Seahawks vs. 49ers weather updates: Heavy rain in Santa Clara forecast for NFL playoff game

Sam Jarden

Zac Al-Khateeb

Seahawks vs. 49ers weather updates: Heavy rain in Santa Clara forecast for NFL playoff game image

This story has been updated from a previous version.

The 49ers will play the Seahawks, a team they have already beaten twice this season, in the NFL's super wild-card weekend.

San Francisco, a trendy pick to challenge for the 2023 Super Bowl, should feel confident in its ability to earn a clean sweep over its NFC West divisional rival. It wouldn't necessarily take an act of God for Seattle to beat the 49ers, but there's a reason the home team opens as a 9.5-point favorite.

That said, the Seahawks may get just that when the game kicks off on Saturday: The forecast calls for heavy rain in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, including when the game kicks off. Whether San Francisco can hold off the 7-seed Seahawks in sloppy conditions remains to be seen — and adds an additional level of intrigue to the game.

With that, The Sporting News looks at Saturday's forecast between the 49ers and Seahawks:

MORE: 49ers vs. Seahawks odds, prediction, betting tips for NFL wild-card playoff game

49ers vs. Seahawks weather forecast

Rain is going to play a factor in the 49ers' home game vs. the Seahawks. The Weather.com forecast has a 100 percent chance of rain on Saturday in Santa Clara, home of Levi's Stadium. The high for the day is 58 degrees Fahrenheit, while the low is 49 degrees.

The latest forecast has rain stopping at 11 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET) with more resuming later in the day. Kickoff for the wild-card game is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. Here's Weather.com's hour-by-hour forecast for Levi's Stadium between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET (1 p.m. and 2 p.m. local time):

  • Temperature: 56 degrees Fahrenheit (4 p.m.) to 54 degrees (5 p.m.)
  • Chance of rain: 90 percent (4 p.m. ET) to 86 percent (5 p.m. ET)
  • Winds: SW to WSW at 7 mph

Assuming the game takes three hours from opening kickoff to final whistle, then the chances of rain will max out at 69 percent at 7 p.m. ET, with temperatures dropping to roughly 53 degrees in Santa Clara.

Cold and rainy conditions aren't fun to play in, with players needing to wear weatherproof gear to remain warm while not on the field. The rainy conditions could also result in players slipping on the turf at Levi's Stadium, as well as an increase in dropped passes, muffed punts, fumbles and other turnover-potential plays.

LIVE: Follow Seahawks vs. 49ers wild-card playoff game

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan isn't downplaying the impact the weather can have on Saturday's game, either:

“I always think bad weather slows the game down and equalizes stuff, but when it’s one game, three and a half hours in the playoffs, I look at all games as equal,” Shanahan told reporters on Thursday. “I know we’re favored, I know what people say, but this is the NFL and this is the playoffs and last time we played them, it came down to last possession, I expect it to be the same.”

MORE: Where is Jimmy Garoppolo? How Week 13 injury paved way for Brock Purdy's improbable 49ers playoff run

The 49ers need only look to Week 1 of this season to remember the last time weather played a factor in a loss. They lost 19-10 in horrid conditions at Chicago's Soldier Field to the Bears, who would go on to claim the top pick of the 2023 NFL Draft with a 3-14 record.

Trey Lance, who opened the season as the 49ers' starter, completed 13 of 28 passes for 164 passes and an interception in that game. He also lost a fumble while receiver Deebo Samuel committed another that was recovered by San Francisco.

The 49ers perhaps can take lessons from that game. Or they can once again fall victim to factors outside their control. Only time will tell.

MORE: 4 reasons to believe 49ers' Brock Purdy can be first rookie QB to win the Super Bowl

49ers vs. Seahawks weather updates

Update 1: The rain is already falling heavy at Levi's Stadium, which has a tarp over the field to protect playing conditions for as long as possible. Local meteorologists Steve Wyche and Matt Maiocco have reported on the scene about the conditions in Santa Clara:

Update 2: The planned flyover for Saturday's game has been canceled due to the weather:

Update 3: The rain has stopped in Santa Clara, and the grounds crew at Levi's Stadium has removed the tarp from the field, which is in good condition.

Moreover, Maiocco says winds have blown the storm past the area faster than anticipated, resulting in better weather conditions — for now.

Update 4: As of 2:36 p.m. ET, light rain has once again started to fall at Levi's Stadium. No word on whether the tarp will be brought back out (or if the rainfall will necessitate that).

Update 5: As we near kickoff, rain continues to fall steadily in Santa Clara. However, as of a couple hours ago, the field still remained in good shape. We'll see if it deteriorates at all once the game gets underway and cleats start flying.

Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden Photo

Sam Jarden joined Sporting News as an intern in 2020 and returned as a content producer in 2022. In between, he spent a year and a half at Turner Sports, managing the social media accounts for Bleacher Report, NBA on TNT, NBA TV and others. A proud UNC alumnus, he spends his free time following the Tar Heels, Buffalo Bills and Newcastle United FC, and has been known to occasionally hit the links.

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.