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What's the Kansas City weather forecast? Dolphins-Chiefs one of coldest NFL games ever

Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·7 min read
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Jan 15, 2023; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (25) intercepts a pass against the Buffalo Bills during the first half in a NFL wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Winter weather is pushing the Buffalo Bills' playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers back a day. No such luck for the Miami Dolphins' blistery showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The temperature at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is expected to set records for the coldest game in both Dolphins and Chiefs history, and among the coldest in NFL history. The temperature is forecast to be below zero at the 8 p.m. ET kickoff with wind chills making it feel more like 30 degrees below zero. Would even Taylor Swift brave this level of cold?

The cold weather is bad news for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs, but the Dolphins have more reasons to worry. Their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is from Hawaii and said he doesn't plan to wear gloves as he makes his NFL playoff debut. He is 0-4 in his four-year career in games with a kickoff temperature of 45 degrees or below, going 81 of 146 (a poor .555 completion percentage) averaging 221 passing yards per game with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Gameday updates: Miami Dolphins face Kansas City Chiefs in historic cold weather on Peacock playoff game

The Dolphins have a bad history overall with cold-weather games, as they have lost their last 10 games that kicked off at 40 degrees or below. Safe to say, this one will be much farther below that.

The stinger is that the Dolphins could have avoided the cold if they had won either of their last two games of the regular season. But a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens and a 21-14 loss to the Bills took Miami from the No. 2 seed and home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs to the No. 6 seed and a road path to the Super Bowl.

Here's what to know about the weather at the Dolphins-Chiefs game.

How cold is the Chiefs vs Dolphins game?

According to AccuWeather, the temperature in Kansas City at 2 p.m. ET was 3 degrees, with the wind chill making it feel like minus-18 degrees. The low is -11 and will feel like -32.

At the 8:10 p.m. ET kickoff, the temperature is forecast to be -5 degrees with a wind chill of -30 degrees.

The wind at night is forecast for 15 mph with gusts up to 27 mph. Light snow was expected through 3 p.m.

Is the Dolphins game cancelled?

No. ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques said an NFL source told him the Dolphins-Chiefs game would go on as scheduled Saturday night.

"There are no public safety travel concerns for getting to the stadium for fans, the clubs, stadium personnel or public authorities," the source told Louis-Jacques.

Earlier Saturday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers would be moved from 1 p.m. Sunday to 4:30 p.m. Monday. A winter storm was set to bring 1-2 feet of snow through the weekend. The worst of the storm is expected to hit as everyone would be leaving the stadium.

Beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, a travel ban will be in effect "until further notice" in Erie County, where the Bills play. AccuWeather forecasts predicted winds reaching nearly 50 miles per hour and potentially seven inches or more of snow.

What is the coldest game in Dolphins history?

Incidentally, that also came on the road against the Chiefs. In Week 16 of the 2008 season, the Dolphins played a game at Kansas City with a kickoff temperature of 10 degrees with a -12 wind chill.

Thanks to late touchdowns by Ricky Williams and Chad Pennington, Miami won that game 38-31.

How do the Dolphins play in cold weather?

Not great. The Dolphins are 3-7 when the kickoff temperature is 23 degrees or colder. They also have lost their past 10 games in games with a game-time temperature of 40 degrees or below, according to The Associated Press.

Miami lost at the Buffalo Bills in last year's playoffs with a kickoff temperature of 27 degrees, but they also played with third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson. Even so, they kept it close, losing just 34-31.

How are Dolphins preparing for cold weather?

Coach Mike McDaniel kept the team in South Florida for an extra day to practice, citing the benefits of players rehabilitating close to home. The Dolphins have several key players battling injuries, including running back Raheem Mostert, receiver Jaylen Waddle and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is dealing with a thumb injury on his throwing hand.

"No one likes being cold," McDaniel said. "That’s why we have temperature control. However, it does make the moment bigger when you know that it is an absolute fact that it’s going to be frigid. Well, what if as a team, you find a way for it to not affect you?"

Multiple Dolphins said they will still go sleeveless despite the cold.

"Well, it’s a mindset," said star receiver Tyreek Hill, who played six seasons in Kansas City. "I feel like if you believe it’s going to be cold, then you’re going to freeze your (butt) off. But if you go into this game not even thinking any of that, you’ll be fine."

What are the coldest games in NFL history?

The coldest game in NFL history is one of its most famous: the 1967 NFL championship, known simply as the "Ice Bowl." The Green Bay Packers played the Dallas Cowboys on the "frozen tundra" of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the kickoff temperature of minus-13 degrees. The wind chill made it feel like -48. The Packers won 21-17 on a Bart Starr quarterback sneak with 13 seconds remaining.

Other famously cold games include:

  • 1981 AFC championship: The Cincinnati Bengals hosted the San Diego Chargers with a game-time temperature of minus-9, but the wind chill was a blistering -59 in January 1982 at Riverfront Stadium in the aptly named "Freezer Bowl." The Bengals won 27-7.

  • 2015 NFC wild card: In between the old Metrodome and the current U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings played at the outdoor TCF Bank Stadium, home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. They hosted the Seattle Seahawks in a playoff game in January 2016 with temperatures at negative-6 degrees with a wind chill of -25. The Seahawks won 10-9 when Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal.

  • 2007 NFC championship: The heavy favorite Packers hosted the wild-card New York Giants in January 2008 with a kickoff temperature of minus-4 degrees and a -24 wind chill. Giants coach Tom Coughlin was a deep shade of red/purple throughout the night, but a Lawrence Tynes 47-yard field goal in overtime put the Giants through to the Super Bowl, where they would beat the undefeated New England Patriots. It also proved to be Brett Favre's last game in Green Bay.

What is the coldest Chiefs game ever?

The coldest game in Chiefs history came in a 48-17 win over the Denver Broncos on December 18, 1983, at Arrowhead Stadium. The kickoff temperature was 1 degree with a -19 wind chill, according to Pro Football Reference.

Where can I watch the Dolphins-Chiefs game?

The Dolphins vs. Chiefs playoff game kicks off at 8:10 p.m. Saturday, January 13 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Dolphins-Chiefs will not be available on traditional TV channels outside of the Miami and Kansas City local markets. Dolphins fans in Miami and Fort Lauderdale will be able to watch the game on WTVJ Channel 6.

The rest of the country can watch the game only on the Peacock streaming service. Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Jason Garrett (analyst) will be in the booth.

Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post and Cyndey Henderson and Chris Bumbaca of USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Dolphins vs Chiefs in playoffs will be among coldest NFL games ever