0-Day Forecast for the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond
Race day is upon us, and the weather is pretty much perfect. It’s hot, but it isn’t too humid. The dew point is actually a few degrees lower than anticipated (58 currently), but the green flag forecast may actually be a bit low as the daytime heat extracts some of the moisture out of the ground. I’m no good at diurnal forecasts (I’m much better at hitting the day’s peaks and lows), but the tweaks are a few degrees (in terms of forecast and dew point) in whatever direction. RIR itself will be warmer than the surroundings (heat capacity, surface emissivity, blah blah blah), but in general, I think I’m not too far off the general forecast from yesterday. It was three degrees warmer yesterday at this time, and the dew point was 8 degrees higher. To the human body, there’s a huge difference between a dew point in the low 60s compared to the mid and upper 60s. Finally, it’s a bit breezy now, but the wind peak will hit a little quicker than anticipated, bringing the winds at the green flag down a few mph. There’s still a slight chance for a pop-up shower, but I wouldn’t even go 10% on it. I hesitate to go to, as Dean Wormer would say, zero-point-zero, but I’d be surprised (but not shocked) if a quick storm popped up.
Thus, the official iiMy forecast (for Saturday)!
- Approx. Green Flag Time: 8:00 EDT
- Television: Versus
- Temperature: 81°F
- Dew Point: 62°F
- Relative Humidity: 53%
- Winds: North-northwesterly at 8 mph
- Chance of Rain: [Much] less than 10%
- Will We Race: Sure looks like it.