By Doug Schneider
There's no way to sugar coat this forecast - it's going to be a messy day at Watkins Glen today. Light rain across Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio early this morning is spreading north, and I expect rain to begin at the track between 8 am and 11 am. The rain will be light at first, but generally increase in intensity in the afternoon. It looks like the prime time for the heaviest rainfall today will be between 3 pm and 7 pm. Here's a model depiction of what the radar might look like around 5 pm (Watkins Glen is located near the red dot in the center):
The Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge race will certainly be wet, and I am doubtful that TUDOR qualifying, scheduled from 3:40 to 5:10, will happen at all as the heavy rain will likely be occurring in that time frame. Rain will continue through the evening, but after midnight, the rain should become a little more spotty. Total rainfall amounts today and tonight could exceed two inches.
The good news is that the main punch of rain with this system will be exiting Saturday night. The upper level trough will be moving across the region Sunday, and this will keep numerous showers going all day. However, I expect that they will be on/off showers rather than a steady rain, and lighter than what should occur Saturday. It is difficult to say how much rain may occur with this type of sporadic shower activity, but my best estimate is between a tenth and a quarter inch. Temperatures will remain cool with the rain and cloud cover, with temperatures climbing no higher than the mid 60s.
You can keep an eye on the radar throughout the event by using our live radar link at the top of the website.
The good news is that the main punch of rain with this system will be exiting Saturday night. The upper level trough will be moving across the region Sunday, and this will keep numerous showers going all day. However, I expect that they will be on/off showers rather than a steady rain, and lighter than what should occur Saturday. It is difficult to say how much rain may occur with this type of sporadic shower activity, but my best estimate is between a tenth and a quarter inch. Temperatures will remain cool with the rain and cloud cover, with temperatures climbing no higher than the mid 60s.
You can keep an eye on the radar throughout the event by using our live radar link at the top of the website.
