Bike Week weather: What's the forecast for Bike Week's opening weekend in Daytona Beach?
With the opening weekend for the 83rd annual Bike Week only days away in Daytona Beach and throughout Central Florida, event preparation is pretty much complete.
Food vendors and outdoor stages soon will be ready on Main Street, at Ormond Beach’s Destination Daytona and other hot spots, ahead of the influx of an estimated 300,000-400,000 motorcycle fans expected to arrive in a region that stretches beyond Volusia and Flagler to include Brevard, Seminole, Orange, St. Johns and Duval counties, according to organizers.
This year’s event officially runs from March 1-10, but expect some early-bird bikers by midweek.
One question that remains: What’s the weather forecast for the opening weekend of the 10-day event?
Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
For early birds, sunny skies prevail this week
The forecast looks optimistic today through Thursday, according to the NWS extended outlook.
High temperatures on Monday are expected to be near 72, dropping to about 54 at night, with a light and variable wind becoming east 5-10 mph in the afternoon. No mention of rain.
On Tuesday, highs are expected to be around 75, dropping to 58 at night, with a south wind of 5-15 mph. Again, no mention of rain in the forecast.
On Wednesday, skies again are expected to be mostly sunny, with a high near 80. At night, temperatures are expected to drop to around 60. South winds of 10-15 mph are expected.
Skies are expected to turn partly sunny on Thursday, with a high near 72 and west-northwest winds of 5-15 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. At night, mostly cloudy skies are forecast, with a low around 62.
What’s the forecast for Bike Week’s opening weekend?
The outlook for rain looks a bit less promising starting Friday, according to the NWS.
On Bike Week’s official opening day on Friday, there’s a 30% chance of showers under mostly cloudy skies, with a high temperature near 74. An east-southeast wind 10-15 mph is expected, with gusts as high as 20 mph. That rain chance holds on Friday night, with a low around 61 and east-southeast wind of 5-10 mph.
On Saturday, there’s a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 73 and east-northeast winds of 5-10 mph. That rain chance dips to 40% at night, with a low around 60.
There’s also a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday under partly sunny skies. The high is expected to be around 73, with a northeast wind around 10 mph.
What happens at Daytona Bike Week?
The 83rd annual event runs from March 1-10 in Daytona Beach and throughout Central Florida.
The celebration is powered by an array of vendors offering everything from custom sunglasses to exhaust systems, live music and opportunities to cruise everywhere from jam-packed city streets to scenic rural roads.
Looking back: Daytona Beach's Bike Week: A history of beer, bikes, cole slaw and 'rowdyism'
Visit officialbikeweek.com for information.
What are some must-do Bike Week experiences?
Here's a short list of Bike Week activities not-to-be-missed:
Cruise Main Street: Although the event has expanded its footprint over the years, Main Street remains bucket-list worthy, especially for first-timers. Expect it to be packed elbow-to-elbow and tailpipe-to-tailpipe with motorcycles, onlookers, street vendors, bands and unusual characters from the Main Street bridge to State Road A1A.
Shop the Swap: Need a part or accessory? A complete engine? Check out the thousands of items for sale or trade at the annual Daytona Bike Week Swap Meet, a fixture for 45 years in the expansive grounds at 1471 Tomoka Farms Road, just south of the Daytona Flea & Farmers Market.
Rally in DeLand: Be sure to check out the annual DeLand Bike Rally, which features thousands of motorcycles along Woodland Boulevard. There’s a midway with motorcycle-related merchandise, as well as music, beer and food. Past events also have included a group biker wedding ceremony.
Ride the Ormond Loop: This famed 23-mile stretch from Birthplace of Speed Park to the Tomoka River basin is known for its lush canopies of live oaks and breathtaking ocean, river and marsh views. The trek, part of a larger 30-mile-plus double loop, takes riders past an assortment of oceanfront beach parks along State Road A1A, as well as North Peninsula State Park, Highbridge Park, Bulow Creek State Park and the Fairchild Oak, Tomoka State Park, Tomoka Outpost and the Ormond Beach Historical Society.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Bike Week weather forecast for the upcoming 10-day event
