By: Stephen McCoy
For the Le Mans test day this Sunday, little has changed in the forecast as far as temperatures for the day; expect a low temperature around 60F, or in the mid-teen’s C, and a high temperature in the upper 70’s to low-80’s F, or the mid-to-upper 20’s C. Where things have changed are in the upper atmosphere. In the previous forecasts, the upper level low has been located off the western coast of Europe in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Because of this, winds were expected from the south or southwest. However, in the latest model runs, a secondary upper level low is expected to move through the Iberian Peninsula on Saturday and into the Mediterranean Sea early Sunday. The low will weaken on Sunday, however with the upper level low in the North Atlantic, the winds in the upper levels are expected to come from the southeast, bringing moisture from the Mediterranean into the region.
The ECMWF and GFS models, which are global forecasting models, both indicate some amount of precipitation towards the late afternoon and early evening hours on Sunday. However, the high-resolution European models are showing the majority of precipitation towards the southwestern portions of France. For the moment, I’m inclined to follow the high-resolution models, as they’re results take into account smaller-scale interactions between the land and atmosphere. Though I am confident for the moment for no precipitation for the test day, look for an updated forecast Saturday night into Sunday morning for a better look at the conditions for the day.
With winds at the surface and lower atmosphere coming from the east to northeast, and now with upper level winds coming from the southeast, expect windier conditions than previously forecast with some stronger gusts in the region.
The ECMWF and GFS models, which are global forecasting models, both indicate some amount of precipitation towards the late afternoon and early evening hours on Sunday. However, the high-resolution European models are showing the majority of precipitation towards the southwestern portions of France. For the moment, I’m inclined to follow the high-resolution models, as they’re results take into account smaller-scale interactions between the land and atmosphere. Though I am confident for the moment for no precipitation for the test day, look for an updated forecast Saturday night into Sunday morning for a better look at the conditions for the day.
With winds at the surface and lower atmosphere coming from the east to northeast, and now with upper level winds coming from the southeast, expect windier conditions than previously forecast with some stronger gusts in the region.
