The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Michigan Wolverines will kick off under cloudy skies, possibly in the midst of rain and undoubtedly amid temperatures in the high 70s, according to Accuweather.
The game begins at approximately 7:42 p.m. Eastern, but the tailgating could begin more than 12 hours earlier. Notre Dame is opening all of its lots, including its reserved lots, at 7 a.m. for all home games. That’s the opening time regardless of when each home game kicks off.
If you’re starting your day with eggs in a lot, you may want to wear a layer. Temperatures are going to be about 70 degrees, with 90 percent cloud cover. The eggs will be dry, however; there’s only a 4 percent chance of rain at that point.
As the temperature rises, so too does the likelihood of rain. By lunchtime, you could be contending with 80 degree temperatures, thunderstorms and a 51 percent chance of precipitation. Hold onto your plates too — there’s a 15 mile per hour winds coming from the southwest.
By your typical kickoff time for another other home game (except Stanford) — say, 3:30 p.m. Eastern — that likelihood of rain starts to dissipate. The temperature will hover in the 80s and the wind will calm a little.
The thunderstorms could return in the 10 p.m. hour — which conjures up memories of a season opener in 2011 that was delayed at halftime by lightning.
When the Irish are kneeling in victory formation, quarterback Ian Book will do so amid temperatures that have dropped to about 73 degrees, 6 mile per hour winds and lower humidity.
For a successful tailgate, bring a canopy or something to cover the food as well as a light rain jacket or T-shirt hoodie.
Rain or shine, enjoy the game. Go Irish. Beat Wolverines!