By: Stephen McCoy
Hot and muggy conditions await for the Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring this weekend with temperatures in the mid 80's expected each day. Partly cloudy with chances for precipitation are in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday after sunny conditions for Friday.
Zonal flow in the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere will be present through the day on Friday, bringing dry air from the west to the region. Some light cloud cover could be possible during the day as some moisture moves in from southeasterly winds in the lower levels. Surface winds also from the southeast will bring warm, moist air to the region, causing temperatures to reach the mid-80's with dew point temperatures in the upper 60's; subsequently, heat index values are likely to reach 90F.
Overnight Friday into Saturday, a surface low pressure system is expected to develop off the mid-Atlantic coast ahead of a strong upper level shortwave trough; a cold front will extend from this system to the southwest into the Gulf of Mexico. The surface low is expected to move to the northeast up the east coast of the US through Saturday, while the cold front is expected to slowly move to the southeast. The front will likely reach Sebring in the mid-afternoon to evening, though due to it stretching from New England to the Gulf Coast, it will significantly weaken through the day. The weakened front is unlikely to affect the temperature for the day, however it is expected to provide enough lift to cause a slight chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms as it approaches the track. As the front passes, surface winds will shift to the north to northeast as high pressure builds into the southeast region.
Similar conditions are expected on Sunday as the cold front transition into a stationary front over central Florida. Surface winds will continue from the north and northeast, though wind speeds are expected to strengthen as the winds come off the Atlantic as opposed to over land. The stationary front will bring a chance for showers or thunderstorms to the region, especially in the afternoon and could have an impact on Sunday's race. Lingering moisture in the lower levels of the atmosphere will cause some partly to mostly cloudy conditions during the day, with cloud cover increasing in the evening.
Zonal flow in the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere will be present through the day on Friday, bringing dry air from the west to the region. Some light cloud cover could be possible during the day as some moisture moves in from southeasterly winds in the lower levels. Surface winds also from the southeast will bring warm, moist air to the region, causing temperatures to reach the mid-80's with dew point temperatures in the upper 60's; subsequently, heat index values are likely to reach 90F.
Overnight Friday into Saturday, a surface low pressure system is expected to develop off the mid-Atlantic coast ahead of a strong upper level shortwave trough; a cold front will extend from this system to the southwest into the Gulf of Mexico. The surface low is expected to move to the northeast up the east coast of the US through Saturday, while the cold front is expected to slowly move to the southeast. The front will likely reach Sebring in the mid-afternoon to evening, though due to it stretching from New England to the Gulf Coast, it will significantly weaken through the day. The weakened front is unlikely to affect the temperature for the day, however it is expected to provide enough lift to cause a slight chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms as it approaches the track. As the front passes, surface winds will shift to the north to northeast as high pressure builds into the southeast region.
Similar conditions are expected on Sunday as the cold front transition into a stationary front over central Florida. Surface winds will continue from the north and northeast, though wind speeds are expected to strengthen as the winds come off the Atlantic as opposed to over land. The stationary front will bring a chance for showers or thunderstorms to the region, especially in the afternoon and could have an impact on Sunday's race. Lingering moisture in the lower levels of the atmosphere will cause some partly to mostly cloudy conditions during the day, with cloud cover increasing in the evening.
