MANSFIELD — Don’t despair Monday morning if you wake up in Richland County to cloudy skies and rain.
You still have a decent chance at being able to see the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse on Monday afternoon.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Cleveland are increasingly confident the rain and clouds north central Ohio residents will likely wake up with Monday morning will clear by the time of the eclipse.
Or at least be thin enough to allow us to see the features of the much-anticipated astronomical event.
In Richland County, the eclipse experience Monday will begin at approximately 1:57 p.m. Totality is expected to begin at 3:12 p.m. and local residents (and guests) can expect 3 minutes and 12 seconds of daytime darkness.
“Confidence is now high that NW and north central Ohio, generally everywhere west of I-71, will clear out in time to see totality, and the I-75 corridor including Toledo and Findlay could be mostly sunny before the eclipse even starts,” according to the NWS.
“Areas closer to the I-71/I-77 corridors from Cleveland through Akron will not be completely clear at the time of totality since there still looks to be some mid-level moisture. But the clouds will be thin vs opaque, which should allow most of the features to be seen,” NWS forecasters said.
The above graphic shows expected hourly timing of cloud cover Sunday night through Monday.
“Rain and cloud swill move across the area Sunday night and Monday morning, and should gradually clear from west to east on Monday. One note: when you wake up Monday morning, there could be a good amount of cloud cover. However, that does not mean it will be cloudy during eclipse time!” NWS meteorologists said.
“The timing of clouds clearing is partially what is adding to the cloud cover uncertainty. For areas along and east of I-77 (including the Cleveland-Akron corridor), the big question is, will cloud cover clear up enough in time for the solar eclipse?” the NWS said.
In terms of temperatures, it will be a pleasant day to be outside Monday with highs in the upper 60s, perhaps reaching 70.
“There will be a neat drop in temperature during totality. Temperatures will briefly fall up to 4 degrees in NW PA and NE Ohio where cloud cover holds, and up to 6 degrees farther west where skies clear as the moon blocks the solar radiation,” the NWS said.
Temperatures will quickly warm again when the eclipse ends.
