By Doug Schneider (@Race4caster)
The seemingly long off-season is finally coming to a close, and the first big race of 2016 is less than a week away. So what will the weather do for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona?
Florida will be under a wet pattern to start the event on Wednesday. A deep upper level trough will be dropping southward across the central United States toward the Gulf of Mexico. The south-to-southwest flow will provide plenty of moisture to the area ahead of the approaching trough, so rain showers are likely at the track on Wednesday. The rain may occur at any time of the day, but it appears that the bulk of it will be in the afternoon. Some of the showers could be heavy at times in the afternoon and evening.
Rain showers are likely to continue into Wednesday night and Thursday as the surface low pressure center will be tracking east across central Florida. A few thunderstorms may be possible during this time, but that largely depends on the exact track of the low pressure center, which is still uncertain. A low that tracks farther north will mean a better chance of thunderstorms. The trailing cold front is expected to move through sometime Thursday evening, which will bring drier air and an end to the rain chances.
Friday will be mostly sunny but cooler, with a brisk northwest wind. Winds will be between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts to around 25 mph at times. This will make for a pretty stiff cross-wind along the front stretch and back stretch. High temperatures will only top out in the lower 60s, which is about ten degrees below normal for this time of year in Daytona Beach. If you're heading to the race, be sure to pack some warm clothes and a coat, because temperatures will be quite chilly Saturday morning, with lows in the lower 40s.
The weather for the race looks great from start to finish. High pressure will be drifting across the Florida peninsula, providing dry weather and clear skies Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will be trending a little warmer for the race, with highs on Saturday in the mid 60s, and highs around 70 on Sunday.
Be sure to follow all of our social media feeds - Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram - for forecast updates through the week. I'll also have a video weather briefing that I plan on posting here and on our YouTube channel tomorrow.
Florida will be under a wet pattern to start the event on Wednesday. A deep upper level trough will be dropping southward across the central United States toward the Gulf of Mexico. The south-to-southwest flow will provide plenty of moisture to the area ahead of the approaching trough, so rain showers are likely at the track on Wednesday. The rain may occur at any time of the day, but it appears that the bulk of it will be in the afternoon. Some of the showers could be heavy at times in the afternoon and evening.
Rain showers are likely to continue into Wednesday night and Thursday as the surface low pressure center will be tracking east across central Florida. A few thunderstorms may be possible during this time, but that largely depends on the exact track of the low pressure center, which is still uncertain. A low that tracks farther north will mean a better chance of thunderstorms. The trailing cold front is expected to move through sometime Thursday evening, which will bring drier air and an end to the rain chances.
Friday will be mostly sunny but cooler, with a brisk northwest wind. Winds will be between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts to around 25 mph at times. This will make for a pretty stiff cross-wind along the front stretch and back stretch. High temperatures will only top out in the lower 60s, which is about ten degrees below normal for this time of year in Daytona Beach. If you're heading to the race, be sure to pack some warm clothes and a coat, because temperatures will be quite chilly Saturday morning, with lows in the lower 40s.
The weather for the race looks great from start to finish. High pressure will be drifting across the Florida peninsula, providing dry weather and clear skies Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will be trending a little warmer for the race, with highs on Saturday in the mid 60s, and highs around 70 on Sunday.
Be sure to follow all of our social media feeds - Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram - for forecast updates through the week. I'll also have a video weather briefing that I plan on posting here and on our YouTube channel tomorrow.
