Vikings Fans Prepare For Potentially Bitter Cold Playoff Game
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The coldest air of the winter season is on its way to Minnesota, just in time for the Vikings to host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs at TCF Bank Stadium.
Kickoff it set for 12:05 p.m., and temperatures are expected to be right around zero with wind chills between -10 and -20. Molly Rosenblatt found out Tuesday how hard core fans are gearing up for the freeze.
"My name is Ryan Rhody and this will be my 20th consecutive game home and away," he said.
For this die-hard fan, the harsh elements won't hold him back even though Sunday's game could be the coldest ever played at TCF Bank Stadium.
"The Fireball definitely gets passed around our tailgate quite a bit. There are lots of bottles floating around to help us keep warm," Rhody said. "I just dress in layers. Multiple hoodies, multiple pairs of pants."
And he's on point with that.
"Generally when you think about where your heat generates from, it's your core. That's the first and foremost part of staying warm. That's where you have most of your layering happening," Steve Schreader said.
Schreader says stick to a three-layer system: Your base layer, mid layer and a shell. Start with a soft wool for what you wear closest to your skin. Your mid layer -- wear a fleece.
"The nice thing about a fleece or a wool is that it might keep you warm even though it might get a little wet and it's nice and soft, too, which is super nice," Schreader said.
Top it off with the warmest coat you have. And don't forget that some of the stadium seats are metal. Nobody likes a cold backside, so Schreader says bring a cushion.
"If your butt's cold the whole rest of your body is cold. It's a mental factor, game over," Schreader said.
As for our super fan, well he says it's winter in Minnesota and this is what we're all about.
"So you are not intimidated at all? No I'm not worried at all, I'm ready for a win so we can go and thaw out in Arizona next week. I already have that trip planned," Rhody said.
Here's a look at the record cold games in NFL history. The coldest Vikings game is actually the sixth coldest ever, back in 1972 at Met Stadium.
The third coldest game was 6 below zero at Kansas City in 1996. Second coldest was Cincinnati in 1982 at 9 below and the coldest game ever, the famous "Ice Bowl," was at Lambeau Field in 1967. The temperature that day was 13 below zero, with a wind chill of negative 48 degrees.