Chilly in South Philly for Phillies, Diamondbacks

Get ready for a chilly reception as the Arizona Diamondbacks face the Phillies in South Philly. And no, we’re not just talking about the fans.

According to senior meteorologist Bob Larsen from AccuWeather Inc. and a die-hard Phillies fan, temperatures during both games on Monday and Tuesday nights are expected to range from 52 to 56 degrees. There’s a slight chance of a shower or drizzle on Monday, but otherwise, it should be dry.

This cool weather could benefit pitchers Zack Wheeler and Arizona’s Zac Gallen thanks to the wind blowing in from center field. The game-time temperatures will be about 15 degrees lower compared to last week’s home games against the Atlanta Braves, where the Phillies hit nine homers. Tuesday night’s conditions will be similar.

It’s a known fact that the ball doesn’t travel as far in cooler air. Physicist Alan Nathan, a professor emeritus from the University of Illinois, estimates that every degree Fahrenheit difference results in a 4-inch change in the ball’s flight. With a 15-degree drop, we could see a 5-foot difference.

Monday’s morning low is expected to be in the 40s, potentially making it the coldest day since May 3. Coincidentally, that was the day the Phillies’ record dropped to 15-17 with a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Diamondbacks’ victorious division series.

The forecast for Monday calls for overcast skies, and there’s a storm spinning off the coast. However, the chances of rain delays are slim, according to Larsen.

While it may seem like the rainy weekend streak will continue, meteorologist Matt Brudy from the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly believes that the weather isn’t as bad as it could be.

In fact, the rainy trend persisted on Saturday. It turns out that this pattern is quite common due to the wavelengths of weather systems. According to Larsen, there’s often a rhythmic cycle that leads to rainy weekends.

But no need to worry—this weekend, the Phillies won’t be playing at home. They haven’t even had a rainy scare during their postseason games, and there have been no Saturday or Sunday games so far.