Clouds can often be a pretty inconsequential part of a weather forecast from the public鈥檚 perspective, compared to temperature and precipitation.

But on Monday, cloud cover could be what stands 鈥� or floats 鈥揵etween the solar eclipse and throngs gathered along the path of totality in Canada.

鈥淟et鈥檚 just say that cloud cover is not the reason why meteorologists get into the profession,鈥� Gerald Cheng, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said in an interview.

Cheng joked that he was 鈥渢otally reluctant鈥� to make specific predictions for what eclipse watchers could expect to see during a narrow window of time come Monday afternoon.

That鈥檚 because weather forecasts can be fickle, he said.

A cloud cover prediction four days in advance, stretching across six provinces, in a brief window of time 鈥渃an be really off,鈥� he said.

But with those caveats in mind, here is a brief preliminary forecast for Monday, along the solar eclipse鈥檚 path of totality.

Ontario

In a sign of just how quickly things can change, Cheng said the forecast for southwestern Ontario shifted over the course of a few hours on Thursday.

Around noon, he said the Niagara region and areas along Lake Erie鈥檚 shores were likely to see blanket cloud cover. But three hours later he updated that forecast to say it could be mainly cloudy, to a mix of sun and cloud.

It appears as though there could be patches in the cloud cover, he said.

鈥淵ou may be lucky to get a break in there.鈥�

Moving into eastern Ontario, around Kingston and Cornwall, Cheng said conditions appeared to be slightly better, but still favoured clouds.

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Quebec

The forecast is looking favourable for Quebec regions in the eclipse鈥檚 path, Cheng said.

鈥淚t seems like the best, according to our official forecast and looking at the information I have,鈥� he said.

Cheng said come Monday it 鈥渟hould be sunny鈥� in Montreal and Sherbrooke, based on what he could see.

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Newfoundland

A low-pressure system is threatening to spoil the eclipse for watchers in Newfoundland.

Cheng said the offshore system, set to develop off Nova Scotia and move into Newfoundland, could bring 鈥渁 lot of cloud cover鈥� on Monday.

While he called the area around Gander basically 鈥渁 writeoff,鈥� he said clouds could start to break on the southwestern tip of the island.

鈥淲hen we deal with offshore systems, there鈥檚 a lot of uncertainty because there鈥檚 not a lot of observations, so you always have to check back and see if the system is close or not close,鈥� he said.

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New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, N.S.

That same low-pressure system was generating some uncertainty in the forecast for the Maritimes, said Cheng.

Cheng said 鈥渋t could be a mix of sun and clouds鈥� for parts of New Brunswick, through Prince Edward Island, the tip of Cape Breton and into the Quebec archipelago of the Iles-de-la-Madeleine.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 really a mix because the system is leaving,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t depends on the speed of the system.鈥�

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