5 days ago
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Week 18 is here, and we have two big Saturday games this week. But the weather looks less than ideal with rain in the forecast.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Saturday - 4:30 p.m. ET)
It has been a chilly week in Florida, but a nice warm-up is in store by the weekend as high temperatures return to the low/mid 70s, which is around average for this time of year.
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We are tracking a weak cold front that will bring the chance of showers and maybe a few rumbles of thunder to the Tampa area Saturday evening. But the timing is key. Will the showers move in at 6 p.m. or much later? Either way, it looks like at least the first half of the game will be dry.
Hour-by-hour forecast for the Tampa, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET.
If the Panthers win against the Bucs on the road, they will advance to the playoffs as NFC South champions. It's a little bit more complicated for the Bucs as they need a win on Saturday and the Saints to defeat the Falcons on Sunday to advance to the playoffs.
(FULL FORECAST: Tampa, Florida)
Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (Saturday - 8:00 p.m. ET)
The state of California is soaked and you guessed it - more rain is on the way this weekend. The heaviest rain looks to move through the Bay Area again Saturday afternoon. If you plan on tailgating, rain gear is a must and you may want to avoid the umbrella as the wind will make it difficult to stay open and upright.
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The silver lining? The latest computer models show the steady rain tapering off to scattered showers around kickoff, so it doesn't look like it will be pouring the entire game. My motto: prepare for the worst, but hope for the best!
Hour-by-hour forecast for Santa Clara, California, home of the San Francisco 49ers. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET)
This is a crucial game as the winner will be the NFC's number one seed. This will give the winning team a bye in next weekend's first round and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If that's the 49ers, they would not only have home field throughout the NFC playoffs, but could also play a Super Bowl in their home stadium on February 7, if they win the NFC.
(FULL FORECAST: Santa Clara, California)
Tiffany Savona is a meteorologist for weather.com with more than 15 years of experience in forecasting the weather across the country.
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