HOW TO SURVIVE AN NFL GAME IN A BLIZZARD

In December 2019, Chris and I traveled to Kansas City to explore the city and of course (for Chris), to see the Denver Broncos (his favorite team) play the KC Chiefs. Little did we know, we’d be going to the game in a blizzard that we weren’t prepared for. After a failed attempt to make it to the game in our Chevy Malibu rental (we got stuck on a hill and Chris pushed the car into a three-point turn), we made it to Arrowhead Stadium successfully in an Uber XL. Although we were battling frigid conditions and the Broncos didn’t pull out the win (3-23), our view of the field was great, and it was an experience we’ll never forget.

Fun Fact: Arrowhead Stadium holds the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at a sporting event.

Based on our experience, here’s how to prepare for an NFL game in a blizzard…

TRAVEL

Leave for the game as early as you can! Since it was already snowing when Chris and I woke up, we decided to leave the hotel three hours before kickoff time. We arrived at the stadium right as the first quarter was starting, but we didn’t get into the stadium until halfway through that quarter because we were waiting on line.

Being form New York, Chris and I were expecting the roads to be plowed a lot better than they were. When we pulled out of the hotel’s garage, we quickly realized that every state handles snow differently.

Since our rental car couldn’t handle the snow, we resorted to ordering an Uber XL that could get us to the stadium safely. This turned out to be the best option for us. When we arrived, the parking lot was full and covered with snow, which made it nice to be dropped off at the entrance. However, hiking up a hill to the Uber pickup location after the game was pretty terrible.

CLOTHING

Since we traveled from out of state, Chris and I were lucky to have seen some snow in the forecast before leaving. On game day, we saw a lot more snow than we were expecting. It was hard to keep warm because of how cold it was, but we powered through with what we had. We also tried our hardest to show our Broncos orange and blue.

Here’s what I suggest wearing to a game while it’s snowing:

Winter jacket
Thermals
Waterproof pants
Thick socks
Snow boots
Winter hat
Scarf
Waterproof gloves

Unfortunately, we both wore jeans, which made sitting on the snow-covered seats pretty much out of the question.

EXTRAS

Zippered Bag – If you’re planning on a bringing a bag, I highly recommend purchasing a clear NFL-approved bag that has a zipper. I learned this the hard way when I took a bag full of snow back to the hotel.

Hand warmers – In the freezing cold, it seems like hand warmers take forever to warm up, but if you give them a chance, they’ll do the trick. I was grateful we brought a bunch of packs with us.

Hot Chocolate – Splurge on some hot chocolate at the stadium! Even if you just hold it in your hands, the heat is worth it.

My last piece of advice is to have a great time. Regardless of the conditions, try to make the best of it. I definitely don’t like the cold, but I couldn’t deny that being at an NFL game in the middle of a blizzard was an incredible experience. I had a great time capturing videos and photos, watching the players perform through the snow, and even taking in the deafening cheers of all the fans.

While the conditions weren’t ideal, I’d definitely say yes to doing it again!