KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The “dangerously cold” conditions expected here through Tuesday are so alarming to the National Weather Service that the group has issued a wind chill warning that runs through Tuesday.
For the vast majority of the 76,000 or so people expected here for Saturday night’s Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs Wild Card clash, they’ll be outside for way longer than that.
Which means that there’s a potential health risk involved with simply attending just the third Dolphins playoff game since 2008.
Is It Safe To Attend Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs?
“The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes,” the NWS announced.
The temperatures at kickoff are expected to be at or below zero. Stiff winds could make the feels-like minus-30. Missouri has turned into Alaska.
And yet, the NFL is going ahead with the game as planned — just like the Bills are still going to host the Steelers in potential blizzard conditions.
Not surprisingly, there isn’t a lot of demand among even the heartiest of fans to sit outside for three hours on Saturday.
Secondary market ticket prices cratered throughout the week. You could get into Arrowhead for as cheap as $40 Friday — and with significant inventory still available, expect those prices to drop even more the closer we get to kickoff.
The Chiefs, in an effort to keep their paying customers warm and safe, sent out a best practices tip sheet Friday.
They’re allowing game-goers to bring in blankets and sealed water bottles and are offering warming stations both in the parking lots and throughout the stadium.
Here are some tips to help you stay warm at tomorrow's game! ❄️ pic.twitter.com/7igGPLn1et
— GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (@GEHAField) January 12, 2024
(Of course, those water bottles better get consumed quickly before they turn rock hard.)
Dangers Associated With the Cold
For the true-blue (or aqua, to be more precise) Dolphins fans making the trip, a plea:
Do not underestimate the cold.
It is no joke.
While you’ll see some Dolphins players without sleeves and gloves (and maybe even without a shirt pregame), they’ll have everything they need on the sidelines to stay safe.
Plus, they’ll have natural body heat once they start moving.
That won’t be the case for those in the stands.
The worst-case scenario for the NFL? Cold-related illness — or even death — among their paying customers.
A 2014 study found that nearly 1,300 Americans die annually from exposure to excessive natural cold, hypothermia, or both.
But there are plenty of other risks beyond death — namely, frostbite.
For born-and-break Miamians, that word might not mean much. But it’s very real.
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“Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. In the earliest stage of frostbite, known as frostnip, there is no permanent damage to skin. Symptoms include cold skin and a prickling feeling, followed by numbness and inflamed or discolored skin. As frostbite worsens, skin may become hard or waxy-looking.
“Exposed skin in cold, windy weather is most vulnerable to frostbite, but it can affect skin covered by gloves or other clothing. You may not realize you have frostbite until someone else points it out.
“You can treat frostnip by rewarming. All other frostbite requires medical attention because it can permanently damage skin, muscle, bone and other tissue.”
The Chiefs could have avoided this by building a stadium with a roof.
And the NFL could have avoided this by moving the game to somewhere warmer. They have changed venues before due to extreme conditions. If there are any negative health outcomes on Saturday, the blame will be theirs.
Credit the Dolphins, who, despite never winning a playoff game in sub-freezing temperatures, embraced the challenge of the moment.
“No one likes being cold,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “However, it does make the moment bigger when you know that it is an absolute fact that it’s going to be frigid. Well, what if, as a team, you find a way for it to not affect you? To be able to go and do athletic performance in that weather, it takes will.
“… We have a lot of competitors on our team. I think the places that teams have to go to execute in those types of situations are hard. I think that’s what kind of makes them stand out in history because you get a lot of cool-spirited efforts by people doing things that a lot of people would struggle to do.”
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