The New England Patriots play their 2013 home opener on Thursday night against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. It will feel more like training camp weather than regular season weather, with warm and muggy conditions expected in the afternoon, and mild and humid conditions during the game.
The big x-factor with the forecast is whether thunderstorms advancing east ahead of a cold front will make it to Foxboro during the evening. At this point, the odds are higher for it to occur after midnight, but a strong thunderstorm before or during the game cannot be ruled out. There is the potential any storms in interior Southeastern Massachusetts to have strong winds and hail in addition to frequent lightning and torrential downpours. While there is no certainty that the weather will deteriorate during the game, there is the chance that the NFL could be seeing its second straight Thursday night lightning delay. Lightning near the stadium delayed last week’s regular season opener in Denver.
If you’re heading to the game, be ready for rain, but also expect a night that will feel a lot more like early August than mid-September. If the rain holds off, it will be great weather to watch the game.
For fantasy football purposes, there will be a 10-15 mph breeze out of the southwest that diminishes to 5-10 mph during the evening. Stronger winds are possible in any storms. Heavy downpours would have an effect on ball security, but, with no guarantee of rain we recommend starting the players you normally would on a decent night.
Thursday Forecast – Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
| Time | Sky | Temperature | Wind |
| 530 pm | Hazy, breezy, warm, muggy – chance of a t-storm | 82° | SW 10-20 mph |
| 830 pm | Mostly cloudy, muggy, chance of t-storms | 74° | SW 10-15 mph |
| 11 pm | Clouds, fog, chance of showers and t-storms | 69° | SW 5-10 mph |
| 1 am | Clouds, fog, chance of showers and t-storms | 67° | SW 5-10 mph |