NEBRASKA CITY – When the solar eclipse reaches its maximum in River Country at 1:53 p.m. on Monday, the chances of clear skies and the highest percentage of totality are at Falls City.

The National Weather Service issued a cloud cover forecast Sunday showing clear skies in portions of northern Kansas and northwest Missouri. By 2 p.m. the clear skies include southern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

The solar eclipse today will last two hours and 30 minutes. It is set to begin at 12:38 p.m. and reach totality of 80 percent at 1:53 p.m. and end at 3:08 p.m.

Falls City will have the state’s highest eclipse percentage at 84.3 percent.

 

The next total solar eclipse will not occur in the United States until on August 23, 2044.

When viewing a solar eclipse make sure to wear proper eyewear. Blindness caused by burned retinas does not heal.

The eclipse will darken a Nebraska that is windswept and dry.

The Nebraska City Airport reported a 45 mph wind gust at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and 38 mph wind gust at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday.

Brenner Field at Falls City reported a 46 mph wind gust near 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The National Weather Service updated its drought statement for eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Jefferson County in Nebraska remains in the severe drought category, while most of River Country is in moderate drought.

Pawnee, Nemaha and Richardson counties are designated as abnormally dry.

In the past week there are no areas where the drought worsened.

In the past 72 hours, there has been a half inch of rain just east of Lincoln, but most of River Country has just a trace to a tenth of an inch.