How wind gusts will impact Notre Dame football and tailgating

As the Fighting Irish take on the Clemson Tigers, Notre Dame fans are taking on another beast: the wind and rain.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour and gusts up to 55 mph, with a possibility of speeds reaching up to 60 mph.

With rain in the forecast, a tent seems to be the perfect option for shelter, but consider that most pop-up canopy tents are not suitable for winds above 30 mph.

Keep in mind, the only thing worse than your tent blowing away and ruining your tailgate is letting it blow away and ruin someone else's. Grilling may not be ideal either. When using gas grills flames can blow out easily and charcoal grills can spill ashes much easier in the wind and require more charcoal as well.

Read more tips for grilling in the wind here.

The rain chances clear up by the 7:30 p.m. kickoff, but the wind will still be fierce.

By game time, fans and players will see gusts in the 30mph range and wind speeds in the high teens, and that will have an impact on Saturday's game.

Strong winds can make it difficult for a quarterback to accurately throw the ball. Studies show that winds of over 18 mph alter the course of direction of the football, whether it's thrown or kicked. And in college football, teams are slightly less successful when throwing in strong winds making interception rates are higher. On average, shorter passes are thrown and fewer field goals are attempted.

The University of Notre Dame announced that tents and canopies are prohibited in tailgate lots for Saturday's game.