NFL Week 15 weather: Extremely cold temperatures may have a significant impact

Weekend NFL Games Face Frigid Temperatures

Are you planning to catch an NFL game this weekend? If so, it might be wise to bundle up.

Arctic air is expected to sweep across the Midwest and Northeast, plunging temperatures from Chicago all the way to the East Coast.

This could mean extremely cold conditions for football fans. Predictions suggest that Chicago’s highs may linger in the single digits. Cincinnati might be a bit warmer, but still pretty chilly, with a Sunday high of only 13 degrees.

So, why should soccer fans take note? On Sunday, the Chicago Bears will take on the Cleveland Browns at 1 p.m. ET, while the Cincinnati Bengals face the Baltimore Ravens in an important AFC North clash, also scheduled for the same time.

To make matters worse, these frigid conditions come with biting winds, complicating life for both players and spectators. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Chicago, warning of wind chills plummeting to -20 degrees or even lower. Cincinnati is expected to experience similar conditions, with wind chills diving into the single digits.

And it’s not just these two games feeling the chill. According to Tom Tasselmeyer, chief meteorologist at WBAL-TV in Baltimore, the weekend’s freezing temperatures could impact six NFL games.

Out of those, five carry significant playoff implications. The Ravens (6-7) are in a tight race for a playoff spot but face the Bengals (4-9), both currently outside the playoff bracket. The Bears (9-4), after a recent loss to the Packers, have slipped to seventh in the NFC, and another loss could seriously jeopardize their playoff chances.

Meanwhile, the matchup between the New England Patriots (11-2) and the Buffalo Bills (9-4) could clinch the division title for New England if they secure a win. For the Los Angeles Chargers (9-4) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-7), a victory is crucial; the Chargers aim to keep pace with the Broncos, while the Chiefs fight to stay relevant in the playoff race.

The Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) also need a win against the Las Vegas Raiders to end a three-game skid and ease mounting pressure in the City of Brotherly Love.

While forecasts are foreboding, even if conditions play out as expected, they won’t rival the coldest game in NFL history. The infamous Ice Bowl, featuring the Packers and Cowboys in 1967, saw temperatures dip to -13 degrees. More recently, a 2024 playoff game between the Chiefs and Dolphins recorded a chilling -4 degrees.