Packers-Bears Weather Delay: When Will the Game Resume?

The Thursday night game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears was been suspended for 47 minutes due to lightning and storms near Lambeau Field.

According to the National Weather Service, showers and “few storms” moved across the northeastern Wisconsin area Thursday evening during the game, though they weren’t expected to last long. Officials said that play would officially resume at 10 p.m. Eastern after it had been halted since about 9:13 p.m..

Players from both teams were called out of the locker rooms and back onto to the field by officials at about 9:40 p.m., and that was followed by a warmup that lasting about 15 minutes. Initially, officials at Lambeau said the game would be delayed for around 15 minutes until the storm and the lightning that came with it passed through the area. That was expected to happen around 9:31 p.m., but the delay ended up lasting longer.

Play was halted at the end of the first quarter, and fans were urged to head to the exits as torrential rain, powerful winds and huge strikes of lightning made their way through the area. The Packers were leading the Bears at the time when the game was delayed, 14-0, and had an 88-percent win probability according to SportsLine.

During the delay at Lambeau, ESPN Madison reported that at least two Packers fans were arrested for trying to run onto the field.

Earlier this season, the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys game was delayed for nearly two hours because of lightning.