Chicago Weather Conditions Will Favor Home Runs At Game 3
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Weather conditions could turn Game 3 of the World Series into a home run derby Friday.
Players bundled up Wednesday night as temps held steady in the mid-40s in Cleveland.
Friday's forecast for Game 3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago will feel like a whole different season, CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist reports.
It's expected to be in the mid-60s Friday when the Cubs host the Indians with the series even at 1-1. A fly ball travels farther in warmer air because warm air expands, lowering the density of the air.
Take a 95 to 100 mile-per-hour pitch off the bat, maybe at a 30-degree elevation angle -- a warmer air temperature of 10 degrees could change the distance that the ball travels by about 2 ½ feet.
That could mean the difference between a nice grab for the outfielder and a home run over the wall.
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Temperature, density and humidity can all affect the game. But everyone, especially ball hawks on Waveland Avenue, will notice the winds Friday. Those high winds may help the hitters.
We expect southwest winds at 15 mph to 25 mph, with gusts to 40 mph. Those winds will flow with the baseball, reducing friction during flight, allowing the ball to fly farther.
Perhaps right over the ivy-covered outfield wall.