renew: Find the latest weather forecast for Legends Day and Match Day here.
As the Indy 500 weekend's Carb Day kicks off, the city is entering the final stretch. To prepare for the main event, IndyStar is updating race fans on the latest weather forecast.
Details of Sunday's forecast could still change, said Crystal Pettit, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. Since weather conditions can change rapidly, racing fans need to pay attention to the latest weather forecasts.
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Here are the Indy 500 weekend predictions as of today:
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What's the weather like at the Indy 500?
Gates open for the big race at 6 a.m. on Sunday, with the green flag flying for the start of the race at 12:45 p.m.
Pate said there is an increasing chance of rain and thunderstorms, with waves expected from late morning to early afternoon and an increased chance of severe thunderstorms in the afternoon.
As of Friday, the National Weather Service forecast showed a 40% chance of rain and thunderstorms before 2 p.m. and an 80% chance after 2 p.m.
“There is currently a high chance of severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and evening,” Pettit said Friday morning.
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Weather Underground's current forecast for Sunday predicts thunderstorms starting at 11 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. Forecasters there said severe thunderstorms were expected, with temperatures reaching around 76 degrees and an 80 percent chance of rain.
AccuWeather predicts a 97% chance of rain and a 92% chance of thunderstorms on game day. Thunderstorms can be severe and can bring flooding, hail, damaging wind gusts and tornadoes.
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Will the Indy 500 be postponed or postponed?
Despite the grim weather outlook, IMS President Doug Boles said he was 99.9% confident there would be no announcement about delays or delays before Sunday.
According to the IMS website, the Indy 500 has been completely postponed due to rainy weather only three times since 1915.
The last time rain disrupted the race was in 2007, when drivers had to stop twice due to weather conditions and only completed 166 laps.
According to a 2019 IndyStar article, drivers must complete at least 101 laps to officially compete.
Any extension, whether in full or in part, will be made up the next day.
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What's the weather forecast if there are delays on Memorial Day?
The National Weather Service in Indy predicts a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Monday. Skies will be mostly clear and the high will be near 75 degrees.
The Underground forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms in the morning, with partly cloudy skies later in the day. Chance of rainfall is about 40%, and temperatures will be in the mid-70s.
AccuWeather says thunderstorms will develop in areas with mostly cloudy skies on Memorial Day morning. Chance of rain is 40% and temperatures will reach 75 degrees.
What's the weather like on carb day?
Today is “carb day” and the NWS is expecting sunny skies with a high near 84 degrees. After 8 p.m., there will be scattered rainfall and thundershowers, with a 40% chance of precipitation.
Today's underground weather forecast shows some clouds and the possibility of isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 30% and temperature is near 85 degrees.
AccuWeather's forecast for Carb Day shows a 40% chance of rain. It will be very warm and humid later this afternoon with clouds, sunshine and thunderstorms at times.
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How was the weather on Legend Day?
Tomorrow is Legend Day and the National Weather Service is currently calling for isolated showers until 2pm, with mainly cloudy skies then gradually clearing, with only a 20% chance of rain. The high temperature will be around 82 degrees.
The Meteorological Underground Station predicts scattered thundershowers on Saturday morning, followed by clear skies later in the day. Temperatures will be near 82 degrees with a 50% chance of rain.
The AccuWeather forecast shows a 25% chance of rainfall on Legend Day, with warm and sunny weather and a high near 82 degrees.
Indy 500 weather history
IndyStar analyzed Weather Underground's 20 years of historical data as of May 26, this year's race day.
Average daily temperatures are in the high 60s, and only five of the last 20 days since 2004 have rained.
Previous race days have not always been on May 26, with temperatures varying widely from According to the National Weather Service, the high temperature was 92 degrees in 1937 and the low was 37 degrees in 1947.
The heaviest rainfall occurred on May 30, 2004, with nearly 4 inches of rainfall on game day.
Nat Newell contributed to this report.
Karl Schneider is IndyStar's environmental reporter. You can contact him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk
IndyStar's environmental reporting program is made possible with the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
