• Snow in April? Must be opening day.
Brisk, damp afternoon awaits Pirates faithful
If the Pirates stick to the schedule Friday afternoon, their first inning could meet a snowy, rainy mix at PNC Park. The good news? That potential mess shouldn’t freeze to the stadium seats — or on the roads. Temperatures should stay in the mid- to upper 30s when the Pirates play their 2017 home opener, weather forecasts showed Thursday.
“We’re not looking at any accumulations,” said Rihaan Gangat, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon. He predicted a cold, windy day as the Pirates play host to the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m.
Team officials planned to watch the weather carefully while the first pitch approaches. Mr. Gangat said overnight and morning snow showers should give way to a rainy blend around 1 or 2 p.m.
That could switch to all rain for a couple of hours, then flip back to a rain-snow combination, according to the weather service.
At the Port Authority of Allegheny County, spokesman Adam Brandolph predicted the foul weather could blunt congestion and traffic “just a little bit.” The authority expects more than 40,000 people will show up for opening day revelry on the North Shore.
“It’s not just the baseball game,” said Mr. Brandolph, who noted a tailgate-style event planned at nearby Stage AE.
He said the Port Authority will tailor light-rail service to accommodate the crowds, featuring twocar trains until the first pitch, and rush-hour-like service beginning about 4 p.m., Mr. Brandolph said.
“That creates basically a train every four minutes” leaving the North Shore.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, the Pirates encouraged fans to rely on mass transit. Gates at the ballpark will open at 11 a.m., with pregame ceremonies to follow about 12:30 p.m.
Among other accommodations for the day:
• The Roberto Clemente Bridge will close to vehicular traffic at 10 a.m. and reopen to outgoing North Shore traffic 25 to 40 minutes after the final pitch.
• North Shore parking lots and garages will close to commuter traffic, according to the Pirates. North Shore parking near PNC Park will open at 9 a.m. at event rates. The team urged attendees to arrive as early as possible.
• Hours for the inbound HOV lanes on the Parkway North/Interstate 279 will extend until 1:30 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation. They will reopen for outbound traffic at 3 p.m.
Police stressed that drivers “are going to need extra patience” amid road construction and heavy traffic volumes, said Sonya Toler, a Pittsburgh public safety spokeswoman.