NFL: The Hottest And Coldest Games In Football History

These are the hottest and coldest NFL games based on temperature at kickoff. Temperature is not the only issue. Building construction and the turf used for the playing surface are also contributing factors. 

It is hard to match these temperatures to climate change. It is not hard to measure them against each city’s average summer temperatures. Phoenix is the hottest city in the country, and Dallas ranks in 10th place. Phoenix recently had a period during which temperatures were above 100 degrees F 100 days in a row. It is not unusual for temperatures in the city to top 110 degrees. Phoenix temperatures are related to global warming. According to AZ Mirror, “Overall temperatures have been rising across the globe, contributing to what we are seeing in Arizona. The global temperature has risen by approximately 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, but in Phoenix you can add another 5 degrees to that number due to the urban heat island effect.”  (The urban heat island effect is when the temperatures in an urban area increase due to the heat retained by structures and ground coverings, lack of vegetation and other impacts of urbanization.) Dr. Ryan Glaubke, a paleoclimatologist and member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, commented “There is no precedent for what we are experiencing today. We are pushing the climate into uncharted territory.” 

The coldest games have also been played in the coldest cities in America. Green Bay is not large enough to be on most city lists. However, among the 20 coldest cities in the US, several are close by. These include Milwaukee and Madison. Kansas City is also on the list. So is Buffalo which can also get several feet of snow per year. Milwaukee’s temperature is also affected by broader climate changes. Last month, temperatures dropped to 13 degrees below average for the first two weeks. The average for the two weeks was 19 degrees. The Milwaukee Journal reported, “The United States is also experiencing a La Niña winter this year, which means ocean surface temperatures are cooler than normal in the central and east-central Pacific Ocean. The La Niña we’ve having this winter is weak, so generally speaking that’s not influencing our weather in southern Wisconsin a whole lot,” J.J. Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan commented

One thing has changed the NFL weather game, permanently. Of the 30 stadiums where the NFL plays games, 10 have domes. And, each of these has to be built to regulated specification. According to Pro Football Network, “The National Football League has specific guidelines governing the use of retractable roofs to prevent teams from gaining an unfair competitive edge. In stadiums with movable roofs, the home team is required to inform the referee or the senior league official assigned to the game at least 90 minutes before kickoff whether the roof will be open or closed. The roof must then be fully set in that position no later than one hour prior to kickoff.”

Top  Hottest NFL Games 

1. 109°F — Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (Sept. 3, 2000, Texas Stadium) The field surface reached 130°F; extreme heat led to player dehydration issues.

2, 105°F — Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (Sept. 14, 2003, Sun Devil Stadium. One of several desert scorchers in the open-air era.

100°F — Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals (Sept. 10, 2000) Back-to-back triple-digit games for the Cowboys that season.

3. 97°F — New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sept. 16, 2018) Hottest game in Patriots franchise history.

4. 96°F — Multiple games in Texas and Florida (e.g., early-season matchups at old Texas Stadium or Jacksonville).

5. To 7.. Mid-90s°F — Various open-air stadium games in Arizona, Dallas, and Miami before domes/retractable roofs became standard. Extreme heat games are now rare due to modern stadium designs.

Top 7 Coldest NFL Games

1. -13°F — Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers (Dec. 31, 1967, Lambeau Field) — “The Ice Bowl” Wind chill: -48°F; iconic NFL Championship game.

2. -9°F — San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (Jan. 10, 1982, Riverfront Stadium) — “The Freezer Bowl” Wind chill: -59°F (coldest recorded); AFC Championship.

3. -4°F — Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs (Jan. 13, 2024, playoff wild card, Arrowhead Stadium) Wind chill dropped below -30°F in spots.

4. 0°F — Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers (Dec. 31, 1972, Metropolitan Stadium. Often cited as the coldest regular-season game.

5 to 7. Low single digits to teens below zero — Other brutal games at Lambeau, old Metropolitan Stadium (Minnesota), Soldier Field (Chicago), and Buffalo.Sources include Sporting News, Weather-dot-Com, NFL, Yahoo,