Will the total eclipse be a total bust? Latest forecast for the area shaping up

The total eclipse on Monday might be a total bust if weather forecasts as of Saturday morning are correct.

The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill’s models suggest a fair amount of cloud cover Monday, with the possibility of morning clouds and thunderstorms across the area.

“We have a pessimistic outlook with respect for Monday’s eclipse,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Gitro.

But even with a fair amount of upper level cloud cover, the sun has an opportunity to shine through, he said.

“Hopefully it’s not too thick to block out the sun,” he said.

A few minutes after 1 p.m. in the Kansas City area on Monday, the moon will totally cover the face of the sun for up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

Inside the path of totality — the 70-mile-wide shadow that the moon will cast on the Earth — you will see a total eclipse. Outside the path, you will see a partial eclipse, which is also significant, although true eclipse aficionados argue that a partial eclipse is not at all equivalent to the total experience.

For those in the area who have the opportunity to travel, the best outlooks are for the northwest region of the U.S., specifically in Oregon and Idaho.

Nebraska is looking fairly cloudy for the time being, as is northeast toward Iowa and western Illinois, Gitro said.

Travelers heading toward the Missouri Bootheel may have more success to see the eclipse without cloud cover, he said.

Gitro said forecasts are going to be better closer to Monday.

“By Sunday we should have a really good idea of what to expect,” he said.

For those stuck inside or in areas of cloud cover, NASA will be live-streaming the eclipse. Viewers can log in at www.nasa.gov/eclipselive.

This story was originally published August 19, 2017 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Will the total eclipse be a total bust? Latest forecast for the area shaping up."