NEW ORLEANS — The solar eclipse is a week away - Monday, April 8 - and the early forecast isn't exactly prominent for those hoping to catch a glimpse of history in Louisiana or Texas.
Right now, it looks like clouds could move in Monday after a mostly sunny and pleasant weekend. Global models show clouds over much of the southern United States including south Louisiana and most of Texas. The European model even shows a few spotty showers possible in south Louisiana in the afternoon. Temperatures will likely be in the 70s during the day Monday.
According to the models, the nearest spot without cloud cover looks like Missouri into the Midwest. The models differ about some points closer to Louisiana. For example, the GFS model shows clearer skies to our east in parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The European model keeps clouds over these areas, but it has fewer clouds in parts of north Texas and Oklahoma. Remember, we are still a full week out and things will change in that time, so keep checking the forecast this week.
The solar eclipse will blaze a path of totality from Texas through the northeast of the United States. While some major cities in Texas will have at or near 100 percent totality, most of Louisiana will be less than that.
A small city in northwest Louisiana will have 99 percent totality, while the New Orleans and surrounding areas will be anywhere from 84 to 88 percent.
The eclipse should begin around 12:29 p.m. Monday, with the maximum coverage around 1:45 p.m. and an ending around 3 p.m.