Frozen tundra: Single digits, sub-zero windchill, forecast for AFC wild-card games

Field Level Media|published: Wed 10th January, 12:48 2024

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) remains down after a hard hit from Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton (21) in the fourth quarter of the NFL divisional playoff football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bengals won 27-10 to advance to the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Cincinnati Bengals At Buffalo Bills Afc Divisional Jan 22 75 credits: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have some of the hardiest fans in the NFL — they're going to need layers of resilience in the stands at wild-card games this weekend.

As will the Miami Dolphins, who practiced in 76-degree temperatures Wednesday, as they visit the Chiefs in Kansas City on Saturday. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who will travel to Orchard Park, N.Y., to take on the Bills on Sunday, had a bad-weather game last week at Baltimore to prep for what is shaping up to be a frigid wild-card weekend.

The forecast for a high of 9 degrees in Kansas City on Saturday drops lower after sunset with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. local time. The projected low Sunday night is minus-5 and currently minus-2 at kickoff time. This follows a significant snowfall projected for the days prior.

Both teams are 11-6, but Kansas City earned the home game as the winner of the AFC West. Miami is a wild card and the fifth seed after losing to the Bills in a de facto AFC East title game last Sunday night.

The Kansas City Star said a minus-2 temperature at kickoff would be the coldest to start a game in Chiefs history, which currently is 0 degrees for a 1983 game against the Denver Broncos. The windchill in that game was minus-30, per the Star.

With the Dolphins' loss to the Bills last Sunday, Buffalo won the AFC East and the right to host the home game. Head coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday he is excited, no matter what the forecast.

"It's a primetime game at Arrowhead. I got goosebumps right now," he said. "I'll probably have different types of goosebumps on Saturday."

In Orchard Park, players and fans also need to prepare for a forecast that calls for a high of 24 degrees but a real feel temperature of only 3 degrees. Snow is expected, as are wind gusts of up to 41 mph.

Given the forecast, Caesars Sportsbook lowered the projected point total from 43 earlier this week to 36 on Tuesday night, betting the offenses aren't going to be able to produce a glut of points.

The Bills (11-6) are the No. 2 seed in the AFC, with the Steelers (10-7) the No. 7. Game time is 1 p.m. ET.

—Field Level Media