Meteor watchers hope for clear skies

The annual Perseid meteor shower may be obscured by clouds tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

Meteors could fall at a rate of 50 to 60 an hour as Earth passes through the densest part of debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Forecasters are calling for mostly cloudy skies tonight.

Should the clouds dissipate, meteor watchers will get a dark sky for viewing after the new crescent moon sets early in the evening.

Meteor watching is best done away from city lights.

Even if it is cloudy tonight, keep looking up. The Perseids fall over a relatively long period, from July 23 to Aug. 22, with the peak this year coming tonight and Friday night. The best viewing is typically after midnight.