Patriots-Bills weather update: ‘Ice Bowl’ in Orchard Park?
The weather updates for Patriots-Bills are getting worse. Or better, maybe. That’s a matter of perspective. But the bottom line is it’s getting colder in New York.
In fact, it feels like the football gods are collaborating with Mother Nature to deliver a particularly icy night specifically on Saturday, when the Patriots and Bills do battle in the wild card round.
The forecast for Saturday night in Orchard Park, as of this writing on Tuesday, is for a low of zero degrees with light winds and no snow. Monday’s forecast looked more like snow with slightly less oppressive cold. The high temperature for the day is currently set at 8 degrees. Based on data at Weather Underground, the wind chill is projected for minus-3 degrees at 8 p.m.
Why does this seem like a cosmic alignment of the multiverse? Saturday is the only day from Jan. 11-25 that’s projected to have single-digit temperatures. Whatever greater power the sport of football answers to, it looks like it really wants an “Ice Bowl” type of game with the Patriots and Bills.
The coldest recorded kickoff temperature in Patriots history is 4 degrees, when the Pats and Titans did battle in the divisional round in Foxboro. It looks like the temperature on Saturday night will hover right around that record.
If the temp is zero, it would tie the Bills’ coldest game ever, the 1994 divisional playoff against the then-Los Angeles Raiders. So it looks like we could get some history on Saturday night.
The wild change in the forecast from Monday to Tuesday should also illustrate that this can change a lot between now and the weekend. But sub-30 degree temps look like a lock, and arctic cold is looking more likely by the day.
MORE: Patriots and Bills headed for more bad weather
Scroll down to see some photos from the Patriots’ coldest game in history, to get an idea of what Saturday night in Orchard Park could look like.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
