Kentucky Derby 2024 weather forecast shows promise for Saturday, May 4, race
The Kentucky Derby is less than two weeks away, and the Louisville weather may already be on the minds of race fans.
A quick look at the extended forecast at AccuWeather.com currently shows decent weather for race day.
2024 Kentucky Derby: What to know on date, start time, horses, outfits
Here's what you need to know:
When is the Kentucky Derby 2024?
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 4, 2024.
What is the 2024 Kentucky Derby post time? When does it start?
Times for 2024 are not available. In 2023, post time was 6:57 p.m. National television coverage ran from 2:30-7:30 p.m.
What is the 2024 Kentucky Derby weather forecast for Saturday, May 4?
The current weather forecast is mostly sunny, warm and less humid with a high of 80 degrees and a low of 62 degrees for the Kentucky Derby, according to AccuWeather.com.
There is a 2% chance of precipitation in the forecast with the Max UV Index ranking very high at 10. A west wind of 12 mph is expected.
Kentucky Derby weather history
Here are some historical weather facts for the Kentucky Derby provided by the National Weather Service in Louisville.
Coldest temperature: 36 degrees; May 4, 1940, and May 4, 1957.
Coldest high temperature: 47 degrees; May 4, 1935, and May 4, 1957.
Coldest average daily temperature: 42 degrees; May 4, 1957 − the cold temperatures on May 4, 1957 were accompanied by 20 to 25 mph north winds
Warmest temperature: 94 degrees; May 2, 1959.
Warmest low temperature: 72 degrees; May 14, 1886.
Warmest average daily temperature: 79 degrees; May 14, 1886.
Wettest: 3.15 inches of rain; May 5, 2018.
Frozen precipitation: Sleet was observed from 1:01 to 1:05 p.m. May 6, 1989.
Kentucky Derby days with rain: 71 out of 149 − or 48 percent − have experienced rain at some point during the day.
Longest stretch of consecutive wet Derby Days (24 hours): 7; 2007-2013.
Longest stretch of consecutive wet Derby Days (1 to 7 p.m.): 6; 1989-1994.
Longest stretch of consecutive dry Derby Days (24 hours): 8; 1937-1944.
Longest stretch of consecutive dry Derby Days (1 to 7 p.m.): 12; 1875-1886.
NOTE: The above records, unless otherwise noted, are for the entire calendar day — not necessarily race time. Also, the data were taken at the official observation site for the city of Louisville, not at Churchill Downs itself.
Kentucky Derby 2024 horses
The field is still being determined and courier-journal.com offers a list of horses projected to make the starting lineup for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Here's a look:
Chris Sims is a digital content producer at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2024 Kentucky Derby: When is the race? What is the weather forecast?
