From Hail to Rainbow: Wyoming, UNLV Recall Unforgettable Hail Game in Laramie
- Jeff Bugher
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 22
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Players from both Wyoming and UNLV are still talking about one of the most unforgettable weather-marred games ever played at War Memorial Stadium.
On Oct. 4, 2025, what began as a typical fall afternoon/evening in Laramie turned into a scene that looked more like midwinter. Just before kickoff, a powerful thunderstorm rolled over the stadium, dumping rain and then hail that quickly covered the field in several inches of white slush. The delay left both teams waiting in their locker rooms while crews scrambled to make the field playable. Snow shovels had to be dug out from storage to clear the yard line marks. UNLV staff were relegated to using folding tables to clear off sideline areas for their team.
By kickoff, the hail remained across much of the playing surface, creating a very unusual backdrop. Later, the sun broke through the clouds, producing a vivid rainbow over War Memorial Stadium while players battled through the slick conditions.
UNLV saw the weather as a challenge that they wanted to conquer.
"It was snowing. It was all icy, icy on the field," senior offensive lineman Lucas Conti recalled during Mountain West Football Media Days.
"I loved it. As a kid, I'd always play Madden and set it to heavy snow. So I was so excited to play that game," Conti said. "We took that like it was a challenge. It didn't hinder us."
Because of the weather delay, UNLV never completed its normal pregame routine on time.
"We had to do a locker room warm-up," Conti said. "But that's the case of playing college football. There's going to be adversity... I think our team is very adaptable."
Defensive back Mumu Bin-Wahad said the Rebels' veteran leadership helped keep everyone focused despite the unexpected delay.
"The anticipation was high," Bin-Wahad said. "We had a lot of veterans in our locker room... we handled it really well. We went out there and executed at a high level and got the win."
Once they finally reached the field, players quickly realized they were dealing with conditions unlike anything they had experienced.
"When you're playing at this level... you can't really think about that," Bin-Wahad said. "You have to go out there and play the highest level that you can."
Offensive lineman Austin Boyd described just how surreal the evening became.
"We get off the bus and it's snowing, then it starts hailing," Boyd said. "We get outside, there's like four or five inches of slush on the field. So it was definitely a fun experience, a cool experience to be a part of."
The lengthy delay forced players to remain patient inside the locker room before suddenly having to flip the switch for kickoff.
"Everyone has that set pregame routine," Boyd said. "Everyone's trying to keep their cool and then turn it on when we finally get cleared for game time."
When warmups finally began, players immediately had to adjust to the slippery footing.
"It was definitely a little bit of a learning curve," Boyd said. "You're trying to figure out what works and what doesn't work."
For Wyoming, the storm created challenges as well.
Defensive tackle Jayden Williams remembers the frustration of waiting to play before walking into completely transformed conditions.
"It was definitely suspenseful," Williams said. "We wanted to get out there and get ready to play. Then you walk out and it's heavy snow... you've always got to adapt and play through anything, any environment, any adversity."
Graduate linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz said the weather interrupted the normal emotional buildup every player experiences before kickoff.
"It definitely kind of sucks," Stuhlsatz said. "You're getting your mind right before you head out... and we weren't sure if we were going to be able to play the game."
Still, he refused to blame the conditions.
"Defensively, not really," Stuhlsatz said when asked if the weather changed Wyoming's game plan. "It doesn't matter - wind, snow, sleet, hail - you've got to be able to play."
UNLV head coach Dan Mullen laughed while recalling the confusion inside the Rebels' locker room.
"All of a sudden it's raining and thundering and lightning," Mullen said. "Then the guys are looking out, 'Coach, it's snowing.' We have guys that had never seen snow before."
"Our guys thought it was really cool," he said. "But the great thing... they were able to refocus, lock back in and go play a really high-end football game."
Wyoming offensive lineman Rex Johnson also remembered how unusual the conditions felt underfoot.
"We didn't expect hail to turn into snow on the field," Johnson said. "I remember my feet were cold that game."
The Cowboys didn't change cleats despite the slushy surface.
"It was awkward at first," Johnson said. "I felt like my feet were a little slower moving in that slush."
A Meteorological Rarity
Chief Meteorologist Joel Barnes of WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, said the event was highly unusual for early October. Barnes previously covered Wyoming at KCWY News 13, and was a national broadcaster for WeatherNation.
"For an October hailstorm in Laramie, that's very rare," Barnes said. "You're obviously more likely to have the field covered in snow in October than you are in hail."
Was it snow?
Barnes explained that the storm likely produced enormous amounts of small, soft hailstones instead of the larger hail commonly seen on the plains.
"The hail was small, but there was lots of it, which is more common with a mountain hailstorm," Barnes said.
He added that the accumulation resembled snow because the hailstones were so soft.
"If you look at the photos, it does more resemble snow because the hail pellets were so small."
The storm also developed incredibly quickly, something Barnes said is common around Laramie.
"A thunderstorm can go up in a matter of minutes right over Laramie," Barnes said. "The mountains create their own little microclimate."
Neat Weather, Forgettable Game
UNLV capitalized on two blocked punts and defeated Wyoming 31-17, which clearly wasn’t in Wyoming’s favor.
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