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Target Field grass ready to go — with serious snow on the way

Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins head groundskeeper Larry DiVito says the turf at Target Field is ready for play, barring any serious snow — but some serious snow is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul five-day forecast.

To say April baseball at Target Field is a challenge is an understatement, especially in a year where winter has stubbornly persisted despite spring arriving on the calendar. The region saw a few inches of accumulation last week, and with the April 7 home opener against Oakland looming for the Twins, there is the potential for significant snow accumulation this coming Friday.

Which would be a shame, as Target Field is prepped for play: the turf is green and snow has been cleared from the grandstand. From AP:

The bulk of the work, actually, lies in the clearing of the seating bowl and the plaza area beyond the gates. With state-of-the-art technology in place and experts there to use it, producing a major league-caliber surface from the dreariness of a Midwestern winter is simply part of the job, no matter how impressive it appears to the average homeowner.

The temperature on this gray, wet morning was about 20 degrees warmer than last year, when the Twins opened at home on a 35-degree afternoon. The forecasts are calling for some snow later this week, but predicted sunshine by next weekend ought to help the ballpark dry out again before the April 7 game against the Oakland Athletics.

“It’ll all be done. The only thing that would throw us off would be a blizzard,” DiVito said.

Beware mortals who tempt the weather gods.

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