Forecast for Petit Le Mans

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.

The hot temperatures that have been persisting across the Southeast the past few weeks will finally be coming to an end as a cold front moves through the region on Tuesday. There is a chance of some showers and thunderstorms with the front on Tuesday as teams load into the track, but they will be long gone in time for the on-track activity that starts on Wednesday. Temperatures will still be on the warm side on Wednesday, in the lower 80s, but with low humidity.

An upper level low pressure system will be dropping southeast, and be located over the southern Appalachian Mountains on Thursday. But the good news is that any rain associated with it will remain north of Road Atlanta, over Virginia and North Carolina. The only impacts of the system will be a few more clouds, cooler temperatures in the 70s, and a stronger northwest wind (10 to 15 mph). 

The upper level low will start to pull away on Friday, and high pressure will build in from the west for the rest of the event. This will provide plenty of sunshine for the race on Saturday, with comfortable temperatures and low humidity. 

​Follow me on Twitter (@Race4caster) for forecast updates through the week.