The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh, and while we aren't forecasting a major storm, the weather could be a nuisance for at least part of the festivities.
This annual event where players who have finished their college careers are selected by NFL teams will span three days from Thursday through Saturday. The NFL is expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors for the draft, as well as various festivities around Acrisure Field and the city of Pittsburgh.
- Thursday night (round 1): The weather looks picture perfect for the first round, with temperatures dropping from the low 70s to the upper 60s, light winds and no rain chance.
- Friday night (rounds 2-3): It's an uncertain forecast, but for now, there is a slight chance of showers Friday evening. Temperatures once again are expected to be in the low 70s or upper 60s with generally light winds.
- Saturday afternoon (rounds 4-7): Rain showers, possibly a rumble of thunder, appear likely.
The NFL Draft will go on rain or shine. The draft theater, including the platform where the players will walk on stage, has a large overhang that will keep fans with access to the theater dry.
However, most fans attending the festivities around the draft — called the NFL Draft Experience — won't have protective cover if it rains.
The NFL and the city does have a plan in case of severe weather.
According to the NFL, "Only in the case of extreme weather that threatens public safety will the event potentially be postponed."
Any announcement of postponement due to weather would be pushed out to attending fans via the NFL OnePass app and also announced over the on-site public address system.
Since 2015, the NFL has moved the draft to different cities around the country, with festivities outdoors.
The weather has been mostly cooperative, with a few small exceptions.
Last year, a thunderstorm on the Wednesday before the draft in Green Bay briefly delayed some pre-draft events and interviews in the morning. Then, some chilly light rain fell over Day 2 of the draft.
In 2021, over an inch and a half of rain soaked Cleveland on the first day of the draft.
In 2019, showers moved into downtown Nashville during the first round Thursday evening.
In 2016, light rain and high temperatures only near 50 degrees were a nuisance for outdoor festivities at Grant Park in Chicago.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.