Dear Tom,
Earlier this month, video clips were shown of Mark Grace’s “hit-for-the-cycle” game on May 9, 1993. The ivy was bare then, but this year on about the same date the ivy was quite full. Was it a much cooler spring 15 years ago?
–Art Schlicht, Sugar Grove
Dear Art,
There may be other factors in play that influence the emergence of the Wrigley Field ivy, but based solely on temperature, it appears that a cool April may have been the culprit. April 1993 was quite cool in Chicago with the mercury topping 70 only twice. In contrast, this April produced eight days of 70 degrees or higher, including a warm 82-degree high on the 25th.
It finally did warm up in early May 1993 with seven days topping the 70 mark including a summerlike high of 87 degrees on May 9, the day Grace hit for the cycle–and I’m sure the ivy fully emerged by mid or late May.
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