Chance of light rain at Mets, Yankees home openers

Just to play it safe, fans heading into the city to watch their favorite baseball teams open the season Monday afternoon might want to bring along some rain gear.

The National Weather Service said there's a 20 percent chance of rain showers at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field for the baseball openers.

The Yankees open against the Boston Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. The Mets face the Padres at 1:10 p.m.

The games mark the first time since 1956 that two New York teams played their home openers on the same day. That year, on April 17, the Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-6, at Ebbets Field, and the New York Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, at the Polo Grounds, according to baseball-almanac.com.

If rain does fall on the Yankees' and Mets' parades, meteorologist Mike Layer of the Upton-based service said the showers should be light.

A cold front moving eastward from central Pennsylvania could bring precipitation anywhere between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., said Layer, a Yankees fan.

The chances for rain are pretty low, he said, but the backdrop for the openers will be cloudy skies, temperatures in the high 50s and increasing winds.

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"We could see brisk winds later in the afternoon, after 2 p.m.," Layer said.

The service forecasts a breezy west wind from 10 mph to 15 mph early on Monday, increasing to 18 mph to 23 mph later in the day, Layer said.

So, along with the rain gear, perhaps an extra sweatshirt or jacket also might be a good idea.