By Doug Schneider

While Scott deals with a wet forecast for Trans Am's event at Homestead this weekend, I have a nice easy Southern California forecast for the Grand Prix of Long Beach. 

No big changes are needed from my previous forecast, just a few adjustments to temperatures. Perfect racing weather is expected each day, with highs in the 70s. Friday will be a little breezy, with a northwest wind at 10 to 15 mph, gusting to around 20 mph at times. Saturday will be the warmest day, with a high in the upper 70s, then temperatures fall down a little for Sunday as high clouds will start to spread across the area. 

I will be taking a short vacation Friday and Saturday, so I don't plan to have another update in that time, but I don't think the forecast will need any updates through the rest of the weekend. 

By Doug Schneider

Beautiful Southern California weather is expected for the 2018 edition of the Grand Prix of Long Beach. 

A ridge of high pressure through the midlevels of the atmosphere will be building toward the west coast on Friday, then crossing California on Saturday, and be over the desert Southwest by Sunday. It will provide cloud-free skies on Friday and Saturday, then a few high clouds will start to arrive behind it on Sunday. Winds will be from a west or northwest direction at 10 to 15 mph each day.

You can probably tell I'm struggling for something to talk about with this weather pattern. This is one reason I'm glad I don't live in SoCal - the weather is too boring. I need a little more variety. But it sure is great for enjoying a race!

By Doug Schneider

The weather continues to look great today at Sebring. Enjoy the race!

By Doug Schneider

​There hasn't been much change to the expected weather pattern later this week at Sebring. I only made some changes to the morning low temperatures, which are looking colder than before. It will be unusually cold for Sebring each morning, as the normal low temperature this time of year is around 55 degrees. With a dry air mass and low relative humidity, temperatures will warm quickly through the day, and the high on race day will be around 80. By the end of the race, the temperature will be in the upper 60s.

By Doug Schneider - @Race4caster

Is it just me, or does the break between Daytona and Sebring seem longer than the offseason? Finally, it's time for the IMSA season to get back underway. And I don't think the weather can possibly get any better than what I'm expecting this weekend at Sebring.

Early this week, a cold front will pass through the state of Florida, and a large high pressure system will build in from the north through the rest of the week. This will result in dry conditions (no rain and low humidity), lots of sunshine, and temperatures cooler than normal. Normal temperatures for Sebring in mid-March are a low in the mid 50s and a high around 80. Temperatures for the start of the event will be around 10 degrees below normal. As the center of the high pressure moves off the east coast of Florida by race day, temperatures will get warmer, closer to normal, and there may be a slight increase in clouds and humidity. But likely not enough for any chance of rain.

There is good model agreement on this pattern, so I'm pretty confident that this forecast will hold up through the week, and probably won't have significant changes as we get closer to the race. I plan on having the next update posted on Tuesday.