Region 13 does not own the fields we play on. The cities, schools, and private organizations that own each field have final say over whether play is allowed in wet conditions, and they generally do not allow play on wet fields under any circumstances. Region 13’s published thresholds below are the points at which we close on our own initiative; field owners may close earlier, and frequently do.
Live readings and the current 48-hour / 72-hour rainfall totals are on the Weather and Field Conditions page.
Field owners have final say
Each of our fields is owned and operated by a different entity (the City of Pasadena, La Cañada Unified School District, the City of La Cañada Flintridge, individual schools, and others). Their wet-field policies are independent of Region 13’s and they vary:
- Different thresholds. Some owners close at any measurable rainfall in the past 24 hours; others have their own multi-day saturation rules.
- Different fields, different calls. A Pasadena field may be open while a La Cañada field is closed (or vice versa) on the same day.
- Owner closures override Region 13 closures. If a field owner has closed a field, it is closed regardless of what our weather page or status banner shows. We post owner closures to the home page banner as soon as we are notified.
When in doubt, assume play is canceled. Field owners almost always err on the side of closure when fields are wet, both for player safety and to avoid turf damage that would keep the field offline for weeks.
When Region 13 closes for rain
When no field owner has weighed in yet (typical early on a game day), Region 13 closes on its own when either of the following thresholds is crossed:
| Window | Threshold | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Past 48 hours | More than 0.25 inches | Fields closed. Practices and games canceled. |
| Past 72 hours | More than 1 inch | Fields closed. Practices and games canceled. |
Either threshold by itself is enough to trigger closure. The shorter, lower-threshold window catches rapid storms; the longer, higher-threshold window catches sustained or repeated rain that keeps fields wet across multiple days. These are the latest points at which Region 13 will close — we may close earlier based on field owner direction or field coordinator judgment.
How we measure
Rainfall is measured at Region 13’s on-site Tempest weather station and updated every five minutes. The Weather and Field Conditions page shows the running 48-hour and 72-hour totals along with current conditions; when a threshold is crossed, a closure banner appears at the top of the page automatically.
Our weather station is one data point. It does not see what is actually happening at each field, and totals can vary across our service area. Field coordinators contact field owners directly when conditions are borderline, and the owner’s read of their own field is what counts.
The automated banner is advisory. As with heat closures, a Region 13 board member confirms the call and posts the official closure to the home page banner via Slack. Notifications go out by 7 AM on game days or 4 PM on practice days when wet-field alerts are in effect.
Why these thresholds
Saturated turf compresses unevenly under cleat pressure, increasing the risk of slips, ankle sprains, and knee injuries. Playing on saturated fields also tears up the grass surface, leaving the fields in worse shape for the following weekend and increasing maintenance costs across the region.
The 48-hour and 72-hour windows are conservative enough to keep players safe on damp fields after a single heavy storm, while still allowing play to resume reasonably quickly once the surface drains. Drainage varies by field; if conditions look unsafe at a specific field even when totals are below threshold, contact the field coordinator.
What you can do
- Check the home page banner first. It shows the official Region 13 closure status, including any owner-driven closures we have been notified about.
- Check the weather page for the readings. The 48-hour and 72-hour totals and the automated advisory live there.
- Don’t show up at a wet field. Even if no closure has been posted yet, owner closures often happen with little notice. If recent rain has been heavy, assume the field is closed until you see otherwise.
- Don’t play on saturated fields. If a coach or family judges the field unsafe for any reason, they have the final say on individual participation. Either coach in a game may elect not to play on a wet field without forfeit penalty.
- Report unsafe field conditions. Contact the field coordinator if you arrive at a field and find conditions unsafe even when no closure has been posted.
Related
- Weather and Field Conditions: live conditions, 48-hour and 72-hour rainfall totals
- Heat Policy: CIF heat alert levels and required actions
- Safety: concussion, sudden cardiac arrest, incident reporting
Last updated:
