Tag: Weather

Jaguars vs. Commanders weather forecast: Chance of rain in Week 1 opener

After a consistent rain overnight, there’s a chance of light drizzle for most of the day Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be in for a slightly wet opener against the Washington Commanders.

After consistent rain overnight, there’s a chance of light drizzle for most of the day Sunday. A tarp covered the grass at FedEx Field until a little after 10 a.m. ET, and was removed when the rain mostly died down in the morning.

Still, there’s a possibility of more rain before the game ends. The Weather Channel lists a slight chance of rain for most of the afternoon before isolated thunderstorms arrive close to 6 p.m. ET.

A year ago, FedEx Field removed its turf and replaced the playing surface with grass, which should help to negate the effect of the misty drizzle.

While it’s not the kind of sunny Florida day that the Jaguars spent most of their training camp in, the likely weather for most of the Week 1 matchup against the Commanders is a cloudy day in the low 70s.

Browns vs Panthers: Weather could play a factor in game

While the weather isn’t supposed to be terrible during the game, rain could have an impact on offenses and scoring:

The Cleveland Browns face off with the Carolina Panthers this Sunday at 1 PM in Charlotte, North Carolina. Going into the game, there are a lot of question marks. Here are a few of the top ones:

We can add one more question:

  • How much will the weather impact the game?

As fans of the Browns know, weather can be the biggest variable in games. The team has played in blizzards, pouring rain and winds that changed the direction of almost every pass. The forecast from The Weather Channel for Saturday and Sunday calls for rain:

As shown above, a lot of rain is expected Saturday night with scattered thunderstorms coming during the game. A local meteorologist in Carolina believes the rain will be minimal during the game:

The rain the previous day along with some on-and-off rain on game day could lead to sloppy conditions. Those conditions could lead to a low-scoring game as receivers could have a hard time making cuts which could dramatically impact the timing of the passing game.

For fantasy football players, expect the running games of both teams to lead the way with quick passes the primary plays from the quarterbacks.

As always, the weather can be fickle and change pretty quickly. We will keep you up to date if there are significant forecast changes.

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Death Valley National Park closes after rare flooding event

Extreme weather has left the valley reeling.

No one expects flash flooding in a hot desert environment. However, as extreme weather events become more common and severe worldwide, people may need to start expecting the unexpected. Recently, Death Valley National Park was the site of one such weather anomaly. As one of the driest and hottest areas in the United States, Death Valley was hit hard by heavy rainfall and flooding on Monday, Aug. 1, and Friday, Aug. 5. The park plans to remain closed into next week.

“The heavy rain that caused the devastating flooding at Death Valley was an extremely rare, 1000-year event,” Daniel Berc, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Las Vegas, said in a National Park Service news release. “A 1000-year event doesn’t mean it happens once per 1000 years, rather that there is a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.”

A park sign on the ground, covered with sand, near two rocky hills.
© NPS/N.Ramirez

The record-breaking rainfall delivered almost a year’s worth of rain to Death Valley in just three hours. Preliminary data recorded 1.46 inches of rain at the park’s Furnace Creek area. The park’s all-time record for rainfall occurred on April 15, 1988, after 1.47 inches of rain.

While no injuries were reported, the flooding temporarily trapped hundreds of visitors to the area. Debris swept up by the flood also covered 60 vehicles, according to NPR. As for Death Valley National Park’s infrastructure, “severe asphalt damage” has affected hundreds of miles of roads. Repairs will take time, and park superintendent Mike Reynolds says future extreme weather damage may be in the future.

Several cars partially covered in mud.
© NPS

“Death Valley is an incredible place of extremes,” Reynolds said. “It is the hottest place in the world, and the driest place in North America. This week’s 1,000 year flood is another example of this extreme environment. With climate change models predicting more frequent and more intense storms, this is a place where you can see climate change in action!”

Is golf still booming? Rounds played in U.S. up again for June but down for the year vs. COVID surge

Is golf still booming? Check the weather.

Is golf still booming? Are more people playing in the wake of now years-old COVID-19 gains for the game? How’s the weather? All relevant questions as the golf industry tries to maintain a furious rally in annual rounds played in 2020 and ’21.

The latest: Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation reported this week that rounds played in June were up 2.7 percent versus the same month in 2021. But that gain was on the heels of monthly declines in four of the previous five months. For the year, 2022 trails 2021 in rounds played by 5.7 percent, the industry-monitoring Golf Datatech reported.

The weather plays a considerable role, making it difficult for industry trackers to discern if declines in rounds played are because golfers who flocked to courses during the worst of the COVID pandemic have now found other things to do as health restrictions have almost entirely eased.

Industry analyst Pelucid Corp. tracks the days around the country on which weather conditions are favorable for golf, and it has reported a 9-percent decline nationwide in playable hours in 2022. The dip in rounds played, at least in part, might be because of winter weather that stretched well into spring in many areas followed by incredible heat waves and storms through much of the summer.

This all comes after some of the most dramatic increases in rounds played in history. The total number of rounds played in 2020 surged 13.9 percent versus 2019 as the pandemic shut down many alternative entertainment and exercise options. Rounds played increased again in 2021, rising 5.5 percent as the popularity of golf continued.

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A green sky leaves South Dakota residents puzzled after a powerful storm

What does it mean when the sky turns green?

On July 5, storms rolled through Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Classified as a derecho, a wind storm with gusts of at least 58 mph, the weather wasn’t out of the ordinary at first. After all, the state has had two derechos recently. What did come as a surprise were the bright green skies many locals witnessed. Puzzled over the unusual color, many South Dakota residents turned to social media to post pictures and find out what was happening.

Argus Leader 911, a Twitter account that tracks crime, accidents, and fire in Sioux Falls, reached out to its followers. “As the storm passes, and as long as you can safely do so, please tell us what you’re seeing. Is there damage in your area? Hail? Broken branches? Share with us,” the account posted. In reply, many Twitter users posted their photos of the green, stormy skies.

While eye-catching, the unusual color doesn’t necessarily indicate anything about the weather, according to Peter Rogers, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s office in Sioux Falls. Instead, the color relates to how sunlight interacts with the atmosphere during a storm.

Scientific American elaborates, writing that while “researchers remain undecided about the exact mechanisms that cause the sky to appear green in certain thunderstorms … most point to the liquid water content in the air. The moisture particles are so small that they can bend the light and alter its appearance to the observer. These water droplets absorb red light, making the scattered light appear blue. If this blue scattered light is set against an environment heavy in red light—during sunset for instance—and a dark gray thunderstorm cloud, the net effect can make the sky appear faintly green.”

Lead image via @jkarmill

U.S. Open: The wind is up and the course is dry. The Country Club is fighting back

The wind has picked up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and The Country Club should play firm this weekend at the U.S. Open.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — The scoring average during Thursday’s opening round of the 122nd U.S. Open at The Country in Brookline, Massachusetts was 72.77, or nearly 3 over but it dropped on Friday to 71.99, or 2 over.

Expect that trend to reverse this weekend.

No water was added to the course overnight or Saturday morning, meaning the golf course will play faster and firmer compared to the first few days.

The wind has shown up outside Boston, too, with flags atop grandstands throughout the course standing tall.

All of that to say this: The third round of the U.S. Open is going to be awesome.

Many have been waiting for the course to show some teeth, and Saturday is set up to be that day.

Wind

No water added to course

The weather

 

Early look at scoring average

Let’s have a day.

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Best golf umbrellas for 2022

Play through rain, shine and everything in between with our favorite umbrellas.

Rain or shine, umbrellas are a sensible and often necessary golf accessory.

If you’re a purist and love to walk the majority of your rounds, umbrellas are a must. Whether fending off the rain as you power through less-than-ideal conditions, or  catching a break from the summer heat and the sun’s harmful rays, a good umbrella can make or break a summer round.

Looking to walk the course more this summer? Check out our Best of… lists for push carts, shoes, gloves, hats, and more.

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Is golf’s boom slipping? NGF reports number of rounds played have dipped, with weather largely to blame

Is golf’s boom chilling? Yes, and crummy winter weather is largely to blame as rounds have decreased year over year.

If you’ve recently tried at the last minute to book a weekend round of golf just about anywhere in the U.S. – especially if the weather was nice – you know how packed many courses are. Golf has boomed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and wise players have learned to schedule early.

But will the boom continue?

That question has been front and center on the minds of many course operators and industry insiders, and recent numbers provided by industry tracker Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation haven’t been entirely definitive on the recreational game’s trajectory. There are many factors to consider, with weather likely chief among them. But based solely on the number of rounds played, the sport in the U.S. is in decline compared to the boom years of 2020 and ’21.

Golf Datatech this week reported that rounds played in April 2022 in the U.S. slipped almost 13 percent versus the same period in 2021. That follows a 14.3-percent decline in rounds played in March 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Golf Datatech reports that total rounds played in 2022 in the U.S. have dipped 9.8 percent through April versus the same four-month period in 2021.

As golfers frequently love to do, you might be able to blame the frequently crummy weather more than a drop in interest.

The NGF reports that golf industry analyst company Pellucid Corp. says bad weather has been a major factor in the decline in rounds played. Pellucid reported that so far in 2022, playable hours dropped 14 percent. Pellucid uses detailed weather data from across the U.S. to determine playable hours, and its research showed that extreme cold, rain and snow kept players off the courses in many regions more frequently than in recent years.

And because fewer total rounds are played annually in the first several months of each year because of winter, especially in northern climates, the recent dip in rounds played likely will have only a small effect on total rounds played for the year. If the weather is better this summer, the game appears to be in good shape to continue its rebound – that assessment is based on the fact that club and golf ball sales have climbed 14 percent versus the same period in 2021.

So apparently there are plenty of players who have been stuck at home waiting for the weather to clear so they can use all those new clubs and balls. Our advice: Book early.

This all comes on the heels of some of the most dramatic increases in rounds played in history. The total number of rounds played in 2020 surged 13.9 percent versus 2019 as the pandemic shut down many alternative entertainment and exercise options. Rounds played increased again in 2021, rising 5.5 percent as the popularity of golf continued.

Are those kinds of numbers sustainable? Time will tell. But in the meantime, keep an eye on the weather and your favorite online tee time booking site.

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PGA Championship: Thunderstorms drop rain on Southern Hills, softening course

With dangerous weather still in the area early Saturday, starting times for the third round got pushed back 37 minutes.

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TULSA, Okla. — Strong thunderstorms rolled through central and eastern Oklahoma overnight, lighting up the sky and dropping 0.4 inches of rain on Southern Hills Country Club, the site of the 2022 PGA Championship.

Friday’s forecast had originally called for storms to start arriving in the area as the last players were completing their second round, but the rain held off and play was completed.

However, with dangerous weather still in the area early Saturday morning, the PGA of America pushed starting times for the third round back 37 minutes, with the first player, Brian Harmon, teeing off alone at 7:37 a.m. Central Time.

The official PGA Championship weather report states there is a small chance of more rain this morning, with temperatures topping out in the mid-50s, which is 30 degrees colder than Thursday or Friday. The wind is expected to hold between 10 and 15 mph for most of the day, but gusts of up to 30 mph are possible.

Southern Hills Country Club
Southern Hills Country Club Saturday morning as the third round of the 2022 PGA Championship began. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

As the name suggests, Southern Hills is covered by slopes and there is a creek that works through several holes, so the course drains well. Players walking in the rough will see water flipping off the tips of their shoes, and that moisture could lead to some inconsistent shots, but the extra water on the course will also help players stop approach shots more quickly too.

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PGA Championship: High winds challenging players Friday at Southern Hills

After cooking in the Oklahoma heat on Thursday, Mother Nature has another challenge in store.

TULSA, Okla. — After cooking in the Oklahoma heat on Thursday, Mother Nature has another challenge in store for the players at the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club. Wind, and lots of it.

As a slow-moving front approaches, sustained winds from the south of between 15 and 25 mph are expected throughout the morning, with gusts reaching 35 mph anticipated before late afternoon thunderstorms start rolling through the region.

While recreational golfers often struggle in wet conditions, elite players would much rather play in the rain than the wind because golf balls stop quickly when the turf gets damp. The wind brings unpredictability, not just off the tee and with irons, but also on putts.

PGA: How to watch | ESPN+ streaming | Yardage book | Tee times

To reduce the effects of wind on the greens and help to prevent golf balls from oscillating or blowing off the putting surface, the PGA of America opted not to mow the greens on the course or in the practice area. Still, several shots hit by golfers in the early morning wave have clearly been pushed by the breezes.

Jon Rahm’s second shot of the day, a 115-yard approach shot, landed just and to the right of the hole, but the wind pushed it 60 feet to the left, so instead of a 20-foot birdie chance, the world’s No. 2 player had to work hard to two-putt from just over 45 feet from the flag.

Several hole locations and tee boxes have been adjusted with the wind in mind. For example, the 18th hole was 490 yards long on Thursday and played a half-shot over par, making it the toughest hole on the course. On Friday, the tee boxes have been moved 19 yards forward, so the hole, which plays directly into the south wind, plays to a yardage of 471 yards.

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