KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lightning in the area of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has halted the Kansas City Chiefs’ showdown against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football at halftime.
A stalled front above the Kansas City area has created ideal conditions for thunderstorms, which were forecast to arrive early in tonight’s game — a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game.
As anticipated, the storms reached the stadium shortly before 9 p.m. The rain alone, while not optimal for playing conditions or fans, wouldn’t have stopped the game.
But lightning requires the game to be temporarily suspended until the threat passes, per NFL policy.
Lightning in the area paused the game at halftime, which arrived shortly after 9 p.m. Fans were asked to seek shelter.
The game was delayed for 75 minutes before the players returned to the field. The game resumed at 10:15 p.m.
The stoppage was reminiscent of an Oct. 4, 1998, game against the Seattle Seahawks, which was delayed by torrential rain and lightning.
That also was a night game, which the Chiefs won 17-6 behind Rich Gannon and Andrew Rison, who caught an 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to ice the win.
Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes combined for 183 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in a 30-20 win despite arriving six hours before kickoff.
The last time a Chiefs game was dramatically impacted by weather came in 2005 when the NFL moved a game at the Miami Dolphins from Sunday to Friday with Hurricane Wilma approaching southern Florida.
The Las Vegas at Chargers game Monday from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, was delayed more than a half-hour due to lightning. The stadium has a roof, but it also has windowless open-air sides in some places, which triggered the delay.
