KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WHDH/AP) — Break out the parkas for Sunday night’s AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The National Weather Service is projecting an arctic blast to settle over Kansas City for the Chiefs’ game against the New England Patriots. Temperatures at kickoff could range from 10 degrees to well below zero, potentially making it the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history.
Twice it has been 1 degree at kickoff in Kansas City, including a December 2016 game against Tennessee.
Both teams are accustomed to frigid, inclement weather.
“It’ll be extremely cold,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. “The one thing is both teams have to play in it. They’ll be practicing in it all week like we will.”
New England is playing in their eighth straight AFC championship game and this will be the coldest by far.
Over this historic stretch, the games have been as warm as 63 degrees in Denver, with only one game below freezing back in 2012 in Foxborough. All the other games had comfortable temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
Patriots wide receiver Phillip Dorsett doesn’t believe the weather will impact how New England plays.
“I don’t think it’ll be that much of a factor because it’s not like we’re playing in 10 and they’re playing in 50,” he said. “We’re both playing in the same temperatures.”
The Chiefs experienced some of the winter weather this past weekend when heavy snow blanketed Kansas City and knocked out power to thousands of people. The snow stopped just before kickoff, though, and the field was in good shape for their 31-13 victory over the Colts.
The wind chill was in the teens for the Patriots’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Kansas City is making sure their field doesn’t freeze thanks to a heated sprinkler system.
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