(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — The big game is almost here, and this year Super Bowl LVII is set to have no weather interruptions. With another round of nice weather in time for the game, we wanted to dive into Super Bowl history over the years to see if we’ve seen any weather extremes.
Over the past 57 years, the Super Bowl has been played in many locations across the U.S. – of these locations, many have been played inside, but early in Super Bowl history, most were played outside. But that was changed as Mother Nature has not always been the most predictable.
But has any Super Bowl ever been delayed or canceled because of the weather? Simply put, no.
This may be because historically, the NFL has had a significant bias toward warm-weather cities when selecting where to put the biggest game of the year.
The NFL’s warm-climate requirement mandates the host stadium location must have an average temperature of 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) or above for that year’s scheduled Super Bowl date.
In 2010, this warm-climate requirement was waived, giving cold-weather cities with open-air stadiums a fair chance at also hosting a Super Bowl.
With outside locations, how did the weather impact the game over the years?
THE COLDEST
The coldest game ever played outdoors was in 1972 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. Super Bowl VI recorded 39 degrees at kickoff, making this the coldest game played outside in Super Bowl history. Sure, this isn’t cold by Colorado standards, but the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys – and their fans – are usually accustomed to warmer games.
If you are wondering what the coldest NFL game was, that title goes to the 1967 NFL championship game often known as the “Ice Bowl”. The game recorded temperatures at 13 degrees below with wind chills at 50 degrees below. The Ice Bowl still remains the coldest game in NFL history.
THE WARMEST
Now to some warmer temperatures. A year after the coldest Super Bowl on record was the warmest. Super Bowl VII in 1973 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum recorded 84 degrees at kickoff. The game was played outdoors as Miami took on Washington with a 14-7 win against the former Redskins.
The second warmest goes to Super Bowl LVI in 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This game almost hit the record but fell short at 82 degrees. Super Bowl XXI in 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena is in the number three spot. The game topped out at 76 degrees as the Denver Broncos took on the New York Giants.
RAIN AND SNOW?
Typically, with the NFL choosing warmer climate Super Bowl locations, rain and snow are rarely an issue. But that is not to say we haven’t seen it before.
The most rain we have ever seen during the Super Bowl was in 2007 at the former Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Over an inch of rain was recorded as Indianapolis faced Chicago. This Super Bowl was also notable because this was the first Super Bowl played in the rain. The rainy day gave the perfect setting for Prince’s halftime performance of ‘Purple Rain’.
As for snow, it’s a different story.
Over its 57-year history, it has never snowed during a Super Bowl hosted outdoors. We’ve had several snowy indoor games, but because of the venue’s dome or closed rooftop, snow has never had an impact.
As for an indoor game, we have had some close calls.
One of the games may be significant for Denver fans, as Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 was a close call. On the Monday following the Super Bowl, about 8 inches of snow fell in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just after the match-up between Seattle and Denver starring Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson. The game was cold, but no snow fell during the actual game.
Another close call was during Super Bowl XVI in 1982, where 10 inches of snow fell in Pontiac, Michigan just the day before. Yet, the game was indoors.
The most snowfall for any Super Bowl Sunday was in 2006 when the game was played inside Ford Field in Detroit. There was over an inch of snowfall that day.
WIND ISSUES?
As for wind, we also have not had any issues with wind and past Super Bowls, however, there have been some windy games.
The windiest Super Bowl on record was in 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. This game was played outside in 30 MPH wind gusts. The match-up still went on without any delays as Pittsburgh beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-19.
2023 SUPERBOWL FORECAST
For Super Bowl LVII, in Glendale, Arizona, the game is set to have no weather issues. As forecasted highs will be in the 60s for kickoff with less than a 10 percent chance of rain. Luckily the stadium has a retractable roof if the weather changes.
Make sure to tune in to FOX21 News for the big game as Kansas City takes on Philadelphia at 4:30 p.m. MST. Also, stay with the FOX21 Storm Team for local weather before and after the game on-air and on our Storm Team app (Download it on Apple or Google Play).
