After several dreary days, all eyes are on the solar eclipse weather forecast in Illinois

Those looking to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Illinois can rest easy: clouds aren't expected to block your view on Monday.

According to the National Weather Service, much of central and southern Illinois will be sunny and clear on Monday, with temperatures in the upper 60s to mid-70s along with the possibility for high winds in areas like Bloomington and Champaign.

This represents a bit of good fortune, with NWS meteorologist Mike Albano saying that a system bringing rain on Sunday is expected to leave the area in time for the arrival of the eclipse.

"The expectation in the current moment is for that front to move off to the east and southeast of the area and for us to see some sunshine by eclipse time," Albano said.

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Eclipse cloud forecast for central Illinois

In Peoria, high temperatures are expected to hit 67 degrees, with sunny skies expected. Albano noted that there is a possibility that things may change, with the confidence of the forecast for much of central Illinois at medium levels at this point in time.

"There's a very small chance that front gets hung up and we see a little bit more cloud cover, but the model trends have been for that front to push past Illinois off to the east and southeast," Albano said. "That's good news for those trying to view the total eclipse."

However, places like Bloomington and Champaign could see a breezier day than what's expected in Peoria, Springfield or Jacksonville. Early forecasts could see wind gusts up to 28 mph in Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal.

The good news is that all across central Illinois, temperatures should be in good shape, even breaching 70 degrees in areas such as Springfield, Jacksonville and Effingham.

"Temperatures should be above-normal," Albano said. "Normals for this time of year is around 60 degrees ? we're forecasting 67 (in Peoria). It's been a miserable last couple of days, very spring-like on the cool side even, but Monday will be above normal and should be a pretty nice day out there."

More: Looking for the best solar eclipse view in Illinois? What to know about the April 8 eclipse

Solar eclipse forecast in the path of totality

A swath of southern Illinois is right in the eclipse's path of totality, and should see slightly warmer conditions than those in central Illinois. Carbondale, located right in the middle of the path of totality, has high temperatures forecast at 77 degrees, with sunny skies.

Albano said that the forecast for cloud cover ? at 19% for Carbondale at noon Monday ? is a bit more confident than those for central Illinois, even though the expected conditions are mostly the same, thanks to the possibility of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday.

"We've got a little bit more confidence down there that it will be mostly sunny," Albano said. "The further north you get, especially in the Quad Cities, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, they may hold onto some cloud cover into Monday afternoon. The further south you get in downstate Illinois, it looks like things are looking favorable for good viewing."

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Eclipse cloud forecast for Chicago

In Chicago, the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies. Highs in Chicago are expected to reach 62 degrees, but a 20% chance of rain is in the forecast for Monday. Other areas, such as Joliet, Aurora and Kankakee have slightly warmer temperatures, but the same slight chance for rain, particularly after 1 p.m.

Albano said that the northern areas may not be the best places for eclipse viewing, with central and southern Illinois being the place to go.

"It seems like the further south you drop, the better chance you're going to have for less cloud cover," Albano said.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What is the solar eclipse 2024 weather forecast in Illinois?