There will be no domed stadium to protect Rockies and Diamondbacks fans from the elements in Denver later today.
No 95 degree temperatures, no wearing of shorts.
Get out the woolens. Get out the hot drinks.
Welcome to Denver and Colorado in October.
The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures between 38 and 40 degrees at 6:37 p.m. — time of the first pitch — with a 40 percent chance of showers throughout Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Frank Cooper, a meteorologist for the weather service, said he thinks the teams will get the game in.
“I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” Cooper said. “If it rains, it will be light rain.”
In the hours leading up to the game, however, a new round of rain will hit Denver, he added.
Cooper said that he didn’t expect the temperature to drop any lower than 38 degrees because of the cloud cover that will provide insulation.
For the 24-hour period ending at 10 this morning, rain in the area ranged from one-tenth to eight-tenths of an inch, although Denver International Airport received 2.4 inches Saturday afternoon.
In the mountains, there was a good blanket of snow, Cooper said.
Breckenridge received a foot of the white stuff, while most foothill communities — such as Evergreen and Estes Park — received 3 to 6 inches.
“This is not unusual weather in Denver for this time of year. What is unusual is that the Rockies are playing in October,” Cooper said, laughing.
He said fans should be sure to take raingear, such as a poncho, and a wool sweater underneath it.
“Be prepared for anything,” he said.
Cooper said low pressure in northeast Colorado is bringing moisture back into the Denver area.
He said that the weather in the next few days should be improving.
The high Monday — when the Rockies and Arizona are scheduled to play Game 4 — will be 57, and it will be 70 on Tuesday and Wednesday, he said. Then Denver can expect a cool down on Thursday with the high in the upper 50s.
Earlier today, the western suburbs — such as Lakewood and Golden — were pounded by heavy rain.
And there was flooding on Interstate 25 and Auraria, about 2 miles from Coors Field.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
