Below normal temps, bitter wind chills await Kansas City for AFC Championship Game
Although it will be warmer than originally expected, bitter wind chills await fans at the AFC Championship football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday evening.
When temperatures dropped to 8 degrees at Kansas City International Airport shortly before midnight Saturday, it became the coldest day in almost a year. On Feb. 5, 2018, Kansas City fell to -5 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill.
On Sunday the wind made it feel much colder, with overnight wind chills a few degrees below zero. As fans waited in line to get into the Truman Sports Complex, the temperature at KCI dipped to 7 degrees at 8 a.m. with wind chills of -2 degrees.
The parking lots at Arrowhead are scheduled to open at 12:30 p.m. Stadium gates open at 3:30 p.m., with the exception of the Scout Investments Club Level gates, which open at 3 p.m..
The good news for Chiefs fans is that afternoon highs on Sunday are expected to climb into the low 20s. But that’s still 10 to 15 degrees below normal, according to the weather service.
At the scheduled 5:40 p.m. kickoff of the game, temperatures are expected to be 22 degrees with a wind chill around 14 degrees. Throughout the game, temperatures will fall slightly into the upper teens. Wind chills, however, will drop into the single digits.
