WeatherFanatics: Wild Weather Forecast for the NFL Wildcard Weekend

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Wild Weather Forecast for the NFL Wildcard Weekend

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

January 4,2014; 4:59PM,EST

Though the NFL Playoffs started in the dome at Indianapolis Saturday afternoon, weather will progressively impact each game through the weekend, finishing with temperatures as low as the negative double digits.
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the New Orleans Saints Saturday night. The weather will be dry, but cold. Temperatures will hover in the low to mid-20s with light winds.
As tranquil as the conditions are it would have been 50 degrees warmer in the Super Dome in New Orleans. Ahead of the game, crews were removing the 6 inches of snow that fell on the stadium Thursday night.

The storm in the Midwest will impact the playoff game at Cincinnati where the Bengals host the San Diego Chargers Sunday at 1:05 p.m. EST. A bit of a wintry mix will change to some rain during the day on Sunday.
However, temperatures will plunge after the game and a period of blinding snow is possible that can leave a few inches.
In grand fashion this weekend, the final game on Sunday will be the coldest of the bunch at Green Bay, where the Packers host the 49ers at 4:30 p.m. EST. With the Midwest storm to the east, no snow will be falling at Lambeau Field. However, it may be a little reminiscent of the Ice Bowl from the 1960s.
Temperatures for this game will not be as extreme but will be dangerous for folks who are not properly dressed to sit out for hours. Temperatures will start off around 4 below zero and will dip to 10 below zero during the second half. RealFeel® temperatures will range from 35 below zero to 30 below zero, due to a northwest wind averaging 10 to 20 mph. The ground will feel like concrete as a result of days of subfreezing temperatures.
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This year's game at Lambeau Field will not be the coldest playoff/championship game ever in the NFL. The top honor goes to the Ice Bowl on Dec. 31, 1967, at Lambeau with a game time temperature of 13 below zero and a wind chill of 38 below zero.

Conditions for the game Sunday at Green Bay will be similar to the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 20, 2008, when the Packers and Giants played in conditions with a temperature of 4 below zero and a wind chill of 24 below zero.
A close runner-up was the game at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati on Jan. 10, 1982. The game time temperature was 9 below zero with a wind chill of 59 below zero.
Story thumbnail image shows the Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (89) running against Chicago Bears safety Chris Conte (47) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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