For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game will be played in a cold-weather city. Unfortunately for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, they won’t be playing in unusually warm temperatures for in New York/New Jersey area.
On the day of Super Bowl XLVIII, the AccuWeather forecast predicts a high of 49 degrees Fahrenheit in East Rutherford, N.J., the location of MetLife Stadium.
The contest won’t kickoff until 6:30 p.m. ET when temperatures will dip into the low 40s and mid-30s. By the fourth quarter, the players may be experiencing freezing temperatures, considering a low of 29 degrees is expected.
However, the weather will be warmer on Sunday compared to what the area has experienced over the past week, when temperatures routinely dipped well below historical averages. On Thursday, East Rutherford experienced a high of 31 degrees with a low of 10 degrees.
While 2014 will turn out to be the coldest Super Bowl of all time, the weather might not be nearly as bad some were thinking. East Rutherford received several inches of snow in late January, but the weekend should come and go without any type of storm. During the day, there’s a 30 percent chance of rain showers, but the night will see just an eight percent chance of precipitation. There had been talk that the game could be postponed due to a snowstorm, but that appears very unlikely now.
Despite the very small chance of any kind of weather disaster, some still disagree with the league’s choice to bring the game to MetLife Stadium. Before this year, every Super Bowl was played in a dome or an outdoor stadium in a warm-weather city. Former Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Ditka doesn’t think the change is necessary.
“The World Series wouldn’t be played in inclement weather,’’ Ditka said, according to the Seattle Times. “People say ‘It’s cold and that’s the way football was meant to be.’ Well, yeah, it was meant to be that way. I played it that way 50 years ago. But now, it’s different. So, let’s make it right for the fans, the sponsors and the players.’’
Even though some may not like the location of the game, the cold weather may not have much of an effect on the final score. The Broncos have played four games outdoors in Denver since the start of December. The Seahawks battled the rain en route to their first playoff win this year.
Super Bowl 2014 Weather Update: Latest Temperatures, Conditions For Game Between The Broncos And Seahawks
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