Weekends and sports are about as American as apple pie, except when extreme weather gets in the way.

With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast, evacuations being ordered and transit systems being shut down, teams, leagues and event organizers on Friday scrambled to reschedule events and rebook flights and hotel rooms. It took until dinner time on Friday, though, before the Giants decided to postpone their preseason game with the Jets on Saturday. The teams had moved the kickoff to 2 p.m. from 7 p.m. to avoid the coming storm, which is expected to reach the New York area Saturday evening.

But even at that earlier time, fans would have faced challenges getting to and returning from the game. New Jersey Transit, PATH and Metropolitan Transportation Authority trains will shut down at noon Saturday, and rail service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex has been suspended. By the time the game would have ended, about 5 p.m., some low-lying areas may need to be evacuated, roads could be flooded and bridges could be closed because of high winds.

Ultimately, the game was postponed until Monday at 7 p.m. John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive, said in a statement that after conferring with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Woody Johnson, the Jets’ owner, and N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell, “we have determined the best course of action for the safety and well-being of all is to move the game to Monday night.”