Hottest Super Bowl ever? Rare February heat advisory issued for Los Angeles before big game
With a forecast high in the mid- to upper-80s on Sunday in downtown Los Angeles, this could be the hottest Super Bowl on record, weather experts said.
"Despite the fact that the calendar reads early February, the region is expected to record temperatures ranging from 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit from Wednesday through Sunday," AccuWeather said. High temperatures in Los Angeles in early February typically are in the mid-60s.
This year, the Los Angeles Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory Tuesday for the rest of the week and into the weekend in the Los Angeles area.
"Visitors from cold weather states not acclimated to the heat may be at a higher risk for heat-related illness," the weather service warned.
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"Heat stress and dehydration may impact people more quickly," the Weather Service in Los Angeles office said in a tweet.
The unusual heat "has the potential for an increase in heat-related illnesses to the homeless, outdoor workers, those participating in outdoor activities, the elderly and infants," the Weather Service in Los Angeles said. "Take extra precautions and stay hydrated."
Fortunately for the Super Bowl, high-tech SoFi Stadium can maintain cooler temperatures inside the indoor-outdoor venue, so fans and players won't be subjected to the worst of the heat during the game.
The record high temperature outside during Super Bowl days is 82 degrees, which was recorded both in 1973 and 2003 at the nearest weather service weather stations, AccuWeather said.
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The Super Bowl of 1973 was also in Los Angeles, and the 2003 game was in San Diego.
On the other end of the temperature scale, Super Bowl 52, when the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against the New England Patriots at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, was the coldest game on record, according to AccuWeather.
Though the stadium has a dome and the temperature indoors was 70 degrees at kickoff, the temperature dropped to only 2 degrees outdoors.
Super Bowl 56 will be the 13th Super Bowl played in California and the eighth to be played in Los Angeles, AccuWeather said. The city has hosted the third-highest number of Super Bowls behind Miami and New Orleans.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Super Bowl 2022 weather: Could Sunday's game be hottest on record?
