By Doug Schneider
The forecast for Watkins Glen continues to look very wet this weekend. A low pressure system that has brought a lot of rain to the Southeast over the last few days will continue to track slowly northeast. The counter-clockwise flow around this low will draw a lot of moisture off the Atlantic Ocean into upstate New York, causing periods of showers and thunderstorms at the track on Friday and Saturday. The northeast movement of the low will take it east of the Finger Lakes region on Sunday, which will lower the chance of rain and allow for some partial sunshine, but I expect that afternoon instability will cause scattered showers to develop in the area.
The uncertainty in this forecast is how much rain will fall. There is a potential for heavy rainfall at times, especially Friday and Saturday. This could cause delays to the on-track activity, as well as localized flooding. Campers should avoid setting up tents in low lying areas which may be prone to flooding. Lightning will also be an issue to stay aware of - make sure you have a place to find shelter when thunder is heard, like inside a car or a building. The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center forecast rain amounts are around 0.25 to 0.5 inches on Friday, 0.5 to 0.75 inches on Saturday, and 0.1 to 0.25 inches on Sunday. So the range of possible amounts for the event is expected to be between 0.8 and 1.5 inches total. Here's their graphic of rain amounts for Friday through Sunday.
The uncertainty in this forecast is how much rain will fall. There is a potential for heavy rainfall at times, especially Friday and Saturday. This could cause delays to the on-track activity, as well as localized flooding. Campers should avoid setting up tents in low lying areas which may be prone to flooding. Lightning will also be an issue to stay aware of - make sure you have a place to find shelter when thunder is heard, like inside a car or a building. The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center forecast rain amounts are around 0.25 to 0.5 inches on Friday, 0.5 to 0.75 inches on Saturday, and 0.1 to 0.25 inches on Sunday. So the range of possible amounts for the event is expected to be between 0.8 and 1.5 inches total. Here's their graphic of rain amounts for Friday through Sunday.
Follow @RacecastWx on Twitter, as I'll try to post regular radar updates through the event. If you're at the track, please tag us in your photos.
