Is Seattle A Great Tailgating Town? You Would Be Surprised
The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks open the 2026 NFL regular season tonight with a rematch from Super Bowl 60 with the New England Patriots. The Hawks trounced the Pats 29-13 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy last season.
This is just the third time in league history that a Super Bowl rematch will serve as the regular season opener.
KPQAM560 and FM101.7 have the live coverage starting at 3pm Wednesday.
Energy will be kinetic during the game and outside as fans gather for brats, beer, cornhole, and razzing the other fans with opponent jerseys, which are the hallmarks of great tailgating.
And in Seattle, you'll need a canopy tent because it's likely to be raining at most games.
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I came across some data that suggests Seattle is not a great pre-game tailgating environment because of the weather. The data was compiled for Lumen Field, home of the Seahawks, and did not reflect the tailgating experience at Husky Stadium. Tailgating takes on a completely unique experience in Montlake with all of the partying on boats and yachts outside the stadium, perhaps the most beautiful setting in college football
The study considered weather, parking, local store, and attendance data to create an overall tailgating score.
The report shows tonight's September 9th season opener is the best day weather-wise for tailgating all season for Seahawks fans.
The data shows temps are at an average of 64°F, and there's a 25% chance of rain during this week historically. Tonight's weather forecast in Seattle is partly cloudy and 74 degrees at kickoff with no precipitation.
However, it's just week one of the 17-game regular season that will stretch into January and the weather will deteriorate here in the northwest.
And that is what drops Seattle to the 29th ranking among all 32 NFL teams for tailgating conditions overall due to an average of 50°F and a 50% chance of rain during home games this season.
A little rain? Who cares because we are willing to sit for three hours in the rain during the game, so I don't think a little rain is going to spoil the pregame party.
However, that ranking also took into account that the city has just 34 acres of surface parking within a mile of the stadium, with 1/3rd of it within a half mile of the stadium. That's why it is one of the 5 tightest tailgating setups across the nation.
And they didn't even include the homeless populations that have moved in!
Take a look at how the Seahawks' tailgating atmosphere compares around the NFL It's a fun read
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