Indy 500: Is there more bad weather in store?

Following Wednesday’s rainout at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, how does the weather forecast look for the rest of the Indy 500 schedule?

For the first time since Tuesday, May 17, 2016, an Indy 500 practice session was totally washed out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 18.

Aside from the two-day open test last month, just one practice session for the 106th running of the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) oval in Speedway, Indiana has been held thus far.

That session took place on Tuesday, with Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing’s Takuma Sato finishing atop the speed chart and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay finishing atop the no-tow speed chart.

Following yesterday’s washout, practice is due to resume later today at 12:00 p.m. ET, and it is set to run through 6:00 p.m. ET. Peacock Premium is set to provide live coverage from the track.

But could there be additional bad weather in store for the Racing Capital in the World leading up to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”?

According to The Weather Channel, there is just a 10% chance of rain in Speedway today and a 5% chance of rain there tomorrow for the Fast Friday practice session. However, the forecast is much less promising for qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, there is a 58% chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. Qualifying is scheduled to take place from 12:00 p.m. ET to 5:50 p.m. ET.

On Sunday, there is a 66% chance of rain, but those showers should be limited to the morning. So based solely on the current forecast, the Top 12 Qualifying session and the Firestone Fast Six session (a new format for 2022) should not be impacted.

For the practice session on Monday, there is just a 6% chance of rain, and for the Carb Day practice session next Friday, there is a 24% chance of rain. For race day, Memorial Day Sunday, May 29, there is currently also a 24% chance of rain.

But as any race fan knows, the weather at Indianapolis in May can change at any moment, and the forecast isn’t always accurate. So take it with a grain of salt, and above all, take it day by day.