The summer solstice is today which means it’s officially summer and Mother Nature made that very clear. Hot temperatures across the board as the Yankees play another home series and we have our three minor legume teams in the southeast. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are not out of the question this weekend as extreme heat starts to roll in across the east. Let’s jump into the details!
New York Yankees
Tonight the Yankees start a home series against the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05pm EDT. Temperatures will start in the low-80s to start the game but cool down to the mid-70s by the end of the game. It won’t be super humid with humidity at around 45%. There will be minimal clouds with no real chance of rain. Surface winds will be calm while up at 150ft winds will be stronger in the early innings, around 18 mph and calm down to around 9 mph by the final innings. These winds will be pointing towards left field which will help propel those fly balls further out. One thing that might prevent some extra ball motion is the lack of humidity and the cold front that will be pushing through the region. It will be hot but not super sticky which will be nice for players and spectators alike. The sun will make it feel warmer for those sitting in right field and for field players in general will see some glare until the sun sets just after 8:30pm EDT.
Saturday’s afternoon game against the Orioles takes place at 1:05pm EDT. As an afternoon game with minimal clouds, the sun will be beating down on many spectators and the players. Temperatures will be around 90 degrees as we hit the hottest part of the day in the middle of the game. Humidity will be on the low side, only around 42% with calm winds at the surface. At 150ft winds will be around 8 mph pointing towards left field. We might see some more sinking fly balls this game due to the low humidity and that cold front having pushed through leaving cold, dense air hanging over the stadium. This denser air makes fly balls sink a bit more and could inhibit someone from getting a home run. It will be quite hot out especially in the sun, so be sure to hydrate, wear sunscreen, and take breaks out of the sun if you plan on attending this game!
The Yankees finish their series against the Orioles with a morning game at 11:35am EDT on Sunday. Temperatures will be increasing throughout game time as we get to the hottest part of our day by the final innings. They will start around 87 degrees and climb up to around 94 degrees by the end of the game. Humidity will be just below 50% with mostly cloudy skies. There will be some scattered showers and thunderstorms to the north but none should affect the area. Winds will be calm at the surface and at 150ft they will be around 20 mph. These string upper level winds will be pointing towards left center field and might help carry balls further in that direction. It will be another hot game as summer shows off within the first few days!
Southeastern US Radar
Just a quick peek at those scattered showers throughout the southeast this weekend as some of these may affect our games if they do end up hitting the areas!
Biloxi Shuckers
The Shuckers continue their home series against the Knoxville Smokies with tonight’s game at 6:35pm CDT. Temperatures will be around 83 degrees with humidity around 80%. It will be cloudy out with scattered showers in the area. Some of these showers may end up hitting our area, but shouldn’t cause much delay, it will just make things wet. Winds at the surface will be calm and at 150ft they will be around 18 mph for the first half of the game and calm to around 10 mph by the final innings. These winds will be pointing towards the left field foul line, coming off the shore. For spectators it is likely to see some rain so be prepared with rain gear and for players it will make the ground more wet and the ball slippery which is something to watch out for. There is a scheduled fireworks show for after the game, but that may be postponed due to the high cloud coverage and rain.
Saturday’s game against the Smokies will take place at 6:05pm CDT. It will be hot and sticky with temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity around 75%. There will be some scattered showers to the north of the field and some showers may hit the area. It will be partly cloudy out but the chance of it being cloudier is possible if the scattered showers move southward. Winds at the surface will be calm and up at 150ft winds will be coming off the coast towards the left field foul line around 8 mph. With decent humidity from the showers in the area, and hot temperatures, it will feel quite sticky out!
Sunday wraps up the Shuckers home series against the Smokies at 5:05pm CDT. In the first half of the game there will be scattered thunderstorms to the north of the area with some showers coming into the region. However, by the second half of the game those showers are expected to clear up. I don’t expect any delays to occur unless lightning ends up too close by. Temperatures will be at 84 degrees with humidity around 71%. Skies will start as mostly cloudy but clear to partly cloudy skies throughout the game. There will be calm surface winds and winds of 12 mph at 150ft. These winds will be pointing infield towards home plate. With the winds pointing infield and sinking air, hitting fly balls over the fence will harder this evening!
Birmingham Barons
Continuing their home series against the Columbus Clingstones, the Barons play at 7pm CDT tonight. There will be some scattered showers in the first half of the game but those will likely clear up by the halfway point and not affect the scheduled game time tonight. Skies will stay mostly cloudy with temperatures in the low-70s. Humidity will be gradually increasing throughout the game starting around 86% and increasing to around 92%. Winds will be calm at the surface and at 150ft they will be around 6 mph pointing towards left field. It will be very moist out, especially after passing showers. It will be quite steamy which will make it uncomfortable for players and spectators.
The Barons continue their series against the Clingstones at 6:30pm CDT Saturday. There will be scattered showers in the region but none should be close to the field and it should be partly cloudy. Temperatures will be in the upper-70s with humidity around 80%. Winds will be calm at all levels. The air will be rising due to the humidity and warmth in the region which might help carry fly balls further. Overall, it will just be a hot and sticky for this game.
Closing out the home series against the Clingstones, the Barons play at 4pm CDT Sunday. There will be some scattered thunderstorms to the south and west of the field which might cause a delay if lightning is too close to the area. Temperatures will be in the upper-80s with mostly cloudy skies. Humidity will start around 53% and increase to around 62% by the end of the game. Winds will be calm for the game so they only main affect on ball motion will be the containing sinking air that’s been over the region throughout the weekend. Another hot game especially if some peeks of sun come through so just dress appropriately if you plan on attending this game!
Rocket City Trash Pandas
The Trash Pandas continue their home series against the Chattanooga Lookouts tonight at 6:35pm CDT. It will be a clear night in Huntsville with temperatures in the low-80s for the game. There will be very calm winds at all levels with humidity starting around 40% but drastically increasing to around 70% by the end of the game. It will be quite hot out when the sun is still out until sun set around 8pm CDT. For fielders and spectators out in the outfield, there will be some sun glare for the first few innings. Fireworks are scheduled for after the game and I would expect those to be good to go with clear skies for a great viewing experience!
Saturday’s home game against the Lookouts will be at 6:35pm CDT. There will be some scattered showers in the region but none should affect the game time. It might just get the field and spectators wet. Otherwise it would be partly cloudy out with temperatures in the mid-80s. Humidity will be in the 70% range with calm winds at all levels. By the final innings we should see clear skies which will be good for the scheduled fireworks show at the end of the game!
To close out the series against the Lookouts, the Trash Pandas play at 2:35pm CDT. Temperatures will be around 88 degrees with humidity around 65%. There will be almost no wind with partly cloudy skies. Air motion will also be neutral which means it will be a very even playing field. One thing that could give hitters an advantage is the sun being at its peak and it may blind outfielders looking up for fly balls. For players it will be very hot as we are in the hottest part of the day so it will be crucial for them to properly hydrate before, during, and after the game. Spectators will also have to prepare for the heat and sun since this is an afternoon game so be sure to stay prepared if you plan on attending this game!
