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Iowa Football vs. Northwestern Forecast: Perfect Weather Sets the Stage at Ryan Field

Iowa is headed to the new Ryan Field, and it looks to be a picturesque day for the Hawkeyes taking on Northwestern, which could see a heavy Iowa presence.
Oct 25, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes fans react after the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes fans react after the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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They say that the summer is the best season to visit Chicago, but truth be told, it might be the third best time of the year to make a trip to the Windy City. There's just something about the holidays in Chicago that makes the fall and winter special.

When the Iowa Hawkeyes head to Evanston, which is really Chicago, the weather is going to be quite lovely for a November day as the Hawkeyes and Northwestern Wildcats square off in a battle of two 6-2 Big Ten teams with plenty of dreams and aspirations about bigger things awaiting them.

Iowa vs Northwestern Forecast

For Evanston in November, this is almost as good as you can get. This game could have been colder, windier, rainer, or a mix of all the above, which is has been in previous matchups. Fortunately, things are looking like they will be ideal football weather with a Big Ten crispness in the air.

Temperatures: High of 51 degrees, RealFeel of 40 degrees at kickoff, low of 40 degrees

Chance of Precipitation: 5% chance of precipitation, with a forecast calling for partly cloudy or sunny skies during the day and partly cloudy skies at night

Wind: 8mph to the Southwest, with gusts up to 13mph to the Southwest

Humidity: High of 85% humidity, 72% humidity at kickoff

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Who does this forecast favor?

To be totally honest, the only thing in this forecast that could really play a factor in a football game is a potential wind gust, but with Ryan Field essentially enclosed on the sides and end zones, with an open roof, there isn't much impact on this game.

The temperatures are nowhere near cold enough to have any sort of impact on the passing game or ball carriers. This temperature is ideal for playing a football game, which sets the stage for a fun evening between two talented teams.

Riley Donald's Quick Thoughts

While the weather is an external factor that I don't see having much impact on this game, there is another factor that does tilt things Iowa's way. Iowa is going to be playing this game in front of a heavy Iowa presence. It may not be all Hawkeyes, but there will be a lot of black and gold.

The Chicago Iowa Club reports approximately 30,000 Iowa alumni living in the Chicago metropolitan area. With the Big Ten's geographical footprint spanning coast to coast, something tells me these Iowa fans are going to show out for a local game with relatively little to no travel involved

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Riley Donald
RILEY DONALD

Riley Donald, a former NCAA student-athlete, played four years of college football and was a team captain at Augustana College. He has spent nearly five years at USA TODAY Sports covering Iowa football, Iowa men’s basketball, and Iowa women’s basketball, along with a broader coverage focusing primarily on Big Ten football and basketball. Began covering the Dallas Cowboys. Radio guest on several ESPN stations discussing Iowa football, the NFL draft, and more.

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