Dear Tom,
With the Cubs’ home opener today, I wonder: What kind of weather has the team encountered over the years?
— Derrick Jabczynski
Dear Derrick,
The Chicago Cubs’ home openers are typically cold-weather affairs, a combination of the early April date and Wrigley Field’s proximity to chilly Lake Michigan. Today’s opener will be no exception, with game-time temperatures expected to be in the low 40s combined with strong east winds and a cold rain.
A check of the Cubs’ home openers dating to 1954 shows that 56 percent of the games have been played with temperatures in the 30s or 40s. The team’s coldest opener took place April 8, 2003, with the mercury at an icy 32. There have been warm exceptions. On April 22, 1960, the first-pitch temperature was a summery 80, with a strong 25-m.p.h. south wind blowing out to left field.
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Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or: asktomwhy@wgntv.com
Weather Report is prepared by the WGN-TV Weather Center, where Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN News at 11:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
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