Arkansas vs Fordham weather updates: NCAA softball game enters lightning delay

· Yahoo Sports

Weather didn't wait long to make her first appearance of the 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament.

No. 5 seed Arkansas and Fordham went into the first lightning delay of the postseason in the bottom of the second inning with the Razorbacks leading 3-0 of their Fayetteville Regional game.

Visit freshyourfeel.org for more information.

REQUIRED READING: How long are lightning delays in NCAA Softball Tournament? Weather policy, explained

NCAA rules state that once lightning is detected in the area and the game goes into a lightning delay, it is either delayed or suspended for 30 minutes. The 30-minute clock resets for every lightning strike within a six-mile radius following the initial strike, meaning delays can extend for several hours.

Here's the latest weather updates:

Arkansas vs. Fordham weather updates

All times Eastern

6:28 p.m.:Arkansas confirms the weather delay. The game will resume with Ella McDowell up at that plate with the bases loaded and two outs once it is deemed okay for play to resume.

6:15 p.m.: Both teams were taken off the field due to lightning in the area. The teams' NCAA regional game between Arkansas and Fordham has gone into a lightning delay.

Fayetteville, Arkansas weather forecast

Here's an hour-by-hour weather forecast for Fayetteville, Arkansas, courtesy of AccuWeather:

All times Eastern

  • 6 p.m.: Showers (51% chance of rain)
  • 7 p.m.: Mostly cloudy with showers (51% chance of rain)
  • 8 p.m.: Intermittent clouds (40% chance of rain)

NCAA lightning delay rules

NCAA rules state that once lightning is detected in the area and the game goes into a lightning delay, it is either delayed or suspended for 30 minutes. The 30-minute clock resets for every lightning strike within a six-mile radius following the initial strike, meaning delays can extend for several hours.

The NCAA uses the "flash-to-bang" method, meaning that if lightning is observed, officials must count the seconds until thunder is heard and divide the number of seconds by five to obtain the approximate distance in miles.

"To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and after the last flash of lightning is at least six miles away, and moving away from the venue," the NCAA states. "If lightning is seen without hearing thunder, lightning may be out of range and therefore less likely to be a significant threat.

Click here to read more on the NCAA's lightning and weather delay protocols.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arkansas vs Fordham weather updates: NCAA softball game enters lightning delay

Read full story at source