National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Areas of Excessive Rainfall, Severe Thunderstorms, and Extreme Heat

Heavy to excessive rainfall is expected through tonight across portions of the central Plains. Areas of intense rainfall amounts could support increasing flooding concerns. Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of the central/southern Plains today and tonight, with large hail and damaging winds the main threats. Areas of extreme heat will impact parts of the West this week. Read More >

 

While portions of southern Illinois will be able to view a total solar eclipse on August 21st, most of our area will experience a significant partial eclipse with between 91% and 98% percent of the sun covered at the time of maximum around 1:20 PM CDT.  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created a web application that you can access through your web browser by clicking the link above (or by going directly to http://eyes.jpl.nasa.gov/eyes-on-eclipse-web-app.html).  It will help you gain an idea of the duration and intensity of the eclipse at any location in the world. Of course, viewing will also depend on cloud cover. Although, the chances of clear or partly cloudy skies are normally pretty high toward the end of August in Illinois we won't get a clearer picture as to what to expect until a week or so before. 

Remember, NEVER look directly at the sun without proper safety precautions!

For more on the eclipse, visit our eclipse page at:

https://www.weather.gov/source/crh/eclipse.html?sid=ilx

and visit the NASA site at:

http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov