A little uncertainty in the forecast, as we could have a few strong storms move through on Sunday.
By Scott Martin - @RaceWx4You
It's that time of year again! It's when the Verizon Indycar Series makes its way back into Birmingham for the Honda Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. This year's event will probably be the most exciting yet, especially with Honda returning to the top step of the podium for the first two events. One this is for sure, the weather will keep us busy for the latter half of the event weekend.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY:
Both of these days look to be fantastic days at the track, but it will be very warm for Central Alabama during this time of the year. We will have plenty of sunshine with just a few clouds floating by, and no chance of rain on Thursday. Afternoon highs will be in the mid 80s, around 87 degrees. Friday will almost be an exact duplicate, with just a few more clouds than Thursday. Afternoon highs will be in the mid 80s once again, around 86 degrees.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:
Here is where the weather could get pretty interesting. We will have a deep trough across the southeast throughout this weekend, and a stalled surface front to our south will move northward through Central Alabama as a warm front on Saturday ahead of a center of low pressure. Confidence is rather low at this point due to models not agreeing on the timing and location of the low.
As of now, much of the daytime hours on Saturday will be relatively nice, but an isolated thunderstorm will be possible during the afternoon hours. The warm front is expected to pass through the area later in the evening on Saturday, and showers and thunderstorms will be likely throughout the overnight hours and into at least late Sunday morning. It is too early to tell if any of these storms will be strong or severe, but for those who are camping out at the track, you'll need to be weather aware.
Good news is that rain amounts will not be all that much, generally less than 1/2 inch, and the track should be dry by the time the main event gets the green flag. Highs on Saturday will be in the mid 80s, around 85 degrees, but dropping back into the upper 70s, near 77 degrees.
Hopefully I can get a better grasp on the timing and strength on the system moving through on Saturday night and into Sunday, if the models can start agreeing. As of now, I do not believe that severe weather is possible as of now, but in Alabama during April, you can expect the unexpected when it comes to weather.
If you're out at Barber Motorsports Park for the event, be sure to look for me. I'll have my Racecast Weather gear on. Radar will be running for the event starting on Thursday, and you can find my updates on our social media feeds. Have a great week!
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY:
Both of these days look to be fantastic days at the track, but it will be very warm for Central Alabama during this time of the year. We will have plenty of sunshine with just a few clouds floating by, and no chance of rain on Thursday. Afternoon highs will be in the mid 80s, around 87 degrees. Friday will almost be an exact duplicate, with just a few more clouds than Thursday. Afternoon highs will be in the mid 80s once again, around 86 degrees.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:
Here is where the weather could get pretty interesting. We will have a deep trough across the southeast throughout this weekend, and a stalled surface front to our south will move northward through Central Alabama as a warm front on Saturday ahead of a center of low pressure. Confidence is rather low at this point due to models not agreeing on the timing and location of the low.
As of now, much of the daytime hours on Saturday will be relatively nice, but an isolated thunderstorm will be possible during the afternoon hours. The warm front is expected to pass through the area later in the evening on Saturday, and showers and thunderstorms will be likely throughout the overnight hours and into at least late Sunday morning. It is too early to tell if any of these storms will be strong or severe, but for those who are camping out at the track, you'll need to be weather aware.
Good news is that rain amounts will not be all that much, generally less than 1/2 inch, and the track should be dry by the time the main event gets the green flag. Highs on Saturday will be in the mid 80s, around 85 degrees, but dropping back into the upper 70s, near 77 degrees.
Hopefully I can get a better grasp on the timing and strength on the system moving through on Saturday night and into Sunday, if the models can start agreeing. As of now, I do not believe that severe weather is possible as of now, but in Alabama during April, you can expect the unexpected when it comes to weather.
If you're out at Barber Motorsports Park for the event, be sure to look for me. I'll have my Racecast Weather gear on. Radar will be running for the event starting on Thursday, and you can find my updates on our social media feeds. Have a great week!
