Weather Conditions Forecast to Deteriorate in Pittsburgh as NFL Draft Progresses

All eyes will be on Pittsburgh on Thursday when the National Football League (NFL) hosts its annual draft. While there are no major storms in the forecast, there is a chance that the weather could be a disruption to fans gathered for all of the festivities.

Weather Forecast to Get Progressively Worse for This Week's NFL Draft

The NFL draft is set to kick off on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh. The three-day event will be held in and around Acrisure Field and Point State Park, home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the Steel City for the draft and all of the adjacent festivities associated with one of the biggest weekends of the year for the NFL.

The draft will likely happen rain or shine. While the event is held outside, the draft theater platform is covered and shielded from the rain. However, fans attending the various NFL Draft Experience events will not enjoy the protective cover.

Round one is slated to start on Thursday at 8 pm ET. The forecast for this day should not present any major problems. Afternoon highs in the low 80s will slip into the upper 60s by the time that the first pick is revealed. More time allocated to teams between picks means that the first round will last the longest.

Friday will bring an increasing chance of rain showers as a storm system moving over the central U.S. earlier in the week makes its way to the interior portions of the Northeast. It will be another warm day with highs reaching the low 80s ahead of the cold front. Rounds two and three are on tap for Friday evening, beginning at 7 pm ET. Light rain showers in the evening hours will evolve into a steadier stream of moisture later in the night.

The draft will wrap on Saturday, beginning at 12 pm ET. This day's schedule features four total rounds. These rounds move along at a faster pace. The system that crept into the region late Friday will become more entrenched on Saturday in Pittsburgh, resulting in a higher chance of rain at this time. Temperatures will also be cooler, thanks to the arrival of a cold front.