The 70s return this week, but the eclipse may clouded out

The gusty northwest winds have finally calmed down around Mecklenburg county this Sunday morning. The nor'easter with its strong pressure gradient has moved off the New England coast. Locally, official temperatures didn't quite tumble to the freezing mark, but there may have been scattered frost in cooler spots.

Today will feature mostly clear skies, with sunrise having occurred at 6:52 a.m. and sunset expected at 7:41 p.m. Thermometers will top out in the mid-60s this afternoon. That's still below average since, at this point in April, the average daily high temperatures have reached the 70 degree mark.

But, as it turns out the work week looks to be that warm or warmer. Milder air is finally beginning to win out over the colder stuff up north, and this Climate Prediction Center graphic supports that idea:

However, the warmer regime brings a tradeoff in the form of clouds on Monday. Tomorrow's ballyhooed solar eclipse may be tough to see thanks to clouds streaming in from the southwest. In Clarksville the moon will cover 81.4% of the sun (don't look at it without special eclipse glasses!!!) while in South Hill the maximum coverage will be 80.9%. The height of the event will occur at roughly 3:16 p.m. Monday.

By Tuesday afternoon a chance of showers will arrive, with moisture sticking around until sometime Friday. Midweek looks like the dampest period. But remember, "April showers bring May flowers!"