Forecast for Trans Am at VIR

By Doug Schneider

Moisture associated with the remnant of the tropical storm formerly known as Julia could bring quite a bit of rainfall to central North Carolina this week, and possibly to VIR. There is some uncertainty about how far north the heavy rain will extend, so VIR could end up with a lot of rain or very little. The good news is that most of this rain will come on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before the racing gets under way.

​Here's what the weather map is expected to look like on Thursday: 

The low pressure area near the coast is what will be left of Julia, with a front extending northeast along the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Moisture from the Atlantic will spread up and over this front, which will bring numerous showers to the Tar Heel State. VIR will likely be on the northern edge of where most of this rain will be, so I have a 40% chance of rain in the forecast for Thursday. With cloudy skies expected and a north wind, temperatures will likely top out in the 70s. 

By Friday the low pressure center will have weakened, leaving only a trough near the Outer Banks. This is where most of the rain should stay, as high pressure will be taking control of the weather across the mountains and Piedmont. I can't rule out the possibility of a shower lingering into Friday, and sometimes the models tend to dissipate these tropical lows too quickly, so I have just a slight chance of showers in the forecast for Friday. Most likely, it will stay dry, with some sunshine bringing temperatures into the mid 80s. 

The drying trend will continue into Saturday, with no rain expected, mostly sunny skies, and highs in the upper 80s. There will be a front approaching from the north, which may bring a chance of rain on Sunday for the rest of the SVRA event.

Follow me on Twitter for updates through the week - @Race4caster.