If you’re headed to the race Sunday, bring some rain gear and patience. Indianapolis could see rain on the day of the Indy 500 for the third straight year, according to multiple weather forecasts.
IndyStar is helping race fans prepare for the spectacle by publishing daily updates before tomorrow’s race, scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m.
IndyStar’s historic weather analysis (provided below) shows that it’s rained only once on May 24 since 2006 and the average temperature for the past 20 years has been in the upper 60s. That said, this year threatens to buck the trend as multiple current forecasts call for some precipitation at some point on Sunday, May 24.
What will the weather be like for the Indy 500?
The National Weather Service on Saturday warned of a wet race day, upgrading its forecast of a 60% chance of precipitation Sunday to 70%. The forecast calls for scattered showers before 11 a.m., then scattered thunderstorms until 1 p.m. Green flag at the Speedway race is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Rainfall totals are expected to be between a tenth and a quarter of an inch but could be more in the event of thunderstorms. Outside of the possible storms, skies will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature near 79 degrees.
AccuWeather’s forecast shows an 88% chance of rain on race day with a 53% chance of thunderstorms. Skies will be cloudy with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm with a high temperature in the mid-70s. The weather provider’s outlook notes that “rain and thunderstorms could impact the race.”
The Weather Underground forecast is the most optimistic of the three, calling for a 47% chance of precipitation around noon and mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. According to the group’s hour-by-hour forecast, rain might last an hour or two. The high temperature will be in the mid-to-low 70s.
What is the weather forecast for Memorial Day if there’s a delay?
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is equipped with massive jet dryers capable of drying the track in roughly 90 minutes; these fans have been deployed each of the last two years.
However, in the event of a delay due to ongoing rain and/or thunderstorms, Monday looks to be rather track-friendly. The National Weather Service has downgraded its forecast of a 30% chance of precipitation Memorial Day to mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature near 81 degrees.
What will weather be like for Legends Day, Festival Parade?
This year’s Indy 500 Legends Day takes place today, Saturday, May 23, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 500 Festival Parade takes place downtown at noon.
Consistent with yesterday’s forecast, the National Weather Service gives a 30% chance of rain, though most of the scattered showers were expected to come before 9 a.m. Skies will remain mostly cloudy throughout the day with a high temperature in the mid-70s.
Indy 500 weather history
IndyStar analyzed 20 years of historic data from Weather Underground for May 24, this year’s Race Day.
Daily temperatures averaged in the high 60s and it has rained only one day out of the last 20 since 2006. Precipitation totals on rainy days were light, with the highest on record at only one-tenth of an inch.
On previous race days, temperatures varied wildly from a high of 92 degrees in 1937 and a low of 37 degrees in 1947, according to the National Weather Service.
The most rain fell on May 30, 2004, when Race Day was inundated with nearly 4 inches of precipitation. The race eventually ran but was cut short due to a tornado in the area.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Possible rain, thunderstorms in store for Indy 500. What to know.
