ELMONT, N.Y. -- It's looking like the Penguins and Bruins will have pretty mild conditions for the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at Fenway Park.
Puck drop is currently scheduled for 2 p.m., though the start time can be pushed back in the event of adverse weather conditions
AccuWeather projects a 1% probability of rain in the morning with 21% cloud cover, but by afternoon it's expected to be sunny with no cloud cover. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 40s and early 50s with 46% humidity and wind gusts reaching 13 miles per hour.
Both teams are currently scheduled for an outdoor practice at Fenway Park the day before the game on Jan. 1, with the Bruins taking the ice first at 2:30 p.m. and the Penguins practicing next at 4:30 p.m. Conditions are expected to be less than ideal for the practice day, with periods of rain expected throughout the afternoon, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-50s with high humidity.
The Penguins have dealt with some tough weather conditions in past outdoor games.
The Penguins' last outdoor game was the Stadium Series game at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field in February 2019. The temperature hovered around 40 degrees all game. The rain that initially threatened to postpone the gam ended up being more of a light mist in the first two periods, then picked up in the third period. Matt Murray spoke after that game of needing to towel off his face during stoppages because rain would get through his mask and into his eyes, and Claude Giroux said that he "spent more time trying to clean my visor than actually playing."
In humid and rainy conditions, visors getting rainy or fogging up is a real concern because it can make it difficult for players to see. The NHL has regulations for how visors must be worn, and there are even signs in the locker room showing how far is too far when it comes to tilting a visor up. Improper visor wear could lead to a penalty being called in a game. In games like the Stadium Series in Philadelphia, though, some players tilted their visors up more than is allowed in order to see. It would be difficult to imagine a penalty actually being called in that circumstance, given that it's probably more dangerous for a player to be playing when he can't see where he's going.
Conditions were mild for the Penguins' Feb. 2017 Stadium Series game against the Flyers at Heinz Field. Temperatures had reached the 60s early in the day, but had dropped to below-freezing in the low 30s by that evening's puck drop. There was light snow early that evening, but the skies were clear for the game.
The Penguins' Stadium Series against the Blackhawks at Chicago's Soldier Field in March 2014 was the coldest outdoor game in which the Penguins have played. There was snow, wind, and temperatures in the 10s.
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Snow falls during the 2014 Stadium Series in Chicago.
The Penguins' last Winter Classic appearance on New Year's Day in 2011 against the Capitals at Heinz Field was initially scheduled to be an afternoon puck drop but was pushed back to the evening due to heavy ran early in the day. There was still light rain by game time and temperatures were in the mid-40s, and the ice conditions were pretty terrible as a result. Teams switched sides at the midway point of the third period due to high winds, in order to avoid giving either team any sort of advantage.
The weather for the league's first Winter Classic on New Year's Day 2008 in Buffalo made for a great scene. Light snow came down over the Penguins and Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Temperatures remained in the 20s during the game. Like 2011, teams switched side at the midway point due to wind.
