Sonoma County likely cloudy for eclipse; Ukiah and Lake Berryessa expected to be clear

Sonoma County residents have been waiting weeks, months and in some cases years for today’s solar eclipse - the likes of which has not made an American coast-to-coast journey in nearly 100 years - but you may not even get to see it, according to the National Weather Service.

Steve Anderson, a forecaster for the Weather Service, said satellite images suggest it may be cloudy this morning during the eclipse. It’s expected to start about 9 a.m., peak at 10:15 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m.

“It’s not good news,” Anderson said. “It may clear out a little sooner tomorrow, but if you really want to make sure you see it, you might want to get on Highway 101 and head north to Ukiah or go to far eastern Napa County, like Lake Berryessa.”

Anderson said cloud cover is likely to reach up to 2,500 feet. That does not bode well for the Robert Ferguson Observatory, which sits at 1,275 feet in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. There is Sonoma Mountain at 2,463 feet, which would still leave you short, so that means Mount Hood (2,664 feet) could be your best local bet.

In the cradle of Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties there’s Mount Saint Helena at 4,341 feet, while the city of Cobb in Lake County is at 2,631 feet.

Meanwhile, fires in southwestern Oregon have threatened areas close to the 70-mile “path of totality” in Oregon that offers the most spectacular views of the eclipse, which will completely blot out the sun. Hundreds of residents in Oregon have been asked to evacuate their homes. About 1 million eclipse visitors are expected in the state.

Anderson said about five wildfires in southwest Oregon and northwest California have sent smoke high into the atmosphere, where upper level winds are bringing it to the North Coast. The smoke is too high to smell but its presence is more than visible.

“You might get a good sunset out of it,” Anderson said. “When it’s that far away, the smoke naturally rises, so when it gets down here it’s very high.”

High temperatures today are expected to be about 80 degrees in Santa Rosa, 86 degrees in Cloverdale and about 65 degrees on the coast with all-day cloud cover.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @renofish.