Racecast verification: Indianapolis 500

By Doug Schneider

The main challenge with this forecast was the potential for rain on race day. The days leading up to the Indy 500 were dry and sunny, as forecast. My forecast temperatures Thursday through Saturday were generally a little too cool, but were never off by more than five degrees. Early in the week, it looked questionable whether the weather would cooperate for the Indy 500. But each day, the computer models trended slower and slower with the approach of a low pressure system over the Plains, and showed a stronger high pressure ridge over the Ohio Valley. This trend proved to be correct, and my forecast went in this direction with each update. But it turned out that forecast temperatures were too cool for race day. I expected more clouds that would hold temperatures down, and while there were some morning clouds, they cleared out quickly and temperatures were able to rise into the mid 80s for the race.

Actually, it did rain a little on Sunday morning. Our friends at Slipstream Podcast sent us this photo on the way to the Speedway early Sunday morning:

@Race4caster @IndyCarRadio @500coverage @NextGenIndy @curtcavin #IndyCarWx pic.twitter.com/GYgHmU2dvC

— Slipstream Podcast (@SlipstreamPOD) May 24, 2015

Fortunately, the rain didn't last long, and it wasn't enough to be measurable at the Indianapolis International Airport.

Thanks for following our forecasts through the month of May at Indianapolis.