NASCAR Daytona International Speedway Weather Forecast: Sunday’s Forecast Becomes Less Desirable

As NASCAR prepares for its biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, the concern for rain on Sunday continues to grow.

There are no weather concerns for Friday or Saturday. The weather story for Friday is very warm temperatures and strong gusty winds. Highs will reach the mid-80s and winds out of the southwest could gust up to 30 miles per hour.

A cold front sweeps across Florida on Friday night and early Saturday morning. Its passing will be quick, but not before it puts down rain across the area overnight. Rain and the front are gone by Saturday morning, but it will be noticeably cooler as highs only reach the mid-60s.

The main focus has turned to Sunday. What once looked like a dry forecast just two days ago has become increasingly wet and unsettled for Sunday afternoon and evening. Moisture will spread in from the Gulf of Mexico as the same cold front that moved through Friday night begins to come back and become a warm front.

This boundary will creep across north Florida, bringing with it an increased threat of rain Sunday afternoon and evening. Rain that forms along a warm front usually is more widespread and last longer than showers associated with a quick-moving cold front.

Based on the current information, I am still optimistic for Sunday but keep in mind cautiously optimistic. The forecast over the last 36 hours has grown increasingly pessimistic and wet for Sunday. This doesn’t mean the Daytona 500 will be a wash, but it is news no one wants to hear and I don’t want to give.

FRIDAY:
11 a.m. ET
Sprint Cup Practice – Partly sunny – temp: 78
12:30 p.m. ET
Sprint Cup Practice – Partly sunny – temp: 81
2 p.m. ET
Nationwide Qualifying – Partly sunny – temp: 84
4 p.m. ET
Truck Qualifying – Partly sunny – temp: 82
7:30 p.m. ET
Truck Race – Partly cloudy – temp: 72

SATURDAY:
10:30 a.m. ET
Sprint Cup Final Practice – Partly sunny – temp: 61
1:15 p.m ET
Nationwide Race – Partly sunny – temp: 65

SUNDAY:
1 p.m. ET
Daytona 500 – Clouds, limited sun, increasing chance of showers through the afternoon – temp: 70