No. 8 Penn State is two quarters away from picking up a statement win on the road to open up the college football season.
But before the Nittany Lions can reach that feat, it looks like they will have to take down Mother Nature first.
The Nittany Lions season opener vs. West Virginia will be entering an extended halftime, as dark skies and lightning are being detected within the area in Morgantown, West Virginia to send this old rivalry game into a lightning delay. Per the NCAA’s lightning delay policy, game competition is suspended for 30 minutes for every lightning strike within an eight-mile radius.
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At time of writing, Penn State leads West Virginia in Morgantown 20-6 at halftime after Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar connected with wide receiver Harrison Wallace III for an 18-yard touchdown reception just before halftime. It was the second time this afternoon that Allar connected with Wallace III for a score.
Penn State vs West Virginia weather updates
All times Eastern.
2:28 p.m.: A closer look at the radar from WGAL Meteorologist Ethan Huston. WGAL is an NBC affiliate in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
2:14 p.m.: Official word from West Virginia on X (formerly Twitter) on the lightning delay, suspending play:
🌩️ WEATHER DELAY
The game is suspended due to lightning in the area of the stadium.
Additional updates will be made when available.
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) August 31, 2024
2:13 p.m.: Fox’s Gus Johnson announced on the network’s broadcast that the game is in a lightning delay. Skies are rather dark in Morgantown.
2 p.m.: Here’s a look at the weather system that is moving in on Morgantown right now.
PENN STATE VERSUS WVU GAME:
A strong line of storms have developed west of Morgantown and are racing eastward. Expect wind gusts of 40-55mph, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning as these storms progress through. Quarters 3 and 4 will likely be impacted. ⚠️⛈️ @PennStateFball… pic.twitter.com/i9sjP4TadS
— PA Weather Plus, LLC (@PAWeatherPlus) August 31, 2024
Penn State-West Virginia weather forecast
According to The Weather Channel, thunderstorms are possible around 2:30 p.m. ET. Thunderstorms are expected to continue through 9 p.m. ET, which could impact the second half considerably.
Here’s an hour-by-hour forecast for the remainder of Saturday’s game:
All times Eastern.
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2 p.m.: Mostly cloudy (15% chance of precipitation)
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3 p.m.: Scattered thunderstorms (59% chance of precipitation)
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4 p.m.: Heavy thunderstorms (65% chance of precipitation)
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5 p.m.: Thunderstorms (87% chance of precipitation)
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6 p.m.: Heavy thunderstorms (100% chance of precipitation)
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7 p.m.: Thunderstorms (100% chance of precipitation)
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8 p.m.: Scattered thunderstorms (52% chance of precipitation)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Penn State-West Virginia weather updates: Weather delay called after lightning
