Following a series of rain delays yesterday, NASCAR officials postponed and rescheduled the Daytona 500 for Monday afternoon; plus more of today’s weather news and forecast.
Heavy rain forces Daytona 500 rescheduling for Monday afternoon
After a series of rain delays, with two lengthy delays totaling over three hours, NASCAR officials decided to reschedule the Daytona 500 for Monday afternoon beginning at 4 PM ET.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump appeared at the race, telling drivers to start their engines, and even rode a ceremonial parade lap in his presidential limousine known as “The Beast.” After the vehicle exited the Daytona international Speedway, the skies suddenly unleashed a brief shower, forcing drivers back to pit road. The race finally got underway for around twenty hours, before heavier rain forest NASCAR officials to again delay the race, and eventually postpone it after the racing surface was soaked too heavily and would take hours to dry.
Antarctic island hits nearly 70 degrees for the first time
Researchers at Seymour Island, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, have recorded the highest temperatures they have ever taken at any location in Antarctica, logging a reading of 20.75 Celsius (69.35 degrees Fahrenheit). The researchers say it’s the highest temperature ever seen in Antarctica. Last week, the continent itself hit a record with a temperature of 18.3 Celsius (64.94 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Rapid warm up in Antarctica
Temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula have risen by almost 3C over the past 50 years, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The WMO says about 87% of the glaciers along Antarctica’s west coast have “retreated” during that same time.
Glaciers have demonstrated an “accelerated retreat” over the past 12 years, the WMO says.
Today’s US forecast:
West: San Francisco 66/partly cloudy, Los Angeles 74/partly cloudy, Reno 54/partly cloudy, Las Vegas 71/partly cloudy, Salt Lake City 39/snow, Denver 42/partly cloudy.
Northwest & Northern Rockies: Seattle 47/partly cloudy, Portland 50/partly cloudy, Boise 36/snow, Billings 38/snow, Bismarck 23/cloudy, Rapid City 33/snow.
Southwest: Phoenix 76/Sonny, Albuquerque 62/mostly sunny, El Paso 73/mostly cloudy, San Antonio 81/windy.
Central & Upper Midwest: Lubbock 74/mostly sunny, Dallas 78/partly cloudy, Oklahoma City 62/partly cloudy, Kansas City 58/mostly cloudy, Minneapolis 35/snow, Madison 35/snow.
Ohio Valley: Chicago 39/rain, Detroit 36/mostly cloudy, St. Louis 52/rain, Cincinnati 53/mostly cloudy.
South: Houston 80/cloudy, New Orleans 68/rain, Memphis 62/cloudy, Atlanta 60/cloudy, Charlotte 61/mostly sunny, Jacksonville 70/cloudy, Tampa 82/partly cloudy, Miami 81/mostly sunny.
East: Norfolk 53/partly cloudy, Washington, D.C. 53/mostly sunny, Buffalo 33/partly cloudy, New York 49/mostly sunny, Boston 45/sunny, Bangor 21/partly cloudy.