How cold will temperatures get for NFL wild card game in Kansas City?
The polar vortex is set to send an arctic blast into the U.S., plummeting temperatures for any outdoor playoff football games scheduled this weekend.
One of those games that could see below-zero temperatures is the matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Cold air from the Arctic will be blasting its way into the Lower 48 starting Thursday and filtering into the central U.S. through early next week.
But could the wild-card game of the Dolphins vs. the Chiefs be the coldest game ever played? Let's take a closer look.
Forecast for the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium
FILE: Interior view of Arrowhead Stadium and its snowy field prior to the game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday December 15, 2019 in Kansas City, MO. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
Another major winter storm is expected to plow through the central U.S. on Friday, leaving gusty winds and well below-average temperatures in its wake.
As for Saturday, high temperatures in Kansas City at the roofless GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium are only expected to be in the single digits. With a kickoff time of 7 p.m. CT, temperatures will hover around zero degrees. Temperatures will very likely be below zero by the time the game is over.
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Once the 10-20 mph winds are factored in, temperatures will feel even colder throughout the night.
FILE: Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City Chiefs controls the ball during the NFL match between Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs at Deutsche Bank Park on November 5, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ((Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty
Depending on the exact reading on the thermometer during Saturday night’s game, this game could be in the top 5 coldest games in NFL history.
The game that takes the No. 1 spot is the infamous "Ice Bowl" in 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. The temperature fell to 13 below zero with wind chill readings of negative 48 degrees.
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While temperatures aren’t expected to get that cold, this game could easily take the No. 4 spot between the two Minnesota games listed below.
Coldest NFL games ever played (NFL/FOX Weather)
How well do the Chiefs and Dolphins do in the cold?
You’d think teams like the Minnesota Vikings or the Detroit Lions would do the best in the cold. On the contrary, they struggle in cold weather as their home stadiums have domes.
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The Chiefs were actually ranked the fifth-best-performing NFL team in the cold, according to SportsWeather. The stats were based on percentages in games below 34 degrees since 2008.
FILE: Tua Tagovailoa of Miami Dolphins and Raheem Mostert of Miami Dolphins controls the ball during the NFL match between Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs at Deutsche Bank Park on November 5, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ((Photo by Mario
With a team based in Florida, one can only guess how used to below-zero temperatures a team can be. It was only last year that the Dolphins were put on blast for having heaters on the sidelines when temperatures were only in the mid-50s.
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With a stellar offense, including Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and hopefully De’Von Achane or Raheem Mostert, don't immediately count Miami out.