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By Doug Schneider Click images to enlarge The weather continues to look great in Toronto for INDYCAR weekend. As I mentioned in my initial forecast post, a cold front will move through the area on Saturday night and Sunday morning. It is possible that a few showers near the front could produce light rain early Sunday morning, likely before any on track activities begin. No impacts are expected if rain does occur.
By Doug Schneider Click on images to enlarge Beautiful weather is expected this weekend for the Honda Indy Toronto.
High pressure will be over the Great Lakes region at the start of the event on Friday, and gradually drift east across southern Ontario and New York through Saturday. A cold front will approach Toronto from the north on Saturday night, but any showers near the front are expected to dissipate before the front gets to Toronto. It will cross the city on Sunday, but the only change in the weather will be a little more cloud cover, and winds that will shift to a north direction. By Doug Schneider Dry weather is likely for the Hy-Vee INDYCAR weekend at Iowa, but hot temperatures will be the main impact. The weather pattern is expected to change little through the weekend, with high pressure dominating much of the Great Plains. This should result in mostly sunny skies and a rain-free weekend. With temperatures reaching into the lower 90s on Saturday and Sunday, the heat Index may reach to near 100 degrees. If you're going to the Speedway, be prepared for the hot conditions by drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks in the shade.
By Doug Schneider Click on images to enlarge A low pressure system is still expected to track south of Belgium over the weekend, bringing rain to Spa mainly on Saturday night.
The first several hours of the race are expected to be nice, with clouds increasing through the day and pleasant temperatures. Showers are expected to spread in from the west late in the day or evening. Sunset at Spa is around 9:52 pm, and rain will likely start between 8 pm and 10 pm. During the evening hours, a few thunderstorms maybe possible in the area, and if a storm moves over the track, it could produce a brief heavy downpour. Otherwise, on/off rain of light to moderate intensity can be expected through the night. The showers will decrease in coverage by sunrise on Sunday, but could still be scattered in the area until around noon on Sunday. Sunday afternoon will have decreasing clouds and an increasing northwest wind. The total amount of rainfall during the race is expected to be between 12 and 25 mm, or between 0.5 and 1 inches. It would not be surprising if there was a period of the race that was red flagged due to the combination of rain and darkness, but I am confident that wet tires will be needed at the very least. By Doug Schneider Click images to enlarge A couple of weather systems will affect eastern Belgium over the course of the weekend, which will likely result in some wet periods, mainly during the 24 Hour race.
On Thursday, a cold front will be moving into the region from the northwest. Warm, moist air ahead of this front will allow for some scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop Thursday afternoon around Spa-Francorchamps. The front will move through the area Thursday night, and settle south of the area across France and Luxembourg. A dry air mass will build into Belgium behind the front on Friday, making for a very nice day with plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. The front to the south will stall and be the focus for a developing low pressure system over France on Saturday. As this low develops in western France, it will spread increasing clouds and moisture into Belgium through the day. A few showers are possible late in the day, but the bulk of rainfall with this system will come in the overnight hours into Sunday as it tracks east along the stalled front. Exact timing is uncertain this far out, but should come into better focus later in the week, so stay tuned for updates. I do think that it is likely that there will be rain during the race, and potentially an isolated thunderstorm. How much rain will fall is also unclear at this time, but it could be in the range of 5 mm to 20 mm, or 0.15 to 0.75 inches. That's a wide range, but I should be able to narrow that down with later forecast updates. By Doug Schneider Not much has changed in the expected weather for IMSA's visit to Watkins Glen International. Sunday continues to have high chances of showers and thunderstorms that are likely to impact the race.
This morning, the radar is quiet, but as daytime heating increases, showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop in the Finger Lakes region. Coverage is expected to be scattered, so there's about a 40% chance of one of the storms hitting the track. There may be a brief downpour and lightning, which may cause a delay for a short time and require wet tires. Saturday looks similar to today, with scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms. It will be hot and muggy both days, and the National Weather Service has issued at Heat Advisory for today and Saturday. Drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade if you're at the track. Sunday will have a higher chance of rain as a cold front approaches from the west. Showers and thunderstorms will be numerous ahead of this front. Showers are possible any time of the day, but the bulk of the thunderstorms are expected to come in the afternoon, mainly from 2 PM and later. It is likely that there will be heavy rain and frequent lightning in the closing half of the race, so I would not be surprised if there is a period when the race is red flagged. If you are at the track, stay weather aware and have a place to seek shelter from lightning, either in a vehicle or a building. The Storm Prediction Center has the area in a Marginal Risk of severe thunderstorms, so some strong wind gusts and hail cannot be ruled out. By Doug Schneider It is setting up to be a wet weekend at Watkins Glen. A large high pressure ridge will be located across the Ohio Valley and central Appalachian region, south of New York. A front will be lingering near the Finger Lakes region through the end of this week, which will be a focus for showers and thunderstorms. With afternoon heating creating some instability, scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop each afternoon near the front.
The best chance of showers and thunderstorms appear to be on Sunday, when another front and low pressure system will push toward the area from the west. This should bring greater coverage of showers and storms during the race. There may be some stronger storms that produce heavy rain and frequent lightning, and may result in some delays or stoppages during Sunday's race. Be sure to follow @RacecastWx on X for radar updates over the weekend. By: Stephen McCoy An area of low pressure at the surface is currently moving through Scandinavia, with an area of high pressure over the north Atlantic, west of Ireland. Over the next few days, the low is expected to progress eastward into western Russia, however a second area of lower pressure will spin off from this main low and remain mostly stationary over the southernmost extend of the border of Norway and Sweden. The aforementioned area of high pressure is expected to weaken midweek as it moves into the Bay of Biscay. The clockwise flow around the high, coupled with the counterclockwise motion around the low will result in cooler temperatures over north-central France on Wednesday as winds will be directed from the northwest. Conditions will be mostly clear, though with some lower level cloud cover in the afternoon as low level winds are also expected from the north. A few isolated showers may be possible due to the incoming low level moisture from the English Channel, but will be fairly light if any occurs.
Thursday's temperatures will be similar to Wednesday as the area of high pressure moves over central France. Stagnant air during the morning, along with higher values of relative humidity may result in patchy fog that could last through the mid-morning. Otherwise, conditions will be consistent with the previous day, albeit with a change in wind direction to the southwest. This change in wind direction comes due to a stronger surface low pressure system approaching the British Isles on Thursday, with a front extending to the south. Winds ahead of the front will be from the south to southwest, causing warmer air to enter the region, which will result in warmer lows Friday morning. Much like the system earlier in the week, this surface low is expected to slow dramatically, remaining stationary over the United Kingdom through the remainder of the weekend. The counterclockwise flow around the system will bring consistent afternoon temperatures around 19 C (65 F). But with increased moisture moving in from the Bay of Biscay, cloudy conditions are anticipated to persist, along with the potential for showers moving through the region each day; current guidance suggests daily rainfall totals of 3-5 millimeters (0.1-0.2 inches). |
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