NEW YORK — The weather at Yankee Stadium on Thursday for Opening Day was pristine. It was chilly, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when Yankees captain Aaron Judge homered in the first inning, the first home run by anyone in the majors this season.
Saturday’s forecast in the Bronx is much murkier. The Yankees and Giants may have a window to get Game 2 of the regular season in — preventing what would need to be a day-night doubleheader on Sunday — but rain and thunderstorms are expected to swoop in throughout the day.
First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Here’s the latest hourly forecast from The Weather Channel:
2 p.m.: 66 degrees, thunderstorms, 90% rain
3 p.m.: 66 degrees, scattered thunderstorms, 44% rain
4 p.m.: 68 degrees, partly cloudy, 15% rain
5 p.m.: 69 degrees, partly cloudy, 17% rain
It’s later in the evening that weather is expected to roll through in the Bronx.
The Weather Channel predicts heavy thunderstorms around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Here’s more from the National Weather Service:
Saturday night
Showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a chance of showers between 10pm and 2am. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Low around 39. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Considering how quickly games have been played since the implementation of the pitch clock — the time of game on Opening Day was 2:33 — a sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium should be heading home dry before dinner time.
It’s worth noting, the Weather Channel has a tornado advisory on their website:
There is a likely risk of severe weather today. Wind, tornadoes and hail are possible, but wind is the greatest threat. Stay aware and be prepared.
Storms end by 4 pm. More possible later. A few storms may be severe.
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Max Goodman may be reached at [email protected].