Indy 500 weather forecasts are looking better. Here's what they say

Race fans are only a few days away from the Greatest Spectacle in Racing , and weather predictions for the skies above this year's running of the Indy 500 are getting cautiously optimistic. The dreary forecasts from earlier this week have been tempered with slightly more sunshine and calls for rain have been pushed further back in the afternoon. IndyStar is helping race fans prepare their outfits and accessories for the spectacle by publishing daily updates as race day draws near.

IndyStar's historic weather analysis (provided below) shows that it's rained only once on May 24 since 2006 and the average temperature for the past 20 years has been in the upper 60s. That said, multiple current forecasts call for some precipitation this year on Sunday, May 24. What will weather be like for the Indy 500?

The National Weather Service on Thursday is predicting a 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms for Sunday's race . The service's forecast shows rains are likely to hold off until around 2 p. m.

Skies will be partly sunny (a more optimistic outlook than previous forecasts) with temperatures nearing a high of 80 degrees. AccuWeather 's forecast shows a 65% chance of rain totaling about 3. 5 hours throughout the day.