INDIANA, USA — For mid-to late May, the weather doesn't get much better than the streak of prettiness central Indiana is currently enjoying.
This time of year can certainly be miserably muggy, but with dewpoints just briefly peaking near 60 degrees Wednesday, that won't be this case this week.
Perhaps the biggest complaint might be the thin layer of haze from remnant Canadian wildfire smoke still lingering overhead. Air quality is now in the moderate range, which can impact those with unusually sensitive respiratory systems.
For now, we don't be expect the smoke layer to get much worse locally, with the more dense layer modeled to stay on the periphery of the WTHR viewing area.
Afternoon temperatures will be noticeably warmer in the 80s, but thankfully, the Muggy Meter remains comfortable.
Tuesday and Wednesday sees temperatures peaking in the mid- to upper 80s before a moisture-starved cold front sweeps through the state, with just a slight rain chance Wednesday afternoon.
The bigger impact from this front won't be rain but a surge of even drier air, with dewpoints dropping into the 30s Thursday and Friday. This sets the stage for more sunshine and rather pleasant conditions for Carb Day and into the race weekend.
For now, there are no changes to the Indy 500 weekend forecast. We will monitor the progression of a modeled cutoff upper low. It's impossible to say if this feature actually develops, and more importantly, where it will be centered.
But in theory, it could drag moisture from the Atlantic into the Ohio Valley in the form of clouds and/or spotty rain. Again, we'll monitor for potential tweaks to the forecast.
But as of now, if the forecast holds, it will be one heck of a weekend of weather, with sunshine and comfortable highs in the mid/upper 70s to near 80 degrees.
