The total solar eclipse everyone's been waiting for is set to take place next week, and some people have been planning for this event for over a year.
After all of that planning — booking flights and hotels, scouting the absolute best spot to view the spectacle and taking time off work — the one wild card that still remains is something no one has any control over: Cloud cover.
With less than a week to go before the event, next Monday is beginning to show up in 7-day weather forecasts across the country. And fortunately for most, it appears clouds are staying away for most of the country, with a few exceptions.
Current forecast models show the entire western half of the United States under the influence of high pressure, which means clear skies nearly everywhere west of the Mississippi River. The only exception to this may be the Northwest if an incoming low accelerates closer to the coast between now and then.
That's mostly good news for the first people in the United States able to get a glimpse of the eclipse.
RELATED: Keep an eye on the forecast leading up to the eclipse with the Storm Shield app
It begins to get a little hairy in southern Illinois — where the eclipse will last the longest — western Kentucky and Tennessee. As of right now, a weak weather disturbance may bring additional clouds and even some scattered showers and storms during the eclipse.
Clouds and rain may also get in the way on South Carolina's coast, too. The entire Southeast may get some clouds and rainfall that Monday.
This is the last day in a 7-day forecast, which is known to change every day between now and then, so don't go throwing your arms in the air just yet.
If, by chance, clouds do block the eclipse, remember you can always watch NASA's livestream of the event online.
Follow Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyersvia the Storm Shield appon Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.
