West Palm Beach and South Florida weather forecast for the total solar eclipse on April 8

South Florida will see about 50% of the sun covered during Monday's solar eclipse if the weather cooperates.

The National Weather Service forecasts run seven days, although there is less confidence the farther out you look.

Still, NWS so far has Monday, April 8, as being mostly sunny with a high near 80 degrees.

Will Redman, an NWS meteorologist in Miami, said the atmosphere should be stable during the early part of the week with scattered clouds and low chances of rain.

The eclipse in West Palm Beach will begin at 1:48 p.m. with the maximum amount of the sun covered by the moon at 3:03 p.m. At that time of day on Monday, cloud cover is forecast to be about 30%.

Don't burn your eyes out:Where to buy total solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes during April 8 eclipse

Weather forecast for solar eclipse viewing in West Palm Beach

"It depends on where you are, but it's not likely to be a major problem," Redman said.

The Weather Prediction Center has high pressure over Florida on Monday, which typically produces clear skies.

Palm Beach County is about 1,000 miles from the eastern edge of the Monday's path of totality, where the moon will fully cover the sun in about a 115 mile-wide swath from Texas through Maine.

An AccuWeather forecast was less optimistic about South Florida's chance of seeing any part of the eclipse, giving it a high risk of cloud cover.

A strip of the East Coast, including part of Florida's Panhandle, and a swath of Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas are forecast to have the best visibility according to AccuWeather's forecast.

"Cities like El Paso, Albuquerque, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York City and Raleigh should all have great views," said AccuWeather lead long-range forecaster Paul Pastelok in a forecast on the company's website. "These areas will be close to the path of totality with the least amount of cloud cover anticipated."

What time is the eclipse in Palm Beach County? How long will it last? What will it look like?

What time is the eclipse in West Palm Beach?

For the West Palm Beach area, the eclipse will begin on April 8 at about 1:48 p.m., hit maximum visibility at around 3:03 p.m. and end at around 4:15 p.m.

At the time of maximum visibility in West Palm Beach, around 49% of the sun will be covered by the moon.

Where can I safely watch the solar eclipse near West Palm?

Community groups, astronomy clubs and science centers are orchestrating events to provide safe viewing opportunities and educational experiences for attendees. Specialized solar-viewing glasses and telescopes equipped with solar filters will be available to ensure that spectators can observe the eclipse safely.

Here are a few notable places to watch the eclipse in Palm Beach County: Best watch parties, safe viewing places for April 8 solar eclipse in Palm Beach County

Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today.