As much of the U.S. braces for a coast-to-coast blast of winter weather, the NFL playoffs roll on-undeterred by snow, sleet, or sub-zero wind chills. And for fans, the hope is simple: keep the power on long enough to catch the action and see which teams punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Cold-weather football is as much a part of January as highlight-reel catches and game-winning drives. Just ask the Miami Dolphins, who two years ago found themselves in one of the coldest games in league history.
Or think back to last postseason, when Saquon Barkley bulldozed through snowy conditions-an image that became symbolic of the Eagles' Super Bowl run. Last weekend alone, half of the playoff slate was played in snow-covered stadiums, a reminder that when it comes to postseason football, winter doesn’t just show up-it becomes part of the game plan.
The Los Angeles Rams felt that firsthand, falling to the Eagles in a snow game. But they bounced back in dramatic fashion, edging out the Bears in a frigid overtime thriller in Chicago.
Their reward? A trip to Seattle for a high-stakes NFC Championship showdown with the division-rival Seahawks.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots didn’t have to deal with quite the same deep freeze, but they still battled through a wintry mix to earn a spot in today’s AFC Championship clash in Denver. And while the Broncos have home-field advantage, they’ll also be dealing with the same icy grip that has much of the country in a deep chill.
Winter Weather Blankets the Nation
This weekend, nearly half of the lower 48 states are under some form of winter weather advisory. The storm system made its way from Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, swept through New Mexico and Virginia on Saturday, and is now working its way into the Northeast.
According to AccuWeather, more than 200 million people are feeling the effects-whether it’s snow, sleet, freezing rain, or bitter wind chills. The biggest concerns? Power outages and treacherous roads, especially with temperatures expected to stay below freezing for several days in many areas.
Even college sports are feeling the ripple effect. Basketball programs like Duke and North Carolina have adjusted game times to get ahead of the storm.
Down in Florida, the cold snap has been no joke either. Temperatures have dipped into the 20s, prompting the Florida Atlantic women’s tennis team to pull out of its ITA Kickoff Weekend matches in North Carolina.
Denver Forecast: Cold, But Manageable
So what does this mean for the Patriots-Broncos game in Denver? AccuWeather is calling for 25 degrees at kickoff, with mostly cloudy skies and a “feels like” temperature closer to 18 thanks to a 9 mph wind out of the north-northeast.
Snowfall is expected to be light-1 to 3 inches from Friday through Saturday-but the city is expected to dodge the worst of the storm. There’s about a 50% chance for up to 2 inches of snow after kickoff, but forecasts suggest it’ll mostly be flurries during the game, with little to no accumulation expected.
Seattle Forecast: A Rare Calm in the Storm
Seattle, on the other hand, looks like the weather winner this weekend. The Pacific Northwest has managed to stay outside the storm’s reach, and conditions should be ideal for football.
Expect kickoff temperatures around 44 degrees with mostly sunny skies and light winds out of the northwest. Precipitation chances are minimal-less than 5%-throughout the weekend.
Remembering One of the Coldest Games Ever Played
Of course, when it comes to cold playoff games, few matchups stand out quite like the AFC wild-card showdown between the Dolphins and Chiefs on January 13, 2024. Kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium came with a temperature of -4 degrees-and a wind chill that made it feel like -27. Not exactly ideal for a team from South Florida with a quarterback raised in the tropical climes of Hawaii.
The result? A 26-7 win for the Chiefs in what went down as the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.
Fans weren’t spared either-several were hospitalized with frostbite, and reports later surfaced of amputations linked to the prolonged cold snap. It’s unclear how many of those cases were tied directly to the game, but the conditions were undeniably brutal.
NFL’s Coldest Games on Record
If you’re talking cold-weather classics, it starts with the 1967 NFL Championship-better known as the “Ice Bowl.” The Packers and Cowboys squared off at Lambeau Field with a kickoff temperature of -13 degrees and a wind chill of -48. Bart Starr’s legendary quarterback sneak with 13 seconds left sealed a 21-17 win for Green Bay and etched the game into NFL lore.
Then there’s the 1981 AFC Championship, dubbed the “Freezer Bowl.” The Bengals hosted the Chargers at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, where it was -9 degrees with a wind chill of -59. The Bengals cruised to a 27-7 win, but the conditions were downright punishing.
Fast forward to 2016, and the Vikings hosted the Seahawks outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium in a wild card matchup. With the Metrodome gone and U.S.
Bank Stadium not yet finished, Minnesota played in -6 degree weather with a -25 wind chill. The game ended in heartbreak for the Vikings, as Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal in the closing moments, handing Seattle a 10-9 win.
And who could forget the 2007 NFC Championship between the Packers and Giants? It was -4 degrees at kickoff with a -24 wind chill.
Tom Coughlin’s face was a shade of red few humans have ever matched, but the Giants pulled off the upset thanks to a 47-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes in overtime. That win sent them to the Super Bowl, where they’d famously take down the undefeated Patriots.
It also marked Brett Favre’s final game in a Packers uniform.
Weather and Football: A Grit-Tested Tradition
When it comes to playoff football, the weather doesn’t just set the stage-it becomes part of the story. From the frozen fields of Green Bay to the snow-covered turf in Philly, the NFL postseason has always been a test of grit, toughness, and adaptability. And as today’s games unfold, players and fans alike will once again be reminded: in January football, the elements are just another opponent to overcome.