Could snow affect Clemson football bowl game in New York City? What we know
Update, Tuesday 7:38 a.m.: New York City got two to five inches of snow late Friday afternoon through early Saturday morning. Forecasts indicate the snow has stopped for the day, and it’s not expected to impact the playing surface much.
The Pinstripe Bowl will already be Clemson football’s coldest game of the year. Based on current forecasts, it could also feature some winter weather.
Snow is expected in New York City starting late Friday afternoon, and broader parts of the NYC metro area could see five to seven inches of snow, per reports.
That’s obviously worth noting for the Tigers, who play an outdoor bowl game against Penn State at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York on Saturday afternoon.
There have been no changes to the game’s status as of midday Friday.
According to the New York Times, the snowfall is “expected to start late Friday afternoon, escalating Friday night and wrapping up by Saturday morning.” The most intense snowfall, per the Times, will be overnight Friday through Saturday morning.
As of midday Friday, there’s no snow expected for Saturday afternoon. It still projects as the most snow NYC has received since 2022, per CNN.
That would theoretically give bowl staff time to clear the majority of snow from the playing field at Yankee Stadium for Saturday’s noon kickoff on ABC. But the winter weather could impact things like seating and fan travel to and from the ballpark.
Speaking on a Zoom interview on Friday, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he and his team would welcome the opportunity to play in a “snow game,” adding that he’s never played or coached a college football game in the snow.
Kickoff temperature at Yankee Stadium is expected to be somewhere in the 28 to 33 degrees range, which would be significantly chillier than Clemson’s previous coldest game in 2025. It was 41 degrees in Columbia, South Carolina when Clemson played the rival USC Gamecocks on Nov. 29.
“They’ve embraced everything that’s come at us, whether it’s ‘next man up’ mentality with a lot of the guys that are out injured or the elements,” Swinney said Friday. “It’s all part of it, and we’re excited about it all.”
For Yankee Stadium’s specific ZIP code in The Bronx, which is one of five New York City boroughs and located in the northeast corner of the city, AccuWeather.com’s forecast projects three to six inches of snow to fall from roughly 5 p.m. Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday (one hour after kickoff).
The current forecast for Saturday, the day of the Pinstripe Bowl, per the website: “A bit of morning snow with little or no accumulation; otherwise, considerable cloudiness. ... Watch for some freezing drizzle in the morning.”
Pinstripe Bowl executive director Mark Holtzman acknowledged the possibility of snow in a media appearance Friday with New York Stock Exchange TV Live.
“I’m looking forward to the snow being over by, hopefully, early morning so we can clear it all out and have that beautiful setting with the snow piles on the sides and around, say, noon or one o’clock the sun starts to come out a little bit and we have one of those picture-perfect afternoons they put on postcards,” he said.
Dabo gives final Clemson injury update
Swinney also revealed on Friday that fourth-year receiver Cole Turner has a lower-body injury and won’t play in the Pinstripe Bowl. With Turner’s injury, Clemson will be down 28 total scholarship players for the game.
Turner caught three passes for 27 yards in his most recent game vs. USC. He was expected to start and/or command a high snap count vs. Penn State, since starting receivers Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco Jr. are both out with injuries. Instead, Clemson will be down three of its top six receivers.
On the defensive side, Swinney said redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Stephiylan Green’s playing status is up in the air because of an undisclosed injury. Asked if Green would be available, Swinney said, “We hope so.”
Clemson’s ‘unique’ week in the Big Apple
Clemson’s players have had a packed schedule.
They flew from Upstate South Carolina to New York City on Monday afternoon and have been consumed in Pinstripe Bowl activities ever since. Clemson’s team schedule included a trip to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum on Wednesday, and sending a contingent to ring the opening bell Friday at the New York Stock Exchange.
The team also celebrated Christmas at their team hotel Thursday and has various Friday activities, including a team visit to a local children’s cancer center. A smaller group will also visit the studio of ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Clemson spent the week practicing at Columbia University, which has an outdoor field as well as an indoor “bubble.” Penn State practiced at Fordham University.
Swinney raved about the team’s experience and pointed out that the Tigers essentially had two classes of players who hadn’t had a true bowl experience yet, since last year’s first-round College Football Playoff game at Texas operated like a road game.
“This is my 30th bowl game, but this is one of the most amazing experiences that I’ve been a part of,” Swinney said.
2025 Pinstripe Bowl game, TV info
- Who: Clemson (7-5) vs. Penn State (6-6)
- When: noon Saturday
- Where: Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York
- TV: ABC
- Betting line: Clemson by 2.5 points
This story was originally published December 26, 2025 at 11:54 AM.
