Heavy rain turns Soldier Field into a slip ‘n slide

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — While much of central Indiana was glued to the TV watching the Colts take on the Texans on Sunday, it was a bizarre sight at Soldier Field. The Bears hosted the 49ers in very sloppy field conditions which developed pregame as a a result of heavy rain with the same system that brought central Indiana rain on Sunday.

The grounds crew had to squeegee the field throughout the game in order for the turf to remain playable. It’s worth noting that new turf was installed at Soldier Field before this season opener. This excessive rainfall was no match for the newly installed turf. At the end of the game, the Bears capped off their victory by sliding on the turf as a celebration.

Radar estimates from the past two days show a lot of rainfall in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. A swath of 2-5″ fell in a short time in the Chicago area with the highest amounts coming in the northwest suburbs mainly on Sunday. Below are the radar estimates stretching from midday Saturday into midday Monday.

For the rest of week, the forecast should turn quieter with more days of sunshine in Chicago and central Indiana once the upper level low moves away.