Will it rain on the Indy 500? Here's central Indiana's latest weather forecast as of Thursday
Goldilocks would be pleased with the Indianapolis 500 Race Day weather forecast.
As of Thursday morning, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis predict weather out of a fairytale.
'It's not going to be scorching hot, and it's not going to be horribly cold,' said Alexander McGinnis, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service's Indianapolis office.
It will be a little chilly for late May, though, with temperatures going from the upper 40s in the early morning to the upper 60s that afternoon.
Here's what we know about rain chances at this year's race.
Light breezes, with winds out of the east northeast at about 10 miles per hour, are expected on Race Day, McGinnis said.
'On the whole, not a bad day for late May, especially given that the humidity levels should be low. It should be comfortable,' McGinnis said.
There's a 25% chance of rain showers in the midday to afternoon hours, he said.
Out of the past 108 runnings of the Indianapolis 500, measurable or trace amounts of precipitation fell 47 times at some point during the day — that's roughly 44%, according to historical records maintained by the NWS.
Last year's rainfall during the Indy 500 was one for the record books. Severe weather in 2024 caused the race to be delayed for roughly three hours after 1.48 inches of rain spilled across central Indiana, soaking the track as well as the fans. It was the third rainiest Indy 500 ever.
Story continues after photo gallery.
The extended weather forecast for central Indiana is as follows:
🌧️☁️Thursday: Patchy drizzle before noon, then scattered showers, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.
🌜 Thursday night: Scattered showers, mainly before 8 p.m.. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 44. Northwest wind 5 to 9mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
☀️ Friday: Mostly sunny with a high near 67. West northwest wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
🌜 Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Northwest wind around 6 mph, becoming calm in the evening.
☀️ Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
🌜 Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low near 48. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
☀️🏎️🏁 Sunday: A 30% chance of showers, mainly before 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 69East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
The wettest Indy 500 on record happened in 2004, according to NWS, when 3.8 inches of precipitation drenched the Indianapolis area. Twice, rain stopped the race — first at Lap 28, then a second time which ultimately led to shortening that year's Indy 500 to 180 laps (450 miles), according to IMS.
Rain and the Indy 500: Let's take a look back at historical weather data for the Indy 500.
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