When the FIFA World Cup rolls around, it affects many aspects of life besides a ball rolling on a patch of grass.

Many factors and precautions go into a world-stage tournament like the World Cup, and one of the most underrated is the weather and how it affects the games.

Weather has already proven to be a factor, with three games postponed due to conditions like heat, rain, thunder and lightning. The main priority of the National Weather Service is to keep the fans, athletes and everyone involved safe and out of danger.

With weather proving to be an issue throughout this tournament, the NWS has deployed people from all over the country to help with the process, including two meteorologists from Pocatello.

“We are a service-oriented organization,” said Tim Axford, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “Our mission is to protect lives and property, and so when this opportunity came up, it was looked at as a way to put ourselves out there.”

Andrew McKaughan was based in the Los Angeles area, where he supported the city and county emergency operations teams, providing up-to-date weather information and helping them respond to any weather-related issues that came up.

McKaughan was excited for the opportunity to get some firsthand experience at such a large-scale event.

“We don’t have those types of larger events here in Eastern Idaho,” he said. “As the Weather Service continues to evolve as an agency, this is kind of a good opportunity for a lot of individuals like myself to get that experience.”

The other meteorologist was Erika Cropp.

Cropp was deployed to the Oxnard/Los Angeles office to backfill daily forecasting shifts, freeing local forecasters to provide on-site weather support for a major tournament.

She may have been there a short time, but what she learned was invaluable.

“I was able to learn about, you know, the impacts of the Santa Ana winds and the marine layer, so just things that I don’t have to forecast here in Pocatello,” Cropp said. “That definitely, that exposure to some different meteorology was very interesting for me.”

Cropp left Los Angeles with a lot of experience and gratitude for the work and workers doing it.

“We just want to thank the office that did host us and all their support and welcoming us with open arms when we did deploy there,” Cropp said.

Axford was excited about the opportunity when it came up for McKaughan and Cropp.

“Our staff is made up of a lot of different individuals from many different locations, and they’ve either grown up watching the FIFA World Cup, or they have a connection somehow,” Axford said. “They felt that call to be a part of something bigger, and want to take part in that.”

For some, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not just for themselves but to represent their community and state on a global stage.

They may be working behind the scenes, but these meteorologists play a major role in the tournament.

In the hours before the game, while fans are singing and chanting and players are preparing, the meteorologists are checking the charts, graphs and upcoming weather to alert those involved and have a plan in place throughout the day if weather does come into play.

These decisions to postpone or delay a game are not made rashly, but are planned and carefully thought-out choices. There are specific protocols in place, such as a rule that if a thunderstorm comes within eight miles of a stadium with outdoor exposure, officials will consider delaying or postponing the game.

Following the guidelines set in place, and weighing conditions that could become uncomfortable or unsafe for those involved, officials have an obligation and duty to make sure everyone stays safe.

“We’re supporting the public safety aspect of it,” Axford said. “We’re supporting emergency managers, local law enforcement, fire officials. We are supporting those public safety events that are surrounding (FIFA).”

The World Cup is a global event where the best players, teams and coaches are on display, but it also provides life-changing memories and opportunities for the people involved, and these two meteorologists from Pocatello are an example of what a tournament like this can bring.