Will rain gear be needed at Citizens Bank Park on Friday?
It looks like Mother Nature won't be cooperating with the Phillies for their 2017 home opener at Citizens Bank Park.
Forecasters from both the National Weather Service and AccuWeather are calling for a cloudy Friday with gusty winds, temperatures hovering around 50, and possible rain showers in the afternoon.
Who gets the best weather at home openers?
Here's a closer look at what the forecasters are predicting for the matchup between the Phillies and the Washington Nationals. The game is scheduled to start at 3:05 p.m.
National Weather Service
- Sky and temperature: Cloudy skies, with an afternoon high of 51 degrees. Temperatures should hover around 50 at noon (for tailgaters), but the brisk wind will make it feel more like 45 degrees.
- Wind: Steady westerly breeze (blowing from the west) of 16 to 17 mph during the game, with gusts as high as 26 to 28 mph.
- Rain probability: Chance of rain is 30 percent from noon through 7 p.m. Friday, dropping to 5 percent around 8 p.m.
AccuWeather
- Sky and temperature: Considerable cloudiness, with an afternoon high around 49 degrees. The wind could make it feel as cold as 38 degrees during the game.
- Wind: Steady westerly breeze of 16 to 17 mph during the game.
- Rain probability: Chance of rain is 15 percent at 1 p.m., 47 percent at 2 p.m., 51 percent at 3 p.m., 47 percent at 4 p.m., dropping to 33 percent from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 6 percent at 8 p.m.
Quick weather facts
- Forecasters are calling for an afternoon high of 49 to 51 degrees and a nighttime low of 36 to 37 degrees.
- The normal high for April 7 in Philadelphia is 61 degrees, and the normal low is 41.
- Philadelphia's record high for April 7 is 90 degrees (in 1929), and the record low is 19 degrees (in 1982).
Opening Day weather history
Who has a better history of Opening Day weather: The Mets, the Yankees or the Phillies? Here's a look at the weather conditions each team faced at their home openers from 1970 to 2015.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
