Super Bowl LX: How Weather May Impact Seahawks-Patriots Showdown

With the big game just one day away, we now have a pretty good handle of what the weather might look like.

The Super Bowl LX letters at Pier 39. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Super Bowl LX will be played in a location that the Seahawks are familiar with. They play at least one game a year at Levi’s Stadium, which hosts their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. This season will actually be the second season in the last four where they play multiple games there, as they also played a playoff game at Levi’s at the end of the 2022 campaign.

It’s also a location where weather has an opportunity to affect the game, which is not something we’ve seen much of in recent seasons. Super Bowl LV was the last big game to be held in an outdoor stadium. Since then, all super bowls have been held in stadiums with a roof, so LX has a chance to throw a curveball that we rarely see thrown.

And that includes LV, which ended up featuring neutral weather in Tampa Bay. In fact, to find a super bowl game that was genuinely affected by on-field weather, you’d probably have to go back to XLI between the Colts and the Bears, which featured significant rain and wind throughout. So, will this game have some inclement weather?

There’s a chance. According to AccuWeather, the chance of afternoon rain tomorrow stands at about 30 percent, making it a realistic possibility both teams must plan for. There’s also a 5 percent chance of a thunderstorm, which could theoretically even delay the game if serious enough. Low clouds and fog are also forecasted, although those have less effect on the game.

The Seahawks have played in rain at least twice this season, in back-to-back weeks at the tail end of December. Both their home game against the Rams and road game against the Panthers featured some rain. The Seahawks won both games, but it’s worth noting that Sam Darnold turned the ball over four total times in those games, and has not turned it over once since.

The Patriots are no stranger to bad weather either, having gone through a couple of playoff games against the Chargers and Texans, and then a second half burst of snow in Denver against the Broncos. The conditions have prompted some uncharacteristically sloppy play from Drake Maye, but their defense has seen them through in each matchup.

Beyond that, temperatures are expected to get up into the mid-60s during the day, above average for this time of the year in Santa Clara. By the time the game is winding down in the evening, expect temperatures in the mid-50s. Unlikely to have a significant effect on the game, relatively mild and normal temperatures.

Overall, it’s unlikely that the conditions play much of a role tomorrow, but both teams would be wise to keep the possibility in mind. After all, 30 percent is a long way away from 0 percent.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (18) looks to throw against the Chicago Bears. | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

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