Snowstorm to hit Penn State football Pinstripe Bowl vs Clemson in NYC

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Expect a frigid, winter wonderland for Saturday’s final game of this most unexpected, rollercoaster Penn State football season.

Fans beware: A winter storm is bearing down on New York City and Yankee Stadium ahead of the Pinstripe Bowl with its noon kickoff against the Clemson Tigers.

Forecasts are calling for up to 8 inches of snow around the Bronx with precipitation expected to begin late Friday afternoon. Though the majority of the storm should be finished a few hours before kickoff, light snow and some icing could persist into the early afternoon.

Travel could be difficult and parking may be backed up even more than usual around the 54,251-seat Yankee Stadium, especially for the early-day game start.

Temperatures are not expected to rise above the high-20s on Saturday, though some sun could break through by the second half with diminishing winds.

Has Penn State ever played a bowl game in such conditions?

While the Lions are accustomed to playing in a couple of frigid games per season (last year’s first-round College Football Playoff Game in Beaver Stadium against SMU featured with wind chills in the teens), snow is rarely an issue.

The Lions lost a shootout in a snowstorm at Michigan State to end the 2021 regular season. The most memorable in recent memory include the 1995 game against Michigan, in which more than a foot of snow fell around State College earlier that week) and the 1992 November loss at Notre Dame.

This time, these 6-6 Nittany Lions (winners of three-straight) and the 7-5 Tigers (winners of four straight) will try to end their disappointing seasons with feel-good positivity.

Regardless of weather, the game expects to become a showcase for backups and young, up-and-coming players, especially by the second half.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said the Tigers will be missing more than 25 players for the game due to injuries and opt-outs. The Lions must do without, among others, All-America lineman Vega Ioane and tailback Nick Singleton on offense and premier tackle Zane Durant, edge rusher Zuriah Fisher and safety Zakee Wheatley on defense.

Several others may only play a few series before halftime.

If the Lions own any tangible edge, it may be from their resourcefulness and resilence playing for interim leader Terry Smith, who will be in charge one more time. That could mean everything in a game in which both teams will rely on cobbled-together offenses and defenses — playing in a frigid bowl game none of them expected a couple of months ago.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: How much snow for the Penn State football Pinstripe Bowl vs Clemson?

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