, NY — The National Weather Service's forecast is promising for Long Islanders hoping to enjoy Monday's rare solar eclipse.
According to the National Weather Service, Monday's forecast in Long Island is for sunny skies during the day, with highs ranging from 58 to 60 degrees.
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will span western and northern New York state with the roughly 100-mile-wide path of totality entering the southwestern part of the state shortly after 3:15 p.m. and departing from upstate New York just before 3:30 p.m., officials said.
On Long Island, while a 100 percent eclipse is not expected, residents can expect to see about 90 percent of the sun blocked.
The US path of totality stretches from Texas to Maine, with the moon covering the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds. Everyone in the continental US will see some of the phenomenon.
Totality will last twice as long as 2017's coast-to-coast solar eclipse, and the number of people in the path of totality — about 32 million people — is far greater. It will be 20 years before North America sees a total solar eclipse, making this a must-see event.
On Long Island, the moon will cover about 89.6 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a searchable NASA map.
Here are the eclipse times:
Partial eclipse begins: 2:11 p.m
Total Start: 2:52 p.m
High: 3:26 p.m
End Total: 3:59 p.m
Partial end: 4:36 p.m
Most forecast models for the day of the eclipse suggest that the best eclipse weather will be in the northeast. The National Weather Service updates its forecasts for cloud cover along the path of totality daily.
Importantly, predicting something as specific as cloud cover is “difficult to sort out, if not impossible,” Chris Buonano, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Little Rock, told CNN.
Forecasters at The Weather Channel said northern New England looks to be the best bet for clear skies during totality, and the East Coast from the Carolinas to Maine should have decent visibility. Chances of good visibility are about 50/50 in states like Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, the forecast suggests.
Pop-up showers in the Midwest could be troublesome, but overall the chances of seeing the eclipse are pretty good, while the rest of the country could experience cloud cover in the afternoon, according to the outlook.
AccuWeather said in its weekly forecast Monday that most areas in the path of totality should experience at least some cloud cover. The best viewing locations seem to be in the southwest and east, including cities like Albuquerque. Raleigh, North Carolina; Philadelphia, New York? and Washington, DC
Forecasters also suggest that high clouds could obscure views in the Great Lakes region and that clouds may develop in southern California and southeastern Arizona.
The worst viewing conditions appear to be from Missouri and Kansas southward into central and eastern Texas. Poor viewing conditions are also expected from Wisconsin westward through South Dakota and Nebraska to Washington, according to AccuWeather.
If you don't have the necessary eclipse glasses to safely view the spectacle, or if the weather isn't cooperating, you can watch a NASA live stream from several cities along the path of totality.
A total eclipse occurs when the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun at noon, eliminating sunlight. The total eclipse will last longer than usual because the moon will be just 223,000 miles from Earth, one of the closest approaches of the year.
The moon's shadow will cut a diagonal line from southwest to northeast across North America, briefly plunging communities along the path into darkness. Totality will enter the continent at Mazatlan, Mexico and exit at Newfoundland in Canada. In between, 15 US states from Texas to Maine will experience totality, including patches from Tennessee and Michigan. It will be a repeat for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois, which were also in first place for the 2017 total solar eclipse.
The closer the moon is to Earth, the larger it is in the sky from our perspective, resulting in a particularly long and intense period of darkness blocked by the sun. Total will last longer over Mexico at 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Elsewhere along the route, such as in Syracuse, New York, the total will last just 1 ½ minutes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
