Daytona 500 Forecast: Rain Threatens To Raise The Caution Flag This Weekend

Rain, Storms, Snow All Possible With Weekend Storm

As NASCAR drivers get ready to start their engines on Sunday in Daytona, and thousands of fans pour into Daytona International Speedway, let’s hope the rain doesn’t pour in as well. Otherwise, Mother Nature could throw a caution flag before the green even waves.

The race is set to begin at 2:30 p.m., and the forecast right now doesn’t look all that promising. The potential for showers could slow things down faster than a trip to pit road.

Could Rain Delay The Daytona 500?

During race weekend, an area of low pressure will be crossing the Southern U.S., bringing the chance of showers and storms from Texas to Florida. And this system could take aim at the track.

The main question is whether the low will track far enough south to bring showers to Daytona on Sunday afternoon, or stay just to the north.

Right now, the forecast certainty is about as reliable as a coin flip. Several models are showing rain for race day, while others keep Daytona cloudy, but mostly dry.

As we get closer to Sunday, the forecast picture will come into sharper focus. For now, we’re calling for scattered showers and storms with rain chances increasing through the afternoon, something that could force teams into a weather-related pit stop, though this could still change.

Regardless, pack those ponchos if you’re making the trip to Daytona this weekend, and keep checking back for updates in hopes the skies stay clear and the race can run full throttle.

Weather Impacts On Previous Race Years

Even though the Daytona 500 is held during Florida’s dry season, rain has still managed to soak the track from time to time.

Since 2020 alone, four races have seen delays:

2021: Rain delays stretched the race past midnight, another Monday finish.

2022: Like 2020, persistent rain postponed the race to Monday.

2025: Rain delayed the race roughly three hours before it wrapped up later that night.

However, the most unusual delay came in 2012, when rain wasn’t the only hazard on the track.

2012: Rain postponed the race to Monday. Then, during the race, Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer, sparking a fire. This was the only Daytona 500 to finish on a Tuesday.

2003, 2009: Both races were called after the halfway mark due to rain. Only four Daytona 500s in history have failed to run the full distance because of weather.

The warmest Daytona 500 on record came in 1975, with a high of 85 degrees, while the coldest occurred in 1967, when temperatures topped out at just 48 degrees.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.