Daytona Beach weather: What's the forecast for Speedweek and the Daytona 500?

Jim Abbott, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read

DAYTONA BEACH — It won’t be long until NASCAR’s top drivers take to the track for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway, the culmination of Speedweek events that officially begin on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

Will race fans (and drivers) be loving the weather that’s expected as the week unfolds?

Although official seven-day extended daily forecast models aren’t yet available for the Speedweek dates from the National Weather Service in Melbourne, meteorologists can offer a broader outlook on what to expect.

A look at the action during last year's running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. What's the weather outlook for this year's big race on Feb. 18 in Daytona Beach?
A look at the action during last year's running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. What's the weather outlook for this year's big race on Feb. 18 in Daytona Beach?

Better bring a jacket and, possibly, a raincoat.

Here’s what we know:

Lower temps, higher rain chance possible

On Sunday, the week will begin with partly sunny skies, a daytime high near 77 and a nighttime low around 61, according to the NWS extended forecast.

There’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Monday, followed by a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. By Tuesday, high temperatures are expected to drop from the high 70s to about 67, according to the extended forecast.

Pit crew members jump intro action to service Christopher Bell's No. 20 Toyota during last year's Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. According to early forecasts, there could be clouds and a chance of rain for this year's Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 in Daytona Beach.
Pit crew members jump intro action to service Christopher Bell's No. 20 Toyota during last year's Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. According to early forecasts, there could be clouds and a chance of rain for this year's Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 in Daytona Beach.

That trend toward lower than average temperatures and above normal precipitation levels is expected to continue on Speedweek’s official opening day on Wednesday through the running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, said Kole Fehling, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

“We don’t put percentages that far out, but the pattern will favor above average chance of rainfall for the time of year,” said Fehling, adding that there’s a 40-50% chance for above-average rain percentages in Daytona Beach during the Speedweek dates. “There’s going to be a better chance for rain than normal.”

There’s also high probability of temperatures that will be lower than average for this time of year, when the normal high is about 71 and the normal low around 50, Fehling said.

“We’re looking at highs in the mid- to upper-60s on Wednesday and Thursday, below what would be normal temperatures,” he said.

AccuWeather daily forecasts for Speedweek, 500

AccuWeather, meanwhile, does offer daily forecasts for Feb. 14-18 at Daytona International Speedway.

According to those predictions, the outlook is for cloudy skies and a 25% chance of rain in Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. The daytime high on race day is expected to be 72, dropping to 55 at night.

AccuWeather’s outlook for the days leading up to the Sunday’s big race are more encouraging, with sunny to partly sunny skies predicted Wednesday-Saturday with daytime highs ranging from 67-71 and nighttime lows ranging from 46 on Wednesday to 54 on Saturday. Chances of rain are 5% or less daily from Wednesday through Saturday.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Here's the weather outlook for Speedweek and the Daytona 500