2012 Winter Classic Weather Update: Start Time Delayed Due To Sun

Read More: New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers

The 2012 Winter Classic is happening later on Monday afternoon -- later than previously scheduled, even -- as the NHL's now-annual outdoor event gets underway outdoors. The weather apparently caused the delay in start time, but it isn't because of weather conditions most might expect for this time of year.

Snow and rain aren't in the forecast for Monday afternoon, according to the Weather Channel, as sun and a high of 41 degrees currently is on slate for the second day of the new year. The sun is actually what's causing the delay, not any sort of bad weather conditions, according to SB Nation's own Travis Hughes.

The problem isn't the unseasonably warm temperatures in Philadelphia, rather the sun that beats down on the rink in the middle of the afternoon. The ice conditions become too soft for an NHL game. Cloud cover would have solved the problems, but with mostly sunny skies in the forecast for Monday, delaying the game became necessary.

For more on this year's Winter Classic, head over to SB Nation's Rangers blog Blueshirt Banter and Flyers blog Broad Street Hockey. For everything Winter Classic in the build-up to the game, head over to our NHL Winter Classic StoryStream.