In rain and snow at home, Seahawks much more likely to win

Sandra Hines News and Information

The Seahawks win four times as many home games as they lose when the weather is inclement, compared to less than two to one when it’s not, according to UW research meteorologist Nick Bond.

When it rains or snows during Seahawks home games, the team’s record during the past decade is 17-4, a winning percentage of 0.81. The average point differential is almost 12.

Without precipitation, the Seahawks record in home games is 42-25, a winning percentage of 0.63. The average point differential is about 5.

Bond checked the weather during home games going back to 2002 and compared that with the wins and losses during the regular football season.

“The home team thrives in bad weather,” Bond said.

Not that Seattle has all that much bad weather during home games. It appears there was precipitation at or in the immediate vicinity of the stadium during 21 of 88 home games, about a quarter of the time. Some years, for instance 2004 and 2009, weather for all the home games was dry. When there was precipitation it was mostly rain, but for two games there was snow.

Bond is deputy director of the UW-based Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean and also serves as the Washington state climatologist.

Why’d he check this out?

“My son and I were watching the Seahawks rout of the 49ers Dec. 23 when the announcer mentioned that it was raining and in the low 40s but that Seattle was used to that. It got the two of us talking about whether inclement weather provides the Seahawks with an advantage, and so I decided to look into it,” Bond said.

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For more information:

Bond,206-526-6459, nab3met@uw.edu