Rain delays Daytona 500, ruins weekend plans across Florida
A wet and chilly period continues across much of Florida on Monday, dampening plans for residents and visitors alike, including the tens of thousands of race fans heading to Daytona International Speedway.
Visitors and residents hoping to enjoy the sunshine, warmth and tranquility that winters in Florida commonly feature will be out of luck through Monday morning, as a wet and chilly stretch is in store.
A storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico sent tropical moisture across the Florida Peninsula through early Monday morning, dampening outdoor plans and lead to localized flooding and numerous travel woes.
Although the rain was tropical in nature, it did not feel that way as temperatures fell well below historical averages amid a steady rain. Rather than comfortably mild conditions in the 70s and 80s, places like Tampa and Orlando only reached into the 50s on Sunday.
Snapshot of the AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite across Florida on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 18th.
If the temperatures and wet weather weren’t enough of a deterrent along Florida’s many beaches, rough surf and rip currents along Florida’s Atlantic coast also will keep people out of the water.
The bulk of the rain remained to the north of South Florida’s famed Miami Beach on Saturday, so residents and visitors were able to take advantage of dry conditions. On Sunday, wet weather finally expanded across South Florida, with Miami picking up 1.88 inches of rain.
Wet weather impacting the Daytona International Speedway schedule
A weekend full of events was slated to occur at Daytona International Speedway, as fans and racers were expected to pile in for both the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300, originally scheduled for Saturday and the Cup Series Daytona 500 on Sunday. However, as AccuWeather meteorologists correctly predicted, rainy conditions led to delays, postponements or cancellations of some events that were originally scheduled for the weekend.
On Saturday morning, it was announced that the final practice for the Cup Series Daytona 500, which was originally scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, was canceled due to inclement weather.
Daytona International Speedway is outfitted with lights, so either event could have turned into a night race if the rain had let up during the evening; however, a dry enough window did not develop on Saturday, and the Xfinity Series race was postponed until 11 a.m Monday morning.
NASCAR drivers deal with inclement weather the best way they can on race day and use weather-related information to help with their on-track preparations.
On Sunday morning, it was announced that the Daytona 500 was officially rescheduled for Monday at 4 p.m. ET. On Monday, dry weather is expected to return by the afternoon hours after the risk for a lingering morning shower or two in and around Daytona Beach.
Importantly, even once there is a break in the rain, it could take several hours for NASCAR officials to dry the track enough for racing to commence.
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