Packers Playoff Forecast: Cold (But Not Super-Cold)

Here's the latest weather report for next weekend's NFC divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field.

Bill Huber | Jan 15, 2022

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will host a divisional playoff game next weekend. It’s going to be cold but perhaps not unbearably cold.

The long-range forecast from earlier in the week called for highs in the single digits for a potential Sunday playoff game. That’s moderated a bit, though.

In the divisional round, the games on Saturday, Jan. 22, will begin at 3:35 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. On Sunday, Jan. 23, the games will kick off at 2:05 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.

After some really cold weather midweek, Saturday’s forecast, according to meteorologist Steve Beylon of Green Bay TV station WBAY, calls for a high of 18 and a low of 6. If the Packers get that primetime slot, it could be about 10 degrees with a 10 mph breeze at kickoff. That’s a wind chill of minus-3.

Next Sunday’s forecast calls for a high of 15. With a 10 mph wind, the wind chill would be 3 for the early game and, obviously, a bit colder for the evening game.

The Packers whacked the Vikings 37-10 in Week 17 when it was 11 at kickoff and into the mid-single digits by the fourth quarter.

“We think it’s Packer weather, honestly,” defensive lineman Dean Lowry said this week. “Go back to our game against Minnesota. We played great team defense. That was probably our most complete game of the year, against Minnesota in that freezing weather. We’re used to it. Even today, we were outside the whole practice. We just think it fits our strength of playing tough defense and having a quarterback and an offense that’s experienced in this weather.”

As anyone who lives in a cold climate understands, the first thing to go is the feeling and dexterity of fingers. That makes handling the ball a challenge. It can have a big impact on the kicking game, too.

“In a really really cold game, and that’s what’s being projected right now, you’re going to lose 5 to 7 yards off your distances,” special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton said this week. “Also, anytime handling the ball, whether it’s the holders, whether it’s the punter himself, you have to make sure that our hands are nice and warm, and utilize some tricks of the trade to make sure we have proper grip on the ball. Same with the returners who are returning. We’re used to it, though. This is our element. We practice outside. We love being outside, and we’re going to use it to our advantage.”

Green Bay will play the lowest remaining seed from this weekend’s wild-card round. The Packers almost certainly would play on Sunday if the winner of Monday night’s game between the fifth-seeded Cardinals at fourth-seeded Rams comes to Green Bay. If there’s a wild-card round upset by seventh-seeded Philadelphia (at No. 2 Tampa Bay) or sixth-seeded San Francisco (at No. 3 Dallas) on Sunday, that team could come to Green Bay for Saturday. Given the popularity of the Packers and the potential for a deep-freeze game, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that game in the Saturday night slot.

Super Bowl I Photos

The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first Super Bowl, played on Jan. 15, 1967.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end (75) JERRY MAYS shakes hands with Green Bay Packers defensive end (87) WILLIE DAVIS as the captains meet at midfield before the start of Super Bowl I. Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers defensive end (87 Willie Davis and tackle (76) Bob Skoronski meet Kansas City Chiefs (75) Jerry Mays and (65) Jon Gilliam for the coin toss prior to the start of Super Bowl I at The Coliseum. The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10 to win the first meeting of the AFL versus the NFL for the world championship. hoto By Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports © Copyright Malcolm Emmons

Bart Starr gets ready to throw a pass during Super Bowl I. His career passer rating in the playoffs ranks No. 1 all-time.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr (15) hands off to running back Elijah Pitts (22) who is led on the power sweep by linemen Fuzzy Thurston (63), Jerry Kramer (64), and Forrest Gregg (75) against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl I at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports

Vince Lombardi led the Packers to victory in the first Super Bowl. Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (16) Len Dawson is hit by Green Bay Packers linebacker (60) Lee Roy Caffey during Super Bowl I. Photo By Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports © Copyright Malcolm Emmons

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Max McGee (85) runs for a touchdown as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Fred Williamson (24) gives chase during Super Bowl I. The 37-yard, one-handed catch was the first touchdown in Super Bowl history. Photo bu Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay Packers receiver Max McGee (85) runs past Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Willie Mitchell (22) in Super Bowl I. Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay Packers linebacker (89) Dave Robinson chases Kansas City Chiefs running back (21) Mike Garrett during Super Bowl I. Photo By Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay Packers running back (31) JIM TAYLOR follows the blocks of (64) JERRY KRAMER (81) MARV FLEMING and (75) FOREST GREGG during Super Bowl I. He carried 17 times for 56 yards and a 14-yard touchdown that put the Packers in front 14-7. Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers (85) Max McGee hauls in a juggling, 13-yard touchdown pass from Bart Starr during during the fourth quarter to make it 28-10. Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers running back Elijah Pitts carried 11 times for 45 yards and two scores in Super Bowl I. Photo credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers tight end (81) Marv Fleming in action during Super Bowl I. Photo credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers quarterback (15) BART STARR is hit by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end (86) BUCK BUCHANAN during Super Bowl I in the first meeting ever of the AFL and NFL Champions at Memorial Coliseum. Photo credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers defensive linemen Willie Davis and Henry Jordan combine to sack Len Dawson. Photo Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay Packers quarterback (15) Bart Starr in action against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl I in the first meeting of the AFL and NFL Champions at Memorial Coliseum. The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10. Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Green Bay's Elijah Pitts (22) charges into the end zone, eluding Bobby Hunt (20), during the first Super Bowl in Los Angeles. The 5-yard run followed Willie Wood's interception in the third quarter. Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports Images

Bart Starr went 16-of-23 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns to win MVP honors. Photo Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Published Jan 15, 2022

BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.