The start of the NFL opener between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs was delayed by 20 minutes on Thursday night when a violent but brief thunderstorm passed over Arrowhead Stadium, bringing torrential rain and lightning.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) — The start of the NFL opener between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs was delayed 20 minutes Thursday night when a heavy but brief thunderstorm passed through Arrowhead Stadium, bringing torrential rain and lightning.
The game was scheduled to begin at 7:20 p.m. CDT, 40 minutes after the rain had let up. The teams agreed to an abbreviated 25-minute warmup starting at 7 p.m., giving the Chiefs about 15 minutes to raise their latest Super Bowl banner, perform the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and conduct other pregame festivities.
The special teams players were on the field warming up before the game when the skies darkened and rain began to fall, causing fans inside the stadium to take cover. The players were escorted off the field for safety when lightning lit up the sky north of the stadium.
Although the rain only rained heavily for about 20 minutes, the speed at which it fell still caused water to collect in the corners of the stadium. The storm also caused the temperature to drop by about -4 degrees Celsius from a high of 33 degrees Celsius.
More sudden storms were forecast into the early hours of the morning, but the greatest chance of more thunderstorms would be after midnight. This would give the NFL a chance to finish the game without further delay.
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