(FOX 9) - Thanks to our very chilly and wet conditions Thursday, the Twins made the decision to push back the opener to Friday, which the MLB keeps open for this very purpose. But is anyone all that surprised that it happened? This meteorologist is actually surprised it hasn't happened more often, considering what kind of crazy weather we can have this time of year. A lot plays into gameday delays and cancellations. While the "fan experience" is an important variable, they don't often cancel a game solely because of it. The health and safety of the players and staff, as well as the condition of the field, and whether it will be permanently damaged or not, likely play a much larger role... although, I'm speculating as I'm not an MLB employee.
As all Minnesotans know, we can have any type of weather this time of year. From snow and bitter cold, to warmth, humidity, and even severe weather... we can get it all during the spring. Since the Twins started playing at Target Field, high temperatures have ranged from the mid 30s to nearly 70 degrees. The very first home opener back in 2010 was actually the warmest, with a high of 68 degrees. The coldest so far was just 3 years later in 2013. We'll certainly be in the running for one of the coldest, with a high likely in the low 40s Friday afternoon.
For the last few years we've been a little less extreme, but not by much. Didn't include the 2020 opener because there were no fans in the stands because of COVID.