For the Phillies, suddenly it’s summer as they play the Braves in Atlanta
In Philly, this has been an "unusually" gloomy September. It will be considerably brighter in Atlanta.
Whether the Phillies experience a Red October remains to be seen, but they are in for a Red September in Atlanta with summer-like temperatures and what looks to be a hitter-friendly atmosphere.
On a Tuesday in which the sun was fighting mightily to prove its existence over Philadelphia — in what has been an unusually gloomy September — the skies over Atlanta were perfectly clear and forecast to stay that way through the next three afternoons.
Highs there Tuesday afternoon should crest in the mid-80s, said Todd Vaughan, meteorologist with the regional National Weather Service in Peachtree, Ga.
That would be about 20 degrees warmer than it was Sunday, when the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays in South Philly to make the postseason.
Temperatures may make a run at 90 degrees Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, when the humidity would also be increasing, said Vaughan. As for winds, “They’ll be less than 10 mph,” he said.
On Sunday, in dismal, rainy Citizens Bank Park, winds were gusting to 29 mph.
As for what could go wrong with the Atlanta forecast, Vaughan said, “The forecast confidence is pretty high.”
An aside: If the the best-of-three series goes to a third game, the Phillies Aaron Nola is on record as saying he loves to pitch in the heat. However, he also has given up a lot of long balls this season, and meteorologist Paul Dorian, who maintains a “Home Run Index” based on weather variables, said conditions would be favorable for homers this week.
No rain would be expected in Atlanta until Friday night, at which time the Phillies would be on the West Coast for their next series or heading back home for the winter.
If they return to Philly by Friday, they may rediscover that Ernest Hemingway was on to something with The Sun Also Rises, with clear skies and highs in the Atlanta-like 80s.
In fact after Tuesday, the sun should reign over Philly through the week, said Alex Staarmann, meteorologist at the weather service in Mount Holly. Highs are expected to be in the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday, and low 80s on Thursday.
You may have noticed a Vitamin D shortage this month. Overall, skies have been more than 70% cloud-covered since Sept. 1, according to weather service sky data, in what normally is one of the sunnier months.
“It’s been a unusually cloudy month for September, Staarmann said.
The clouds are due back this weekend. Rain is possible Friday night into Saturday, he said, and maybe more on Sunday.
If the Phillies have their way, they’ll be in Los Angeles playing in the Division Series.
