Thunderstorms postpone opening games at the 2019 Little League World Series
As little league season kicks off across the country many players will be hitting the fields. Wild spring weather can create some challenging conditions. Know what to do to stay safe during the changing weather.
The Little League World Series (LLWS) has gotten under way in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as 16 teams battle to be crowned world champions.
Opening day of the annual event was Thursday, Aug. 15, but Mother Nature had other plans.
Drenching thunderstorms caused three of the four games scheduled to be played on Thursday to be moved to Friday.
Rain falls on the scoreboard at Lamade Stadium during a delay in the action at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Showers and thunderstorms may continue to pester the area through the weekend, with the afternoon and evening hours being the most active periods for any storms. However, Saturday and Sunday may feature more extended dry, sunny periods, when compared to Thursday.
Players and those attending any of the games may be required to seek shelter at the first sight of lightning or rumble of thunder. Additional delays in play will be possible if rain falls too heavily or if lightning is in the area.
"High temperatures will rise from the mid-80s on Saturday to near 90 F on Sunday," Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said.
Players and fans will want to remain hydrated, especially, this weekend, as the addition of humidity will send AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures 10 degrees higher than the actual air temperature.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) Little League Classic game this year will take place on Sunday evening, Aug. 18 as the Chicago Cubs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. This will allow all little league players to mingle together and watch some of the best players in the world play baseball in Williamsport. It should remain dry for this contest with temperatures falling into the 70s throughout the game. At most, there may be a shower or thunderstorm early on that causes a delay.
Each summer, eight U.S. teams and eight International teams punch their tickets to Williamsport to play against one another in an 11-day baseball tournament. This year, the LLWS is scheduled take place through Sunday, Aug. 25.
The U.S. teams consist of eight different regions: Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest and West. The International teams include the regions of Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe-Africa, Japan, Latin America and Mexico.
The 2018 LLWS Champion, Honolulu, Hawaii, failed to qualify for this year's tournament. However, the Central East Maui Little League team from Wailuku, Hawaii, the winners of the West Region, will try to make it two championships in a row for the Aloha State.
Download the AccuWeather App and use AccuWeather Minutecast to monitor any storms that may impact the area.
Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
