New weather warnings, Fri. night thru Sat.
 

http://www.weather.com/weather/alert...546f51b2ccf8de

Issued by The National Weather Service
Louisville, KY
4:58 am EDT, Thu., Apr. 29, 2010

... AN ACTIVE WEATHER PERIOD EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH HEAVY RAINS... STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLOODING POSSIBLE...

THE LATEST FORECASTS SUGGEST THAT AN ACTIVE PERIOD OF WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY THIS WEEKEND. THE UPPER AIR PATTERN ACROSS OUR REGION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ON A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST FLOW. IN THIS PATTERN... A LARGE AMOUNT OF WARM AND MOIST AIR WILL INFILTRATE OUR REGION FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS MOISTURE ALONG WITH AN APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND MULTIPLE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL RESULT IN SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECASTS... IT APPEARS THAT TWO EPISODES OF ACTIVE WEATHER ARE LIKELY THIS WEEKEND. THE FIRST EPISODE WILL LIKELY OCCUR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST AND STALLS OUT ACROSS KENTUCKY ON SATURDAY. A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION DURING THIS TIME. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ON THE STRONG SIDE WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL POSSIBLE. HOWEVER... THE MAIN THREAT WITH THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE THE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES LIKELY. WITH THE FRONT STALLED OUT ACROSS THE REGION ON SATURDAY... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS... BUT THE MAIN CONCENTRATION OF STORMS LOOKS TO BE ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY A STRONG WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS ACROSS TEXAS AND ARKANSAS AND MOVES NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. WIND FIELDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE DURING THIS TIME FRAME AND STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. THE MAIN SEVERE THREATS DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS... LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IN ADDITION... ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE LIKELY THIS WEEKEND... WITH SOME AREAS PERHAPS SEEING AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 INCHES. THIS MUCH RAINFALL IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS... ESPECIALLY IN LOW-LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. IF FUTURE FORECAST CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE FORECAST RAINFALL AMOUNTS... FLOOD WATCHES MAY BE ISSUED FOR THE WEEKEND.

RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTHERN INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND POSSIBLE FLOODING PROBLEMS THIS WEEKEND.

at least the oaks should be alright

Yes, but it makes the two day bets all the more shaky, in my view.

Sounds like Sat. afternoon may fall "in a window" of not-so-bad, but it is hard to say just yet. Needless to say that track will be sealed like a drum after Friday's races.

Sunny and 75 in Arcadia on Sat


Every big race should be at SA :D :cool:

California and rubber sucks...the real racing is east of the Mississippi.

Don't you mean east of the Rockies?

We should pull that warm air over and ask for its papers. :rolleyes:

Any chance they take the races off the turf?

not the stakes

Or shoot it if it invades our space.

The stakes races will stay on the turf but you may see some scratches if some trainers are not comfortable with the turf course.

You may also see some scratches on the main track if it comes up sloppy (especially in the non-Grade 1 races). Zenyatta scratched last year for much less moisture than we will see Saturday.

Only if NYRA is in charge.:rolleyes: It's all about keeping the grass perfect, after all.

lol

I think concern for horses snapping legs stepping in holes, (formed when courses used under yielding or soft conditions dry up), takes precedent over 'keeping the grass nice'.

I was at the intersection of 3rd & Central last August trying to get to work when the storm that closed down the Kentucky Derby Museum hit and I can assure you that the drainage system on the roads outside of Churchill Downs is not good.

I think I am going to Bass Pro tonight to buy a rain suit as my seats are out in the open in Section 222.

From Courier Journal

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the Louisville area.

A storm front is predicted to stall over the area bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms.

According to the National Weather Service, another more potent system will hit the area early Sunday morning.

With an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms during the day Saturday there is a definite threat for some severe weather at Churchill Downs, said Mike Callahan, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service.

Kentucky Derby 2010 patrons should expect lots of rain Saturday, Callahan said, with thunderstorms that could produce hail and strong winds.

“Depending on timing, this could turn out to be a miserable Derby,” he said in regards to bad weather. “I would say the track is going to be pretty muddy.”

Umbrellas are not permitted into the track on Derby.

Periods of heavy rain and strong thunderstorms are expected to move into the region Friday night and stick around through the weekend, according to a special statement by the National Weather Service.

The weather service is reporting “two episodes” of severe weather — Friday night into Saturday morning and late Saturday into Sunday morning — that could cause some flooding with 2 to 4 inches of rain expected to fall during that time.

A real shame.

Leave it to the weather to screw this up. Meanwhile in upstate NY the forecast is beautiful.