Louisville Ky Weather Forecast Holds Derby Day at 59 Degrees
Louisville ky weather is calling for a high of 59 degrees Saturday at Churchill Downs during the 152nd Kentucky Derby, a forecast that puts Derby Day among the coldest race days since 1989. There is a 20-percent chance of rain early in the day, but racegoers and observers can expect a dry, fast racetrack this afternoon.
Churchill Downs on Derby Day
The temperature outlook comes after the Kentucky Oaks on Friday drew 103,290 people out of Churchill Downs, with the post time temperature listed at 60 degrees at 8:40 pm ET. That close-to-evening temperature offers a sharp contrast to Saturday’s forecast, which stays near the upper 50s instead of the warmer spring conditions usually tied to the Derby.
Alex Slitz, a Getty Images photographer, captured Renegade training on the track during morning workouts ahead of the race. The image of a horse on the track before the 152nd Kentucky Derby fits a day in which the weather is now part of the race-day setup, not just the backdrop.
1989 Derby Cold
WLKY in Louisville said Saturday should rank among the coldest race days since 1989, when the thermometer dropped to below 40 degrees and sleet fell during the Kentucky Derby. Since 2000, rain has fallen on Louisville on the first Saturday in May 13 times, but the forecast now points to limited rain early and a dry track later.
That leaves the most immediate question for people heading to Churchill Downs simple: dress for a colder-than-usual Derby Day and plan for a fast racetrack rather than a wet one. For a crowd used to spring weather at the track, the difference will be felt most before and after the race, when the chill is expected to linger around the venue.
