Mixed weather news: Cold front and rain coming to Florida. Will they affect Daytona 500?
Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, attention in Florida is turning to the Daytona 500 and the anticipated influx of spring break enthusiasts wanting relief from winter storms farther north.
Ever since the freezing temperatures and record snowfall in January, Florida seems to have skipped spring and jumped straight into summer.
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That continues this week with above-normal temperatures but a welcome break is coming next week with the arrival of a cold front.
Here's the forecast.
The Daytona 500 takes place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Daytona Beach International Speedway.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 11, the forecast for Daytona Beach calls for partly sunny skies with a 50% chance for showers. High near 82 with winds out of the west-southwest at 15 to 20 mph, gusting up to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service, Melbourne.
AccuWeather's forecast is similar, calling for temperatures in the upper 70s to near 80 Sunday afternoon for the race and lows in the 50s if you hang around or the race lasts well into the night.
A cold front is expected to move across the area on Sunday, which increases the chance of rain on race day.
After the front moves through, much cooler weather is expected into early next week, with lows in the mid-40s to low 50s north of Interstate 4 and the low 50s to low 60s to the south Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Highs in the mid-60s to mid-70s are forecast on Monday.
The cooler temps Monday won't help race fans, unless the race is delayed due to rain.
"There is expected to be a cold front approaching from the west, and it is possible that some rain and perhaps even a thunderstorm could move through the area and cause a delay and even a postponement can't be totally ruled out at this time," said John Feerick, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, in an email Tuesday morning.
"Should a thunderstorm move through Sunday afternoon, there is the potential for strong wind gusts and flooding downpours. There is also the possibility that any rain holds off until after the race is over should the timing of the front be a bit slower."
You don't have to look back too far to find the last time the Daytona 500 was delayed due to weather. In 2024, the race was rescheduled for the following Monday as a storm system moved over the state.
In 2021, the race was delayed by five hours before finishing shortly after midnight on Monday.
Before 2024, there have been two times the Daytona 500 was postponed because of rain.
The 2020 Daytona 500 began on Sunday but was postponed shortly after because of rain. It resumed and finished Monday evening.
In 2012, the race took three days, starting Sunday, getting postponed until Monday night and finally finishing after midnight Tuesday.
Expect the foggy conditions across much of the state to continue, along with above-normal high temperatures Tuesday, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Services.
Low temperatures will return to the 60s and low 70s across the state overnight.
By Monday, temperatures will drop more than 20 degrees in some cities.
NOAA predicted low temps ranging from 37 in the Panhandle to 65 in South Florida on Monday, Feb. 17.
In comparison, low temps for Tallahassee and West Palm Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 11 were predicted to be 62 and 72, respectively.
Eastern Panhandle: A stronger cold front is expected to move into the eastern Panhandle late Saturday into Sunday. Pensacola temps:
Saturday: High 74. Low 62.
Sunday: High 57. Low 39
President's Day: High 57.
Central Panhandle: Severe weather and heavy rain possible Saturday, followed by cooler, drier weather by Monday. Tallahassee temps:
Saturday: High 77. Low 65
Sunday: High 73. Low 38
President's Day: High 60
Northeast Florida: High rain chances return Sunday as another cold front pushes through the area. Expect much cooler temperatures Monday. Jacksonville temps:
Saturday: High 81. Low 66
Sunday: High 79. Low 43
President's Day: High 60
East, Central Florida: Rain chances forecast to increase Sunday as cold front arrives, followed by much cooler weather. Melbourne temps:
Saturday: High 81. Low 68
Sunday: High 86. Low 56
President's Day: High 70
South Florida: Increasing chances for shower Sunday. Highs expected to still be in the 80s, with heat indices around 90. Low will be in the 60s to near 70 into early next week. West Palm Beach temps:
Saturday: High 78. Low 74
Sunday: High 82. Low 66
President's Day: High 73
Southwest Florida, West Coast: Showers and isolated thunderstorms moving across west central and southwest Florida Sunday, followed by drier cooler air. Sarasota temps:
Saturday: High 79. Low 70
Sunday: High 76. Low 56
President's Day: High 67
We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here.
Contributor, Dan Rorabaugh, Ken Willis, USA Today Network-Florida
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida weather forecast: Cold front coming, Daytona 500 could see rain
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