Stormy weather to threaten Sunday's NASCAR race at Pocono Raceway
Dexter Henry takes a look into how motorsports race tracks like Pocono Raceway have plans in place for inclement weather to keep both drivers and fans safe.
Showers and thunderstorms are making a comeback in the Northeast and could interfere with Sunday's NASCAR race, the Pocono 400, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Pocono Raceway, located in the Pocono Plateau of northeastern Pennsylvania, was spared from Saturday's severe weather across the lower Great Lakes. However, the track may be right in the midst of feisty storms bubbling up in the Northeast on Sunday.
Following a shower that wandered over northeastern Pennsylvania at midday, numerous showers and thunderstorms will be scattered about the interior Northeast on Sunday afternoon as a press of cool air dives southward.
Kyle Busch in action during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, June 3, 2018, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
"After the race was started a bit early to try and avoid adverse weather, wet weather could move into the area before the race is fully completed," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert. "Unless there is a crash that halts the race before the showers and thunderstorms arrive, enough laps (100 laps) should be run for the race to be deemed official."
Any storm that wanders over the track will not only bring lightning dangers and a delay to the race, but also torrential downpours and the threat of damaging winds.
Fans are urged to listen to evacuation instructions from track personnel in the event a thunderstorm threatens.
The storms are not expected to exit the area until the evening hours, so there may not be enough daylight to officially complete the race once the track has been fully dried. Pocono has no lights for the race to be run after dark.
AccuWeather is the official weather service provider for the Pocono Raceway, as well as the presenting partner of the Raceway's "Worry-Free Weather Guarantee."
AccuWeather will play a vital role in keeping fans and personnel safe by providing the track with real-time weather updates during this weekend's races.
The Worry-Free Weather Guarantee Presented by AccuWeather ensures that fans who purchased Sunday tickets directly from Pocono Raceway in advance will be reimbursed the face value if weather postpones the race and they are unable to make the re-scheduled event.
In the wake of the race, drier but unusually cool weather for early June is expected to kick off the new week.
Temperatures will struggle to climb to 60 F with a brisk wind pushing AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures several degrees lower on Monday. This is a far cry from the area's normal early June highs in the lower 70s F.
Partial sunshine will help to negate some of the coolness, but fans should still come prepared with an extra outer layer, especially for the morning hours.
Low temperatures can dip into the 30s and lower 40s F across interior areas on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Download the free AccuWeather app for more details on the forecast for your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
