Prospect Heights / Wheeling Youth Baseball / Softball: Weather Information

Weather Radar - local Wheeling, Prospect Heights and Mount Prospect communities.

Weather information for all PHWYBS games both on Prospect Heights and Wheeling Fields will be posted by the Wheeling Park District. You can find up-to-date weather information either by calling the weather hotline or visiting the link above. The weather hotline will be updated by approximately 4:00-4:30 p.m. each weekday and in the morning on weekends. If the information has not been updated for the current day, it should be assumed that games are on as scheduled. In some cases weather conditions may change after the hotline is updated and games may be cancelled after 4:00 p.m. In such cases, it will be the manager's responsibilities to coordinate with each other, the player agent, the VP of the division along with the umpire coordinator to call a game if needed.

Thorguard Lightning Detection:Heritage Park in Wheeling and Lions, McDonald, and Eisenhower Field in Prospect Hts are equipped with the electronic Thorguard systems. This system monitors weather conditions to predict the possibility of lightning strikes and warn park patrons in advance. When the siren blasts, all games and practices must CEASE and EVERYONE must seek safe shelter immediately. Safe shelter includes a fully enclosed building or vehicle with windows and doors shut. Safe shelter does NOT include under a tree, pavilion, doorway or near any metal object. If children have been dropped off for the game/practice and no parent is there, the manager/coach is responsible for the safety of the child.

After the warning siren sounds, Thorguard continues to monitor the weather. When conditions are safe again, an all-clear siren consisting of 3 short blasts will sound. PHWYBS doesn't control the time required for the "all clear" to sound. After the all-clear has sounded, all practice, game play and park activity may resume. Because Thorguard is always "on" and weather is unpredictable, it may happen that the warning siren sounds and only a few minutes later, the all-clear siren sounds. Because of this inaccuracy, it is difficult to determine how long to wait before calling off a ballgame due to weather. Suggestion is to wait 20-30 minutes.

After a long rain delay or several rain delays, if the game has not reached the official inning and there is no reasonable expecation that the game can be completed within time limits or before darkness impedes playing conditions, the game should be cancelled and rescheduled.

Even if the Thorguard doesn't sound, the umpire and managers may deem that enough rain has fallen to create conditions that warrant a brief rain delay. After a 2nd rain delay, the umpire and managers will evaluate the playing conditions for safety and the reasonability of continuing the game under those conditions, especially relating to the pitcher's ability to stride off the mound and throw strikes with control.

On Wheeling Fields, WPD field supervisors will inform umpires and managers when the warning and all-clear sirens sound, and ask people to leave the area, but will not make decisions about cancelling games.