California forecast: Cloudy with a chance of viewing a solar eclipse today

The solar eclipse has finally begun, but coastal Californians might find their view obscured by clouds, experts say.

The National Weather Service said that California was mostly cloudy Monday morning, but a hovering marine layer should thin out by the time the eclipse reaches its peak.

Here’s what California sky watchers can expect:

Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada

According to the weather service, high clouds will blanket the far northern portion of California. But the clouds should dissipate in time for the eclipse.

San Francisco and Bay Area

Clouds will linger near the coast and in some inland spots. The skies around the rest of the Bay Area should clear just after 10 a.m.

But probably the best place to view the eclipse will be in the Santa Clara Valley, the weather service said.

Los Angeles

The eclipse is expected to begin about 9 a.m. but won’t peak in Southern California until about an hour later.

Everyone except those along the coast should have a clear view of the show, said Jayme Laber, a hydrologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“The best advice is if you’re along the immediate coast you want to move inland,� Laber said.

The marine layer along the coast will hover at about 3,000 feet, shielding hikers in the mountains as well, he said.

O.C., San Bernardino and San Diego

Cloud cover will probably obscure the eclipse along the coast and in some valleys, forecasters said.

“Clearing will occur during the time of the eclipse, so there is the potential for clear skies inland by peak obscuration,� the weather service said.