The Chiefs and Bills are no strangers to extreme weather.
The Bills had their wild-card game against the Steelers pushed back a day due to intense snow last weekend, while the Chiefs played the fourth-coldest game in NFL history against the Dolphins. Both won, and their experience playing through tough conditions undoubtedly helped.
Chiefs vs. Bills weather updates
The Chiefs and Bills lucked out, as they will play on a rare day with virtually no chance of snow in Buffalo. It’s expected to be 26 degrees in Buffalo on Sunday, with 8-10 MPH winds and very little chance of precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Kickoff temperature is expected to be near 23 degrees.
While 23 certainly qualifies as freezing, it’s not anything these two teams — or their fans — aren’t already used to. The Bills had to play in the aftermath of a massive snowstorm last week, and they played a snow game in the divisional round last season. Meanwhile, the forecasted 14-degree wind chill is a significant improvement over what the Chiefs experienced last week when the wind chill dipped to -27 at Arrowhead Stadium.
There isn’t any snow in the forecast for Sunday, but that doesn’t mean snow hasn’t gotten in the way of Highmark Stadium’s game preparations. The Bills once again put out a call for volunteer snow shovelers starting Friday, after more snow fell in the region during the week.
.@TrevorLAult is at Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, where the team is asking fans to "help shovel out the seats" ahead of Sunday's playoff game.
pic.twitter.com/4Q8outyvQO— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) January 19, 2024
The task at hand likely won’t be as arduous this week, as Buffalo isn’t expected to receive more than an inch of snow on Saturday. If fans and staff could dig out of last week’s storm, there’s no doubt Sunday’s game will get started without issue.
How cold is it in Buffalo for Chiefs vs. Bills?
Compared to last week’s weather in Kansas City and Buffalo, Sunday’s game might feel mild for these two contenders.
Temperatures are expected to hover near 23 degrees near kickoff for Chiefs vs. Bills, with the wind chill making it feel like 14 degrees. That’s cold, without a doubt, but it’s weather both teams are prepared for at this stage of the season.
The temperature was about the same for Buffalo’s wild-card win over the Steelers, but the Bills’ offense didn’t appear to be too bothered. Josh Allen still attempted 30 passes even with a sizable lead for much of the game, throwing three touchdown passes. The running game was active with 34 carries between James Cook, Ty Johnson and Allen, but that has been a trend in Buffalo ever since Joe Brady took over as the team’s offensive play-caller.
The Bills would like to get themselves in a position for an early lead and be able to run the ball heavily on Sunday, but that rarely seems to be the case for either Buffalo or Kansas City when these two heavyweight quarterbacks face off.
Source: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/chiefs-bills-weather-updates-cold-playoffs/45810a82fa864a6dc11a5c6c
