By Doug Schneider

After last year's rain-soaked Petit Le Mans that was cut short due to heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Joaquin, the weather for this year's edition will be a welcome change. I don't think you could ask for better weather for the event from start to finish. Don't worry, there are no tropical cyclones that will make a sudden shift in track to blow my forecast up like last year.

Still holding to my forecast for the 2016 SCCA Runoffs at Mid-Ohio, just modified the temperatures a little and decreased the cloud cover a little bit for tomorrow. Still going to be an awesome weekend for racing!

This week's forecast for the SCCA Runoffs at Mid-Ohio appears to be nearly perfect for racing, as rain is not expected during the on-track times, and temperatures cooling off for the weekend.

By Doug Schneider

The weather still looks nice for Trans Am's visit to VIR this weekend. The low pressure system near the coast that I mentioned in my last post is staying nearly stationary, and most of the rain associated with it is staying near the coast or Eastern North Carolina. There's still a small chance of some showers reaching VIR on Thursday, but it should not amount to much if there is a shower. Friday and Saturday look great, with highs in the mid to upper 80s, and plenty of sunshine.  I wish I could be there this weekend at my favorite track.

By Doug Schneider

Moisture associated with the remnant of the tropical storm formerly known as Julia could bring quite a bit of rainfall to central North Carolina this week, and possibly to VIR. There is some uncertainty about how far north the heavy rain will extend, so VIR could end up with a lot of rain or very little. The good news is that most of this rain will come on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before the racing gets under way.

​Here's what the weather map is expected to look like on Thursday: 

By Doug Schneider

Today's weather at COTA will continue to be hot and humid. Yesterday, there were a few small isolated showers around central Texas, but nowhere near the track. There will be a little more moisture in the air today, which may make those showers a little more numerous. Still, the chance of one hitting the track is very low.  The heat index over the past few days has topped out near 100, but with the added moisture, it will feel like it is over 100 degrees today. Those at the track should take precautions against heat exhaustion by drinking plenty of water and taking a break in buildings with A/C. Cooling off with a wet towel is also a good idea. 

By Doug Schneider

There's good news and bad news with the latest forecast update for COTA.

The good news is that the chance of rain is looking lower over the weekend. Yesterday, there were a few isolated light showers around Austin, but they stayed away from the track. I think today will be much the same, but the chances of a shower hitting the track appear too low to mention any chance of rain in today's forecast. On Saturday, there should be a better chance of showers, but still a pretty low chance - only 30%. So I don't expect that any of the racing will be interrupted by rain. We' have our live radar and lightning link running at the top of the page so you can keep an eye on what's developing.

By Scott Martin

Sorry for the late first forecast entry. I have been up in Norfolk, Virginia, attending the 2016 National Weather Association Annual Meeting and the 2016 WeatherReady Fest that was held at Nauticus featuring the Battleship Wisconsin. If you are ever in Norfolk, be sure you stop by to see the museum at Nauticus and tour the battleship. They have a great and friendly staff, and I enjoyed every minute I was there.

Now for the forecast, and there is not really much to say about it except for its going to be a great weekend for racing for the Verizon Indycar Series and the Pirelli World Challenge at Sonoma Raceway. Mostly sunny skies are expected throughout the weekend, and there is no chance of rain. Mornings will start off cool in the low 50s, so you may need to grab a jacket. Afterwords, afternoon temperatures will warm into the upper 70s to just at 80 degrees each day. Winds will be out of the southwest averaging at 5-10 MPH.

If you'll be at the races, have a great time... I'll be extremely jealous of you. Unless there will be any major changes (which I do not see happening), the rest of my updates will be on the Racecast Weather and on my Twitter feed (@RacecastWX), on our Facebook page, and on our Instagram account. Links to those are on our website. Have a great day and let's get racing!

By Doug Schneider

The outlook for the weather pattern that I described in Sunday's forecast still looks on track based on the latest data. There will be increasing chances of rain each day at COTA as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico feeds into the area from the southeast, and a front moved into North Texas from the northwest. 

By Doug Schneider

The weather pattern over Texas late this week could be an unsettled one, with may result in some showers and thunderstorms around COTA for Lone Star Le Mans and the WEC 6 Hours of COTA. 

Here's a look at what the weather map might look like on Thursday:

So sorry for the forecast coming out so late this week. I have been preparing for the annual NWA meeting in Norfolk, Virginia, along with helping out with coordinating the WeatherReady Fest that will be taking place on Saturday at the Nauticus Science Center on the waterfront.

As far as the forecast, things could be better for racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Nice and cool temperatures are expected throughout the mostly sunny weekend. No rain is expected, and the only issue will be patchy morning fog each day, which should dissipate by 10AM. Highs will be in the upper 60s to 70 degrees, with early morning lows near 50 degrees.

By Doug Schneider

Watkins Glen will have a beautiful day for racing, with sunny skies all day and temperatures peaking in the upper 70s. There's not much else to say about the weather, so enjoy the race.

By Doug Schneider

I'm breathing a big sigh of relief today, as the latest forecast for Hurricane Hermine takes it farther east than yesterday's forecast, keeping it offshore on Sunday, far away from Watkins Glen. Here's the latest NHC forecast track:

With Hermine expected to take a more eastern path, and with the models in good agreement with this path, I feel comfortable going back to a dry forecast today. A cold front moved through the area last night, and behind it, high pressure will settle over upstate New York. It should be a beautiful weekend at Watkins Glen, with plenty of sunshine and highs each day in the 70s. Hermine may add a little cloud cover on Sunday, but that should be its only impact. 

By Doug Schneider

The forecast for Watkins Glen this weekend has taken a turn for the worse today due to Tropical Storm Hermine becoming a player in the weather. Hermine is currently over the Gulf of Mexico, and will track northeast across the Florida Panhandle Thursday night. What track it takes after that is highly uncertain. Over the past few days, the models have all kept Hermine well out in the Atlantic, but the latest model runs today have show a track that is much farther west, inland across the Carolinas to southern New Jersey. Here's the forecast track from the National Hurricane Center as of Wednesday afternoon:

By Doug Schneider

The weather looks absolutely spectacular this weekend for IndyCar's visit to Watkins Glen. There will be a chance of rain Wednesday night and early Thursday as a cold front moves through, then high pressure will build in behind it to provide perfect racing weather. The models are all in agreement with this pattern, so I have high confidence that there will be no rain. Temperatures will reach into the 70s Friday and Saturday, and into the lower 80s for Sunday. Friday may be a little breezy, with a northwest wind at 10 to 15 mph. 

For forecast updates through the week, follow me on Twitter - @Race4caster .

I know this will sound like a broken record, but I'm still holding to the forecast that I posted on Monday for tonight's conclusion of the Verizon Indycar Series Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. It will be a hot and humid day at the track with afternoon highs at or just over 90 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. Still do believe that there is a slight chance for an afternoon convective shower or thunderstorm that could pop up at or near the track, but all rain chances will be zero by the time the race gets the green flag around 8:20 PM. It will be a warm and muggy night, and temperatures are expected to be near 80 degrees at 10:00 PM. Remember, if you're going to be at the track, be sure to drink plenty of water as the heat index values will be in the mid 90s to start off with a 4:00 PM.

Unfortunately, the forecast has not changed from Friday's update, and Saturday looks to be a pretty wet day for the Trans Am Series at Road America.As the shortwave approaches the area between midnight on Friday night and into early Saturday morning, rain will start falling, with heavy rain and thunder at some point. The latest run of the NAM 4k model has rain and thunderstorms staying in the area throughout the morning, with the shower activity becoming more scattered in nature for the afternoon hours. Afternoon highs will be in the mid 70s, but you will definitely need umbrellas and rain parkas to stay dry. Please seek shelter in a building if you see lightning or hear thunder. We've already lost too many people in the country to lightning strikes in 2016. Let's not add to that number. Radar will be running bu the time the morning rises.

By Doug Schneider

The forecast for VIR this weekend continues to look dry, but with hot temperatures. Today, highs are expected to reach into the mid 90s. Tonight, a front will push south across the area, but it will have little effect on the weather. No rain is expected as it moves through, and by Saturday, it will be south of the track across central North Carolina. Showers will develop along the front Saturday afternoon, but they should stay well south of the track. There will be a little more wind behind the front on Saturday, from the northeast at 5 to 10 mph. Race day will be mostly sunny with highs in the lower 90s, with no rain expected.

With the hot temperatures, be sure to drink plenty of water, and take frequent breaks from walking around. VIR is a beautiful track that is best experience from many locations, but there isn't much shade. Don't forget the sunscreen.

This will likely be my last post and forecast graphic for VIR, as I will be at the track Saturday and Sunday. I'll be posting pictures on my Twitter account, @Race4caster. Also, we're having a NASportsCar meet up and go kart race Saturday at 5 pm at the VIR go kart track. Look for me in a NASportsCar t-shirt. 

Unfortunately, the forecast has changed drastically from Wednesday's update. Friday is still going to be a wonderful day at Road America for the Trans Am Series, as skies are expected to be mostly clear, and temperatures will be in the mid 70s for the high. Where the forecast changes is for Saturday.

A shortwave will approach the area late Friday night and into early Saturday morning, bringing with it a moist and unstable airmass. The NAM is suggesting there will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms from about 6AM to 11AM, then there will be a break before a line of thunderstorms move in during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The Canadian Model has rain off and on during the morning, with better coverage during the afternoon hours. The GFS has it raining pretty much throughout the day, especially after 7AM.

Since the models are somewhat agreeing on the situation, I'm going with a mix of the three and say that skies will generally be cloudy with a 50/50 chance of occasional scattered showers and thunderstorms during the morning. There will be a break in the rain from noon until 4PM, then rain chances will start to increase and will be likely by 7PM. Chance of rain after 4PM will be 70%.

Don't you hate it when mother nature decides to change her plans on you? I'll have another update late on Friday night, and I'll have radar going for Saturday.

I'm still holding to the forecast that I posted on Monday for this weekend's conclusion of the Verizon Indycar Series Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. It will be a hot and humid day at the track with afternoon highs at or just over 90 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. Still do believe that there is a slight chance for an afternoon convective shower or thunderstorm could pop up at or near the track, but all rain chances will be zero by the time the race gets the green flag around 8:20 PM. It will be a warm and muggy night, and temperatures are only expected to be near 80 degrees at 10:00 PM.

If you're going to be at the track, be sure to drink plenty of water as the heat index values will be in the mid 90s to start off with a 4:00 PM. I'll have updates throughout the remainder of the week leading up to the green flag. Have a great day!

A cold front will be moving out of the area early on Thursday morning, and there may be a stray shower or two for Road America well before the cars hit the track. After 7AM through the remainder of the day, skies will be partly cloudy to partly sunny with no threat of rain. Afternoon highs will be in the low 80s.

Friday is going to be a beautiful day at the track. Skies will be sunny all throughout the day with a little lower than average temperatures for late August. Afternoon highs will only be in the mid 70s. Definitely will need the sunscreen, hats, and shades to enjoy the hot on-track action.

Saturday will start off pretty nice with mostly clear skies, but a short wave will start to approach the area bringing with it higher dewpoints and a southerly flow. This will bring a chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm to the track mainly during the afternoon hours, with better chances after coming later as the short wave moves through. Right now, there is only a 20% chance of a shower or storm at the track during the afternoon, so definitely not a worry right now. My guess is that rain will probably hold off until after on-track activity is finished. Highs will be in the mid to upper 70s.

Still a decent looking weekend in store for great Trans Am Series action at Road America. I'll continue to have updates throughout the remainder of the week. Have a great day!

By Doug Schneider

Not much change was needed to the forecast for VIR today as it looks like the dry pattern will hold up through the weekend. A large high pressure ridge through the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere will be sitting over the region, keeping any rain away from the track but also keeping temperatures rather hot. There will be a weak cold front that is expected to move through on Friday night, but it will have little impact on the weather as it will be lacking enough moisture for rain, and temperatures won't drop much behind it. The only change will be that winds will shift to the northeast behind the front on Saturday. In my previous forecast, I had considered putting in a slight chance of showers on Sunday, but I'm getting more confident today that a dry forecast for Sunday was the right call. 

If you're going to be at the track, don't forget the sunscreen, and be sure to drink plenty of water. Take frequent breaks in an air conditioned building, such as the TMI Racing Products store. And if you see a guy in a gray Racecast Weather polo shirt, stop and say hi - that's me. 

It is time for the return trip for the Verizon Indycar Series for the completion of the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. As of now, it just looks like a typical summertime weather pattern for the area as a slight chance for an afternoon shower or thunderstorm is expected on Saturday, but any rainfall should diminish by the start of the race and should be no weather issues completing the remainder of the race. Daytime high is expected to be at or near 90 degrees, with the 8PM temperature expected to be in the mid 80s at the green flag. Temperatures at the drop of the checkered flag should be at or around 80 degrees. The odds of the track getting rain during the daytime hours is about 1 in 3.

I'll have updates through the week on our social media feeds and on our website. Have a great week.

A surface high will be in control of the weather pattern over Road America for this week’s Trans Am action. Skies will be mostly clear, and temperature will be nice, as afternoon highs are expected to reach the mid to upper 70s. Weather should be the same on Friday, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid 70s. No rain is expected for both Thursday and Friday.

A trough will start to approach the area during the late evening hours on Friday and this will bring a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm for the day on Saturday, with better chances of thunderstorms on Saturday evening. Skies will be partly sunny throughout the day, and afternoon highs will reach the mid 70s. The overall chance for rain on Saturday is only 20% at this moment, and I’ll keep an eye on it throughout the week to see if this improves.

Other than that slight chance of rain on Saturday, the weekend looks to be a great one at Road America. I’ll have updates on our social network feeds and on our website. Have a great week.

By Doug Schneider

The week leading up to the Michelin GT Challenge events at VIR will have beautiful weather as high pressure settles over the eastern states from the surface through the midlevels of the atomsphere. As teams load into the track on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be plenty of sunshine, high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, light winds, and low humidity. 

A cold front is expected to be located across the Ohio River and West Virginia by Friday morning, and push southeast through the day. It may produce some showers in the mountains, however, I don't expect it to have much impact at VIR for a couple reasons. First, it will have to cross the mountains, which tends to have a weakening effect in some situations. Second, there will be a large high pressure ridge in the midlevels of the atmosphere over the Carolinas that will also help to slow and weaken the front, and suppress any precipitation associated with it. With very little moisture available to work with and no upper level support, the front should be rain-free by the time it gets near the VA/NC border Friday night. The only effect from the front will be a shift of winds to the northeast on Saturday.

With the strong midlevel ridge centered over the Carolinas, temperatures will likely be warm and slightly above normal, with highs around 90. Humidity levels will gradually be rising through the weekend as there will be a little more moisture spreading into the area due to east winds off the Atlantic Ocean. The increasing moisture may also produce a little more cloud cover on Sunday. Will there be enough moisture to produce some isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms? That is not completely out of the question for Sunday, but I think the chance of that happening looks low enough to keep any rain chance out of the forecast - less than 20%. There appear to be more factors going against rain on Sunday than for it, but I will be watching this closely over the next few days.