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Patriots vs. Broncos Weather: Frigid Forecast for AFC Championship Game
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- Patriots vs. Broncos Weather: Frigid Forecast for AFC Championship Game
As winter storm 2026 sends a massive arctic blast across the country, its freezing tail is set to grip Colorado this weekend ahead of the AFC Championship Game between the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos and the No. 2 seed New England Patriots .
While the heaviest snow may miss Empower Field at Mile High, Sean Payton's Broncos and Mike Vrabel's Patriots are bracing for the coldest game of the season in Denver with kickoff temperatures struggling to break the mid-20s.
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The weather forecast is worth keeping an eye on as kickoff approaches. Here are the latest updates heading into NFL championship Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in an AFC divisional-round playoff game.Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The National Weather Service warns of "arctic cold and light snow" in the Denver area this weekend. Sunday's frigid forecast includes a low temperature of 7 degrees and a high of 28, with the wind chill never climbing above 16 degrees. According to CBS Colorado , these represent the lowest temperatures for a Broncos home game this season.
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The Denver metro area is expected to get 1 to 2 inches of snow from Friday into Saturday morning. Thankfully for fans heading to the game, there is only a 10 percent chance of snow on Sunday. However, the consistent freezing temperatures all weekend mean that there is a risk of slick travel conditions if ice and snow accumulate.
The fact that the Broncos are hosting is preferable to a Patriots home game this weekend. The nationwide winter storm is expected to bring up to one foot of snow in Boston , primarily on Sunday.
Despite lower temperatures, the playing conditions are likely to be better in Denver than they were for the Patriots' snowy divisional-round game last week in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Their 28-16 win over the Houston Texans featured eight combined turnovers and four fumbles by Patriots quarterback Drake Maye .
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The weather may not be ideal for the AFC Championship Game, but both teams feature strong defenses built for playoff football in January. New England boasts an 8-0 record on the road this season, showing an ability to win in unfriendly environments like the one they will face in Denver. The Broncos are 9-1 at home, including last week's thrilling 33-30 playoff victory in overtime over the Buffalo Bills .
The Broncos-Patriots game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. The winner will advance to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8 against either the Seattle Seahawks or the Los Angeles Rams .
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Related: Peyton Manning's Immediate Reaction to Broncos' Bo Nix Announcement
Related: Patriots React to Tom Brady's Decision on Drake Maye Amid NFL Playoffs
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
