By Doug Schneider

The weather continues to look great for this year's edition of the Bathurst 12 Hour. Not much change was made to the initial forecast from Monday. High pressure will shift from the southern coast of Australia to the southeast coast. A few isolated thunderstorms cannot be ruled out this afternoon, but the chance of any storms affecting Mount Panorama are low (20%). As the high builds over the area through the weekend, dry conditions will continue with plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures, and low humidity. 

A reminder for those in the United States, the race starts at 1:45 PM EST. 

Click on forecast graphics to enlarge.

By Doug Schneider

Being located in the United States, and the northern hemisphere, forecasting for Australia is always a fun challenge for me. The weather patterns in the southern hemisphere are essentially reversed from the northern hemisphere, so low pressure circulations are clockwise, and high pressure circulations are counter-clockwise. This is due to what is called the Coriolis Force. It takes me a little time to adjust when I look at weather maps.

The weather for this year's Bathurst 12 Hour looks very nice. Leading up to the event, there will be showers and thunderstorms in the area Tuesday through Thursday, but this will likely clear out by the time the on-track activity begins on Friday. The general weather pattern will feature a high pressure ridge off the southern coast of Australia on Friday, centered over the Great Australian Bight. This will produce an easterly flow across New South Wales, from the ocean toward the Blue Mountains. With some moisture coming off the ocean, there may be some scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon on Friday. Most of this should remain near the Blue Mountains, but it could spread farther west into the Bathurst area. I think the chance of a storm at the circuit remains low, just 20%. 

Through the weekend, the ridge will shift eastward, building over New South Wales, and shifting the moisture from the ocean farther north. This will lower the chance of showers further, and give mostly sunny skies with warmer temperatures Saturday and Sunday. It should be great weather to get out and enjoy the race at an amazing circuit. 

For those in the United States, Bathurst is 16 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, so the race will begin at 1:45 PM EST. 

Click on forecast images to enlarge.

By Doug Schneider

The weather continues to look great for the Rolex 24 this weekend. The first two day at the Speedway have been wet and windy, but conditions will be better for the rest of the event as high pressure builds over the area. Dry conditions are forecast each day, with breezy conditions on Friday. Winds will be lighter on Saturday and Sunday. Nighttime temperatures will be cold, but there will be plenty of sunshine during the day, with highs warming into the 60s for the race. 

Saturday evening's sunset time is 5:56 PM, and the sunrise Sunday morning is at 7:15 AM.

By Doug Schneider

The weather will be wet to start the on-track activities at the Rolex 24, but conditions will improve for the weekend.

A cold front will push through Florida from north to south on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Showers with this front will affect Daytona mainly on Wednesday morning. Scattered showers may linger into the afternoon, and it will be quite breezy all day with gusts reaching around 30 mph. The front will be south of the area by Wednesday night, but it will make a northward push again on Thursday. This will bring another chance of showers, although the coverage is expected to be more scattered, and the timing is more likely to be in the afternoon. 

A large upper level trough will help to push the front to the east on Thursday night, bringing drier but colder air on Friday. Morning lows Friday and Saturday mornings will be in the 30s, so bundle up if you're camping at the track or arriving early. The race conditions look great, with sunny skies at the start and dry conditions expected for the entire 24 hours. Clouds will be increasing on Sunday, and temperatures will be trending warmer with highs in the mid 60s by the end of the race.

Check back later in the week for updates, and be sure to follow our forecasts and weather updates on X (@RacecastWx), Facebook, and Instagram (RacecastWx)

By Doug Schneider

Confidence is increasing that rain will impact the Roar on Sunday, and running will likely be limited due to the rain.

Friday continues to look like nice weather, although temperatures will be chilly to start the day. On Saturday, winds will shift to the south as high pressure moves off the east coast of Florida. This will bring warmer temperatures, but also increasing clouds. Some models are showing light rain arriving in the afternoon, while others keep the day dry. I added a mention of late day sprinkles to account for this. 

A front slowly approaches Daytona from the north on Sunday. Rain will begin in earnest Saturday night and continue into Sunday. During the day, about a half inch of rain will be possible. I expect that the timing of this rain will be mostly in the morning, with light rain persisting into the afternoon. This will likely mean that running will be limited on Sunday as rain will likely be moderate at times.

By Doug Schneider

It's time for racing in 2025! IMSA's Roar Before The Rolex 24 gets underway this weekend at Daytona, and the weather looks to be a mix of good and not-so-good. High pressure will be off the west coast of Florida on Friday, providing a north wind that will keep temperatures on the cool side. This high will shift east and be off the east coast of Florida on Saturday, turning winds to south and warming temperatures into the mid 70s. A cold front will approach the area from the northwest on Sunday, spreading showers into the area during the day. Details on timing and rain amounts are too uncertain to pin down this far out, but right now the chance of seeing rain on Sunday is about 50/50. Check back later in the week for more details.