As bitter rains and the threat of snow continue to bog down Toronto and the rest of Southern Ontario, those eagerly anticipating next week's rare solar eclipse are stressing about whether conditions will clear up in time for us to actually be able to observe the phenomenon.

Ideally, all of the places along the partial or total eclipse path would enjoy clear skies and limited cloud cover on the afternoon of Monday, April 8. Unfortunately, current forecasts for the GTA call for quite the opposite.

Could weather ruin Ontario's chances to see rare solar eclipse in 2024? https://t.co/hVaeKoWxj1

— blogTO (@blogTO) March 25, 2024

As of April 4, Environment Canada is predicting a thoroughly dismal and overcast day in Toronto, as well as most of the other locales in the area that people are heading to for the big day.

The city, along with Hamilton, Port Stanley, Welland and Fort Erie, will be cloudy with at least a 30 per cent chance of showers during the celestial event, which will certainly put a damper on things.

The biggest disappointment will be Niagara Falls, which is preparing for approximately one million visitors solely for the once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, and which is also slated to be cloudy with a chance of rain.

Eclipse day weather
byu/Tough_Hunter9791 inontario

But, there are a few cities and towns along the path where the weather is more likely to cooperate, at least by current projections.

Kingston, which is on the path of totality for a complete eclipse (unlike Toronto, which will get a slightly lesser version), is expected to see a mix of sun and cloud on Monday, though also with a 30 per cent chance of showers.

Nearby Brockville, also in for a total eclipse, is set to be even nicer, with slightly higher temps under a mix of sunny and cloudy skies, and no chance of precipitation as of yet.

But, even if you can't make it out to somewhere with a better weather outlook, don't let today's EnviroCan models dash your hopes of having a decent eclipse experience. 

The Weather Network appears to have rosier April 8 forecasts for Southern Ontario than EnviroCan does, calling for a mix of sun and clouds and only a 20 per cent chance of rain, including in T.O. and Niagara.

How to experience the 2024 solar eclipse in and around Toronto https://t.co/aMjuHNj33K

— blogTO (@blogTO) February 25, 2024

The astronomical wonder will start shortly after 2 p.m. on Monday, and end around 4:30 p.m., with the peak taking place for just a few minutes around 3:20 p.m.