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MAPS
Weather
at Important
Sports Venues
NFL Teams
Stadium
Conditions
Chicago Bears
Stadium
Weather Info
MLB Teams
Stadium
Conditions
Chicago Cubs
Stadium
Weather Info
Chicago White Sox
Stadium
Weather Info
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WHAT TO EXPECT
FOR MONTH TO MONTH
WEATHER IN THE
CHICAGO AREA
JAN 01
Sunrise: 7:20 AM CST
Sunset: 4:26 PM CST
Normal
High: 30
Normal
Low: 15
JAN
15
Sunrise:
7:18 AM CST
Sunset: 4:40 PM CST
Normal
High: 29
Normal
Low: 14
Note: The period from Jan 15 thru Jan. 21 is
potentially the coldest time of the year in
Chicago.
FEB 01
Sunrise: 7:05 AM CST
Sunset: 5:01 PM CST
Normal
High: 31
Normal
Low: 16
FEB
15
Sunrise:
6:48 AM CST
Sunset: 5:19 PM CST
Normal
High: 35
Normal
Low: 19
MAR 01
Sunrise: 6:26 AM CST
Sunset: 5:38 PM CST
Normal
High: 40
Normal
Low: 24
MAR
15
Sunrise:
6:03 AM CST
Sunset: 5:54 PM CST
Normal
High: 46
Normal
Low: 28
APR 01
Sunrise: 5:34 AM CST
Sunset: 6:16 PM CST
Normal
High: 52
Normal
Low: 33
APR
15
Sunrise:
5:10 AM CST
Sunset: 6:32 PM CST
Normal
High: 58
Normal
Low: 37
MAY 01
Sunrise: 5:47 AM CDT
Sunset: 7:49 PM CDT
Normal
High: 64
Normal
Low: 42
MAY
15
Sunrise:
5:31 AM CDT
Sunset: 8:04 PM CDT
Normal
High: 70
Normal
Low: 47
JUN 01
Sunrise: 5:19 AM CDT
Sunset: 8:20 PM CDT
Normal
High: 75
Normal
Low: 53
JUN
15
Sunrise:
5:16 AM CDT
Sunset: 8:28 PM CDT
Normal
High: 79
Normal
Low: 57
JUL 01
Sunrise: 5:21 AM CDT
Sunset: 8:30 PM CDT
Normal
High: 82
Normal
Low: 61
JUL
15
Sunrise:
5:30 AM CDT
Sunset: 8:25 PM CDT
Normal
High: 84
Normal
Low: 63
July 12 thru July 29 is potentially the hottest
time of the year (considering average normal
highs)
AUG 01
Sunrise: 5:46 AM CDT
Sunset: 8:10 PM CDT
Normal
High: 83
Normal
Low: 64
AUG
15
Sunrise:
6:00 AM CDT
Sunset: 7:52 PM CDT
Normal
High: 82
Normal
Low: 63
SEP 01
Sunrise: 6:16 AM CDT
Sunset: 7:25 PM CDT
Normal
High: 78
Normal
Low: 59
SEP
15
Sunrise:
6:33 AM CDT
Sunset: 6:58 PM CDT
Normal
High: 74
Normal
Low: 54
OCT 01
Sunrise: 6:50 AM CDT
Sunset: 6:28 PM CDT
Normal
High: 69
Normal
Low: 48
OCT
15
Sunrise:
7:05 AM CDT
Sunset: 6:04 PM CDT
Normal
High: 63
Normal
Low: 42
NOV 01
Sunrise: 6:25 AM CST
Sunset: 4:40 PM CST
Normal
High: 54
Normal
Low: 37
NOV
15
Sunrise:
6:43 AM CST
Sunset: 4:25 PM CST
Normal
High: 47
Normal
Low: 32
DEC 01
Sunrise: 7:00 AM CST
Sunset: 4:21 PM CST
Normal
High: 40
Normal
Low: 26
DEC
15
Sunrise:
7:12 AM CST
Sunset: 4:21 PM CST
Normal
High: 34
Normal
Low: 20
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Chicago Area and National
Sports websites ...
BE AWARE OF WEATHER
SPORTS HAZARDS
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Tornados,
Microbursts,
high winds, lightning |
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NOAA
Storm Prediction Center
Lightning is probably the most
significant weather hazard because of its
deadliness, occurs frequently and often
occurs without warning. Coaches and
athletes need to be prepared to take
shelter and prevent lightning injuries and
fatalities. See the Lightning
Protection
Institute
for safety information. |
SPORTS WEATHER FACTS TO HELP PERFORMANCE ...
Baseball
When the wind is blowing in, a hitter doesn't want
much upward trajectory on the ball because the wind
will lift the ball and shorten the horizontal
distance. Line drives fare better because they will
carry further. If the wind is blowing out, a hitter
can try to hit a more upward trajectory because the
outward wind will help carry the ball further.
Warm air is less dense than cold air, which allows
the baseball to travel slightly faster. Less dense
air also means less drag, so curve balls have less
curve and sinkers will have less sink. Knuckleballs
have more junk on cold nights.
Wet grass can make it more difficult for
outfielders to make effective throws of a wet ball.
Keep in mind that night games can bring dew on the
ground, especially in spring games and late summer
and fall games.
Football
Pre-season training and early season games are most
noted for the risk of heat stress, heat illnesses
and even fatal heat stroke. The wearing of football
equipment, heavy exertion and high temperature and
humidity can have deadly outcomes, if precautions
for heat stress are not in effect.
Temperature has the most effect on teams that are
not acclimated to the game day temperature. A team
that is used to cold weather that plays on a warm
day is more likely to suffer heat stress and
fatigue later in the game. A team that is used to
warm weather is more likely to have trouble from
the start of the game in cold weather. Cold, stiff
joints and muscles and discomfort are more likely
to affect the team that is not used to cold
weather. If the warm weather team is not prepared,
the players are more likely to sufffer
musculoskeletal injuries. The Packer's Lambeau
Field is sometimes called the 'Frozen Tundra.'
Slick, wintery conditions are probably an advantage
to the offense because the players already know
where they are trying to go, while the defense has
to react to the offensive moves on slippery
conditions. Slick conditions may lead to higher
scoring.
High winds negatively affect the timing of the
passing game. Winds that cross the field from
sideline to sideline are much more detrimental to
the passing game than winds that blow end zone to
end zone. Game days with high winds tend to be
lower scoring.
Golf
The golf ball trajectory (height, angle, and
distance) depends on the initial launch angle,
initial speed, spin and the type of air that is
flowing. Spin (backspin) on the ball creates lift.
Too much spin causes the ball to soar and shortens
distance. The golf ball travels further in hot and
humid air, but air temperature is not as important
as ball temperature.
The optimal ball temperature for
trajectory/distance is 75-90 degrees Farenheit.
Wound balls with natural rubber are most sensitive
to temperature, so they are most likely to carry
less distance in colder temperatures.
Although we say 'air is heavy' on hot, humid days,
the air is actually slightly less dense when the
humidity is higher. That's because the molecular
weight of water is less than the average molecular
weight of the relatively constant mixture of the
other gases of dry air (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon
dioxide and other trace gases). Therefore golf
balls carry slightly further in humid air than in
dry air. Temperature has a greater effect on air
density than humidity. Hotter air is less dense, so
the ball carries further in hot air.
A tailwind will enhance distance and a headwind
will shorten golf ball travel distance. One
experiement found that a golfer with a 250 yard
shot in windless conditions will see an additional
10 yards with a tailwind of 11.2 mph and will see a
loss of 15 yards in a headwind of 11.2 mph (from
Golf
Tips Magazine/July,
2001).
Air pressure also affects distance. Since higher
altitudes have less air resistance than lower
elevations, a golfer can hit the ball further at
higher elevations.
Tennis
The bounce of the ball is directly proportional to
air temperature because the ball's elastic material
stiffens and the air pressure inside the ball drops
in lower temps. Racquet strings are less elastic in
lower temps, too. In cold weather, drop shots will
be more effective and deep shots will take more
effort.
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TIPS FOR CLOTHING,
NUTRITION AND TRAINING
RESPONSE TO WEATHER
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Clothing
considerations are as variable as the
weather conditions we experience. You
might call on clothes to do the following:
Divert water, repel water, shed wind, wick
away moisture (usually sweat or water
that's accidentally gotten through to
inner layers), keep you warm, absorb light
energy and convert to heat or keep you
cool by reflecting light energy or holding
just enough moisture to enhance
evaporative cooling. While the outer
environment changes with changing weather,
the inner environment changes with
changing levels of exertion, your level of
fitness, body mass index and internal
insulation (bodyfat percentage). In other
words, there are too many variables to
give a magic formula.
The innermost layer of clothing should act
like a second skin that moves excess heat
and moisture away from the body. In hot
weather you'll want moisture moved away
from the body, but some wetness on the
skin will help evaporative cooling. You
don't want clothing that gets heavy and
wet. So no cotton, unless you are in
desert conditions with no exertion. You'll
also want clothes that are lighter colors
that will not absorb heat from direct
light.
In cool temperatures (50 to 65 degrees F)
with direct sunlight, you may be able to
get by with minimal layers of dark
clothing that absorb light and heat of the
sun, but still quickly wick away
perspiration.
In colder temperatures you have to be
concerned with insulation and shielding.
One of the best ways to keep warmth is to
create air space between layers of
clothing that slows the loss of body heat.
A zipper front can be helpful in providing
maximum variation in ventilation. A hooded
garment is important in extreme cold
because it shields the neck and head from
cold and wind the best. If its really
cold, you'll need a hat under the hood. If
the weather is wet or rainy, the outermost
layer needs to block rain, but still
breathe. If you know you are going to be
in the rain for the short term (or a
warmer rain for the long term) and you
will be immediately transferred to shelter
and dry clothes, you might ignore the
water-repellant outer layer or shell.
Long term exposure, such as camping,
hiking or prolonged outdoor sports, is a
whole different scenario. As soon as you
are exposed to wind, cold or wetness, you
must think about preventing exposure.
Hypothermia can kill with the two
mechanisms of exposure and exhaustion. Wet
clothes, whether from perspiration or the
elements, lose their insulating value. Wet
cotton and wet down are the worst. Wool
and some synthetics are best to fight
wetness. Avoid wind, especially when wet.
You may be better off temporarily with no
shirt in direct sunlight than with a wet
T-shirt in the wind. Wind increases
evaporative heat loss. Consider even
walls, tents, tree trunks or boulders to
shelter you from wind. Also, avoid
conductive loss. Don't let your bare skin
touch cold conductors, such as boulders or
the metal of an automobile fender.
Exhaustion occurs with persistent or
violent shivering, which is a warning sign
that you are beginning to experience
hypothermia. Exertion may be the only
thing preventing you from slipping into
dangerous hypothermia. When you are
totally exhausted and you stop exercising,
your heat production drops drastically,
disabling shivering occurs and you can
slip into a level of hypothermia where you
cannot save yourself. Hypothermia can
occur in cold temperatures as high as 30
to 50 degrees. You need shelter and dry
clothes and a heat source, such as a
campfire or vehicle heater.
It is also helpful to understand how body
heat is lost five ways:
Respiration causes heat loss
through exhaled air and inhaled cold air
(probably technically a kind of
conduction). Avoided by covering your
mouth with scarf or bandana
Evaporation causes heat loss from
moisture given off of the skin and lungs.
Avoid saturated wet clothing.
Conduction heat loss is direct
contact with water, snow, ice, cold metal,
rock, etc. Best avoided with dry and
layered clothing, gloves, hats, and outer
layer water-repellant clothing. Avoid
direct skin contact with cold objects.
Radiation heat loss comes from bare
skin simply giving off heat and cooling in
colder surrounding temperatures. Avoid
bare skin that is not radiated by warm
sunlight.
Convection heat loss works like
evaporation, except it involves dry air
moving away and carrying away heat, such
as occurs in wind chill. Avoid by
shielding from wind chill with shelter or
proper clothing.
The clo value is the most widely
recognized measure of a fabric's
insulating capability. A higher clo value
means greater insulation.
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What
is this site about?
The weather and physiology and human factors of human beings
in sports.