LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby season is in full swing!
While many of us are finalizing our outfits (does the hat or the dress come first?), it's important to know what kind of weather to dress for.
Temperatures during the month of May can be all over the place in Louisville.
The city has gotten as hot as 98° in 1911, and as cold as 42° in 1897. This mixed bag of temperatures this time of the year always makes for an interesting forecast for Derby events.
Kentucky Oaks
Temperatures have varied from 44° at the coldest, and 94° at the warmest on Oaks Day.
More than half (53%) of Oaks Days have had rain at some point in the day!
Just going by statistics, you're more likely than not to need an umbrella to keep your pink Oaks apparel dry.
Kentucky Derby
Similar to Oaks, temperatures for Derby have varied from 47° at the coldest and 94° at the warmest. There was even sleet at the Derby in 1989!
Seventy out of the past 148 Derby Days have had rain at some point in the day, which comes out to 47%.
Looking at those numbers, it's more likely to see rain on Oaks than on Derby. The forecast this year will follow that trend.
Forecast
While there will be mostly cloudy sky on Oaks, it won't produce much in the way of rain. Most of the rain will stay to the south of Louisville and be very light through the day.
The clouds also won't prevent us from warming up! Temperatures will be nearly perfect. There will be highs in the low 70s.
A few light showers may be around early Saturday for the Derby, but those will be long gone for the most exciting two minutes in sports.
It will be warm and partly cloudy by the time the track is filling up, with highs in the middle 70s!
Mild Oaks & Derby weather will jump start the summer-like week we have in store. 80s return to the forecast as early as Sunday with a few rain chances.
Overall, it is a good-looking forecast this year. We have forecasted temperatures that will sit right in between the record highs and lows and rain chances are low.
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