Here's what a typical Kentucky Derby weekend is like for NBC's Dylan Dreyer

She makes covering the Kentucky Derby on national television look like a breeze. So you might be surprised what a typical jam-packed day is like for NBC's meteorologist and host of the "3rd Hour of Today," Dylan Dreyer.

For 11 years, Dreyer has traveled to Louisville the weekend of the Kentucky Derby where she delivers the weather and covers lifestyle segments for NBC's "Today" show and NBC Sports.

"It started that I would come to Louisville for Saturday's 'Today' show and Al Roker would do Fridays and then one year his flight got canceled and I was already in town so I jumped in and did his Friday shift," Dreyer told the Courier Journal. "It just snowballed from there to me doing weather on Friday and Saturday and also NBC's Sports' lifestyle coverage. Now I am fully ingrained in the Kentucky Derby and I love it."

In each of her broadcast segments, Dreyer appears elegant and composed and seems to have a lot of fun, but behind the scenes, her days are pretty hectic and long.

She told the Courier Journal The Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby are the two longest work days of her year.

To be ready for the "Today" show, Dreyer is up by 4 a.m. for hair and makeup on Friday and Saturday. Once "Today" ends at 10 a.m., she grabs a quick breakfast and heads to meetings and rehearsals for the NBC Sports' daylong broadcasts. On Friday her day isn't over until the conclusion of the last race of the day, so somewhere after 7 p.m.

Then she gets up and does it all over again on Saturday.

What does Dylan Dreyer do during NBC's Kentucky Derby broadcast?

For the record, Dreyer's broadcasts go way beyond delivering the race day weather forecast. A typical Derby weekend finds her interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at Churchill Downs, featuring the Woodford Reserve $1,000 mint julep, talking fashion with Churchill Downs' featured milliners and stylists, sampling the Kentucky Derby menu with Churchill Downs' executive chef, and maybe, if she's lucky, placing a bet on the races.

"While my lane is really to cover fashion and lifestyle at the Kentucky Derby, the excitement in the room when we are planning our coverage of the races is amazing," said Dreyer. "All the analysts are in these meetings and I really just get wrapped up in this world of horse racing. I have certainly learned a lot through the years."

If you watch NBC's coverage of the Kentucky Derby, you'll see Dreyer in different outfits throughout the day. She typically changes her dress and hat three times during the day-long broadcasts. She gravitates toward A-line dresses in florals and bright colors.

"While the trends change slightly each year, for the most part, I say dressing for the Kentucky Derby is like going to an upscale bridal shower on a Sunday afternoon," she said. "You want to impress but not be too over the top. That's what your hat is for."

What is Dylan Dreyer wearing to the 150th Kentucky Derby?

Dreyer revealed that like many race fans, she spends a good amount of time considering what to wear for her Kentucky Derby weekend coverage. For 2024, she'll be stepping outside her traditional look and plans on wearing a strapless navy jumpsuit with some shimmer in the fabric for a portion of her workday.

"I don't know why I think this is going to work but I am imagining milliner Christine Moore, who makes all my hats, designing some amazing elaborate hat that will pair well with this simple style," Dreyer said.

What other horse races does Dylan Dreyer cover?

As NBC's horse racing coverage has jumped to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Dreyer has worked on assignments at another very famous and historic horse race — the Royal Ascot in England. The 313-year-old horse racing tradition is steeped in traditions and styles that are different from the Kentucky Derby.

"In Kentucky, it's all about the horses and dressing up to go to a horse race so you wear something to compliment that," Dreyer said. "In London, the dress is more formal. Men wear top hats and tails. It's a different feel because it kicks off with a procession with the Royal family. You know horse racing is happening but the focus is on the royals."

An additional observation Dreyer has made during her 11 years covering the Kentucky Derby, is that "in Louisville, race fans celebrate all day leading up to the main race and once it's over, they leave Churchill Downs," she said.

That's different from Royal Ascot where families gather at the start of the day for the Royal Procession and then people file into the racetrack throughout the afternoon.

"It's not until the race is over that the party starts at Royal Ascot," Dreyer said.

Now that you know more about what's behind Dreyer's broadcasts for NBC and NBC Sports, tune in Friday and Saturday during the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. Then catch Dreyer from Royal Ascot. The historic races are held June 18-22 and will be broadcast on NBC Sports and streaming on Peacock.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What Kentucky Derby weekend is like for NBC's Dylan Dreyer