DENVER — Baseball and winter weather don’t usually mix, but that’s exactly what happened Friday when an unexpected April snowstorm dumped three inches of the white stuff on Coors Field just hours before the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Colorado Rockies in their four-game series opener.
The unusual weather conditions didn’t dampen spirits for everyone. Dodgers pitcher Emmett Sheehan embraced the wintry scene, stepping onto the field wearing shorts roughly four hours before game time to build a snowman on the diamond.
Ground crews worked diligently to prepare the field for play, having wisely covered the infield with a protective tarp when the snow began falling. They deployed a plow to remove snow from the outfield grass, ensuring the game could proceed as scheduled.
The snowfall ended approximately three hours before the opening pitch, and by game time, conditions had improved dramatically. Temperatures reached 36 degrees under sunny skies, with only traces of snow remaining visible on the evergreen trees beyond the center field wall.
The dramatic weather shift was particularly striking given that Denver had enjoyed a pleasant 75-degree day just 24 hours earlier.
However, the weather challenges weren’t over for either team. The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for the Denver metropolitan area, effective from 8 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Saturday, with overnight temperatures expected to plummet into the 18-to-24 degree range.
Weather forecasters predict a gradual warming trend for the remainder of the series, with Saturday’s high reaching 57 degrees, Sunday climbing to 74 degrees, and Monday’s series finale expecting temperatures around 79 degrees.
The Dodgers arrived in Colorado after completing a six-game homestand in Los Angeles, where they had enjoyed much milder conditions with Friday’s temperature reaching 73 degrees.
