How weather impacts sports

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - We all know wind, rain, and temperature extremes can affect a sporting event - not just the athletes, but the equipment too. But do you know how else the weather impacts play? Some examples are below, courtesy of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Football:

Over 90% of football fields are set-up with the end zones directed north to south, so a north/south wind usually be blowing from end zone to end zone, while a east/west wind will usually be cross-field.

Baseball:

In a dense gas (air) or fluid, the molecules are close together, and any object moving through the substance must push aside a large number of molecules. All this effort takes some energy, diminishing the distance a batted or thrown ball will travel.

In thin or low density air, a ball can travel faster and farther because there's less air resistance. Air under low pressure is less dense or thinner than air under high pressure. This is the main reason balls carry farther in Denver (the atmospheric pressure at that altitude is always about 15% less than sea level pressures). For example, a hit that would have flown 400 feet at sea level would carry up to 430 feet in the thin air of Denver.

Air with humidity is less dense, or thinner, than dry air. However, a baseball is a humid environment is actually heavier and less elastic than a dry ball, and therefore cannot be hit as far.

Warm air is less dense, or thinner, than cold air. For a pitcher, the lesser density means a fastball will go faster on warm days than on cold days. However, with less drag, it means a curveball won't curve as much and sinkers won't sink as much.

Golf:

Temperatures below 45 degrees cause the ball and club to be less resilient. When the fall is struck, more energy is lost so the ball doesn't travel as far.

Similar to baseball, a golf ball will travel further is thin or low density air.

While a golf ball will not absorb moisture like a baseball, rain will shorten the flight of a ball. The constant pounding of the water against the ball in flight (think of the rain drops as little hammers hitting the ball) will slow the ball down.