Will it rain on the Indy 500? Here's central Indiana's latest weather forecast as of Tuesday
Here's what we know about the possibility of rain at this year's race.
As of Tuesday morning, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis predict a 30% chance of rain at about the time of the race.
The reason for the increase is due to a system of storms developing out west, across the Central Plains and potentially headed this way, said Greg Melo, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Indianapolis office.
Story continues after photo gallery.
'It looks like that complex of storms might fade and shift to the southwest of the Indianapolis metro area; but it'll be a close call,' Melo said. 'That's why there's some more uncertainty. We're not really sure if those storms will make it into the Indy metro, but definitely looks like it's going to impact southern portions of Indiana, in areas south and west of the Indy metro.'
'The question though, is how far north and east those storms get? So we'll be watching those closely,' 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:
⛈️🌧️ Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. High near 70. Southeast wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
⛈️🌧️ Tuesday night: Showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m., then isolated showers. Low around 59. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph, becoming southwest after midnight. Gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
🌧️ Wednesday: Scattered showers, mainly after 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a steady temperature of about 62. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
🌧️ Wednesday night: Scattered showers, mainly after 2 a.m.. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. West wind 9 to 13 mph. Gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
🌧️☁️Thursday: Scattered showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 60. Northwest wind, 10 to 13 mpg. Gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
☁️Thursday night: Partly cloudy with low around 45. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Gusts as high as 20 mph.
☀️ Friday: Mostly sunny with a high near 65. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph. Gusts as high as 21 mph.
☁️ Friday night: Partly cloudy with a low around 47. Northwest wind around 6 mph, becoming calm in the evening.
☀️ Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon.
☁️ Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
⛅🏎️🏁 Sunday: A 30% chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70.
More about race day: What can you bring to IMS on race day? Check out what's allowed and prohibited at Indy 500.
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.
Cheryl V. Jackson covers trending and food-related news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send her a news tip at Cheryl.Jackson@IndyStar.com.
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