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As of late Saturday afternoon, the weather prognosis for decent views of the solar Monday afternoon’s solar eclipse in the Ottawa, Brockville and Cornwall areas was solid.
As for Kingston and parts further west in Ontario, not so much.
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It’s all about a weather system rolling into Canada from the mid-western United States, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Jordan Nicholls.
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“The forecast for Eastern Ontario at the time of the eclipse is for high, thin clouds,” Nicholls said. “You can see through those clouds. It obscures the sun slightly.”
Environment Canada deems those conditions as “partially cloudy.”
At some point on Monday evening, however, mid-clouds will arrive. That’s considered “mainly cloudy.”
As of Saturday afternoon, those mid-clouds — which could completely block out views of the sun — were scheduled to be in the sky between Kingston and west to the Oakville area during peak eclipse time.
“That’s not looking promising for great views,” Nicholls said.
The eclipse, with the moon sliding in front of the sun, will begin just after 2 p.m. on Monday. Kingston, Brockville and Cornwall are along the expected path of totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun from 3:22 to 3:25 p.m. In Ottawa, the peak will be 98.9 per cent of totality. Those seeking the full eclipse experience are expected to head south towards the St. Lawrence River.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists expected in Kingston on Monday could leave disappointed.
Nicholls cautions that weather conditions can, however, change quickly.
If those mid-clouds move east faster than expected, they could cover the Ottawa, Brockville, Cornwall area in late afternoon.
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