Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City hosted a nail-biting wild card game between the Chiefs and the Dolphins on Saturday. However, the harsh winter weather conditions put a damper on the day with hypothermia and frostbite among fan injuries. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to 69 calls for service on that day, half of which were related to hypothermia among fans.
Many people were transported to area hospitals under medical supervision, fifteen of whom required immediate attention from the Kansas City Fire Department. Among these fifteen, three suffered from frostbite, while seven had to be treated for hypothermia. Although Arrowhead Stadium had seven first aid stations, the number of walk-ins to KU Medical Center’s aid stations remains unknown.
While the temperatures started at minus-four degrees, it dipped to minus-eight during the match. The kickoff temperature for the wild card matchup was the fourth-coldest kickoff temperature in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The wind chill of minus-27 during the match is now the third-coldest kickoff wind chill in NFL history.
Despite the frigid temperatures, fans still poured into the stadium to watch their favorite players, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill, on the field. Mega popstar, Taylor Swift, was also in attendance and even wore a fancy Kelce jacket.
The conditions were so treacherous that even the Chiefs coach, Andy Reid, developed ice on his mustache. In fact, Saturday’s wild card game between the Chiefs and the Dolphins marked the coldest game ever recorded in Arrowhead Stadium history. The freezing temperatures dominated the conversation leading up to and during the game.
