Look Back At The Year It Snowed At Shreveport’s Indy Bowl

Yesterday it was announced that Cal and Texas Tech would be making a trek to Shreveport for the 47th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 16 at 8:15 pm.

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With that announcement many began to reflect on what could arguably be one of the most infamous Independence Bowls of all time.

If you are old enough to remember New Year's Eve 2000, you probably remember the event occurred that day that put Shreveport in the national spotlight.

Texas A&M and Mississippi State University were in town for the annual Independence Bowl which would soon become known all over the country as the "Snow Bowl."

It was about thirty minutes prior to kickoff when snow blew into Shreveport and by the second quarter, all the turf was covered, forcing plows to be used during timeouts to make all the goal lines, yardage lines and hash marks visible.

At certain times, the snow came down so hard that television viewers said it was much like watching television static and half of the nearly 37,000 fans called it quits by half time and left the stands to finish the game from the comforts of an indoor television.

Just check out this video to jog your memory.

Mississippi State won the game in overtime 43-41 and Coach Jackie Sherrill said his team won through their sheer will, "There might have been a different football game under normal conditions, but our team just never gave up." Sherrill continued, "I was surprised both teams scored as many points as we did in the snow."

Could The Same Thing Happen For This Year's Indy Bowl?

It's not likely we'll see a repeat, but by game time, things could get wet.  According to the ten day weather forecast from the Weather Channel, the weather next week leading up to the game will be relatively mild with highs in the 60's and lows in the lower 40's.

On game day, December 16, the Weather Channel is currently forecasting a partly cloudy sky with a high of 65. However, by game time at 8:15 pm, we'll see increasing clouds with a 50% chance for rain as the temperature begins to fall towards an overnight low of 49.

Of course, we are still twelve days from then and considering the way our weather changes around here, we could have anything from a tropical heat wave to a blizzard.  It's likely though that those planning to attend should dress for the elements with good cold-gear that's waterproof.