Will it rain on the Indy 500? Here's central Indiana's latest weather forecast as of Wednesday
Here's what we know about rain chances at this year's race.
As of Wednesday morning, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis predict some afternoon showers and potentially thunderstorms on race day.
"We can't rule out a thunderstorm or two around that 2 p.m. timeframe," Earl Breon, a meteorologist with NWS Indianapolis told IndyStar Wednesday morning.
"It's a few days out from now so things could change on us, but looking at Sunday, that's kind of what we're looking for right now is a 30% chance of (precipitation), upper 60s to around 70 and then mainly a chance of showers. Maybe a thunderstorm in the area," Breon 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:
⛈️🌧️ Wednesday: Scattered showers, mainly after 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. West southwest wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%..
⛈️🌧️ Wednesday night: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. West wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
🌧️⛅Thursday: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. West northwest wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
🌧️🌜 Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 45. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
☀️ Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. West northwest wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
🌜 Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.
☀️Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
🌧️🌜 Saturday night: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
🌧️🏎️🏁 Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a chance of showers between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
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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