Rain soaked Kenan Memorial Stadium on Saturday as No. 3 Notre Dame clung to a 21-20 lead over North Carolina in the third quarter.
A lightning window opens after 2 p.m. ET, and a 30-minute stoppage would freeze the game with North Carolina trailing by seven points, 27-20, as it stands with 5:36 left in the third quarter.
Heavy rains were drenching Chapel Hill at about 2:20 p.m. ET. Temperatures sat between 70 and 74 degrees with humidity near 85% and a dew point of 69, according to WeatherBug’s live conditions. A northeast wind of 5 to 6 mph gusted to 13, and visibility in the rain dropped to about 4 miles. WeatherBug’s short-term graph showed the shower cell lasting roughly 40 minutes.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Weather Conditions
The forecast office in Raleigh listed a high near 77 under cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service. Its hourly breakdown put the chance of precipitation at 53% at 1 p.m., 36% at 2 p.m. and 37% at 3 p.m. New rainfall should total less than a tenth of an inch unless a storm stalls overhead. Heavier rain is timed for tonight and Sunday.
A wet ball and slick turf favor the run game and short throws, and they make deep shots like Faison’s touchdowns harder to complete. A breeze of 5 to 10 mph is too light to dominate the kicking game. North Carolina’s total already stands at 20 points, so a missed kick is already part of the margin.
| NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH — 2026 SCHEDULE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Time / Result | TV / W-L |
| Sun, Sep 6 | Wisconsin * | Neutral | W 41-13 | 1-0 (0-0) |
| Sat, Sep 12 | Rice | Home | W 52-0 | 2-0 (0-0) |
| Sat, Sep 19 | Michigan State | Home | W 27-10 | 3-0 (0-0) |
| Sat, Sep 26 | @ Purdue | Away | W 49-10 | 4-0 (0-0) |
| Sat, Oct 3 | @ North Carolina | Away | LIVE | ESPN / Disney+ |
| Sat, Oct 10 | Stanford | Home | 12:30 PM | NBC |
| Sat, Oct 17 | @ #10 BYU | Away | TBD | TBD |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Navy * | Neutral | 9:00 AM | TBD |
| Sat, Nov 7 | #4 Miami | Home | 4:30 PM | NBC |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Boston College | Home | 12:30 PM | NBC |
| Sat, Nov 21 | #21 SMU | Home | 4:30 PM | NBC |
| Sat, Nov 28 | @ Syracuse | Away | TBD | TBD |
| Times listed local to broadcast. * Game played at a neutral location. | ||||
North Carolina Tar Heels Lightning Delay Outlook
NCAA protocol calls for a delay when lightning is detected within about 8 miles, followed by a 30-minute wait after the last strike, and every new strike resets the clock, according to The Fayetteville Observer. North Carolina lived that Sept. 12, when a 79-minute lightning delay interrupted its game against ETSU at Kenan.
The hourly forecast lists no thunder at 1 p.m., then a chance at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. before dropping to a slight chance. The South Bend Tribune’s pregame note carried a 40% thunderstorm chance by 3:30 p.m. Through about 3:25 p.m. ET, a delay is possible but not likely. None has been called.
If showers stay free of lightning inside that 8-mile radius, the teams play through and the second half stays tight. If a cell with lightning reaches Kenan after 2 p.m., expect a stoppage of at least 30 minutes.
The Fighting Irish arrived in Chapel Hill 4-0 and the Tar Heels arrived 2-1 for a noon ET kickoff on ESPN.
North Carolina struck first on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Billy Edwards Jr. to Shamar Easter, according to ESPN game data. Notre Dame answered within 15 seconds of game clock, and CJ Carr threw touchdown passes of 28 and 39 yards to Jordan Faison, according to On3 live scoring updates.
North Carolina then drove 98 yards for a touchdown just before the break, leaving Notre Dame ahead 21-14 at halftime, according to South Bend Tribune. The Tar Heels received the second-half kickoff and added six more points, cutting the margin to one.
Will Notre Dame-UNC Game be Delayed Today? What is the Outlook in 2nd Half?