December weather in Oregon can be unpredictable. Most of the time it's rainy and mild but every once in a while a cold front blows out of Canada and it can be downright miserable. Oregon residents get treated to STORM WATCH 2025, round-the-clock weather coverage, including a hapless reporter on an overpass near Troutdale, covered in snow and sleet.
The Ducks host the James Madison Dukes, Saturday December 20, 4:30 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium, TV on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max. The advance weather forecast calls for a gametime temperature of 50 degrees with an evening low of 44, winds mild at 7-8 miles per hour, and a 7 percent chance of rain.
In other words, perfect winter solstice football weather, nothing like the infamous Toilet Bowl of 1983, a late November game at Autzen Stadium with beastly conditions where the Ducks and Beavers played to a 0-0 tie. The teams combined for 11 turnovers and four missed field goals, finishing the season with six wins between them.
Duck fans enjoy favorable weather, historically great football
The standard of Northwest football has risen dramatically since then, primarily thanks to the Ducks. Forty-two years later Oregon has won five-straight 10-win seasons and three-straight seasons in the Top Ten, 46-7 (.868) under Dan Lanning.
A week ago at the Sun Belt Championship Game at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisburg, Virginia, Troy at JMU, snow had to be cleared from the field. Dukes fans tossed snowballs at the Trojan punter, who shanked one for 29 yards to his own 34. The officials threatened penalties and head coach Bob Chesney took to the mike to plead with them to stop.
Going into the first-round playoff game with Sun Belt Champion James Madison, Dan Lanning and the Webfoots have many concerns, but weather isn't one of them. And it should be a raucous, reasonably comfortable night for fans.