AccuWeather Says No Polar Vortex Attending Sunday's Big Game

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AccuWeather Global Weather Center – With less than a week to go before Sunday's Big Game, the question on everyone's minds has been whether or not it will snow. AccuWeather has been tracking conditions since December 18 on www.WillitSnow.com and the latest forecast indicates players may expect a typical winter day and average chilly temperatures when they take to the field at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140127/SF53543)

AccuWeather forecasters agree that although there may be light snow the day before the game, the brutal cold air of the Polar Vortex will not be present. Temperatures and precipitation will be more consistent with what is considered average for early February, with a daytime high in the 30s. As the first Big Game in history to be played in an open air stadium in a cold weather city, AccuWeather said players and fans will be relatively lucky in terms of weather.

"Given the time of year and location, we're expecting the best possible conditions, as the Big Game is being played in between arctic systems," said Henry Margusity, Expert Senior Meteorologist at AccuWeather, Inc. "By game time, temperatures will be falling into the 20s and the RealFeel Temperature® could be in the teens, but players have certainly dealt with this and even worse conditions before."

Even in lieu of snow, temperature – and perceived temperature – can be an important concern. AccuWeather represents the temperature players will actually feel with its exclusive RealFeel Temperature, which takes into account a range of weather factors to determine the actual impact of perceived temperature on the field. When the RealFeel Temperature is very low, players can not only feel cold, but the cold may affect their ability to catch and grip the football and to stay in the game for prolonged periods. The temperature expected for Sunday does not seem to present these challenges.

"The air temperature at kickoff for the January 19 AFC Championship game in Denver was 60 degrees, which is almost 30 degrees higher than the current forecast for Sunday's game," said Evan Myers, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for AccuWeather, Inc. "Though it seems like we may have escaped the worst in terms of possible weather conditions for game day, there is still a chance that snow and other disruptive winter weather could be a factor in the game."

Precipitation, whether in the form of snow or rain, can be a major concern for any outdoor game. Accumulating snow can make the field slippery, cover field markings, and potentially lead to game stoppages—but rain and mixed precipitation can have the same effect, making the field and football slippery, adding to the possibility of dropped passes and fumbles. Wind can also have a significant impact on the game with strong winds running parallel to the field which can add or subtract lengths to kickoffs, field goals, and long passes.

In addition to its game day forecast, AccuWeather offers ongoing updates at www.WillitSnow.com which features snow predictions, columns, and commentary by some of AccuWeather's most prominent meteorologists, including Bernie Rayno, Elliot Abrams, Henry Margusity, and Evan Myers.  They will continue to provide their perspectives for weather on February 2 on the website. Other important information such as video forecasts (with plenty of expert analysis), historic weather for the New York region, and related news items are also featured prominently on the site. 

AccuWeather's new MinuteCast™ Minute by Minute Forecast™ will also be available on game day, providing highly accurate weather predictions quarter-by-quarter and Minute by Minute™, so fans can anticipate fluctuations at the stadium.

AccuWeather has a long-established history of innovation and a dedication to forecasting accuracy they intend to bring to the new channel. The company was the first to introduce 5-day, 7-day, 10-day, 15-day, 25-day, 30-day, and 45-day detailed forecasts, setting the industry standard in longer-range forecasting, as well as RealFeel Temperature. The new MinuteCast, providing Minute by Minute forecasts for every location in the United States and Canada, is available on the SkyMotion app by AccuWeather and will be expanding to all properties soon. In the third quarter of 2014, the company will launch the AccuWeather Channel, an "All Weather, All the Time™" multi-platform national channel for forecasts with Superior Accuracy™.

About AccuWeather, Inc. and AccuWeather.com

Every day over a billion people worldwide rely on AccuWeather to help them plan their lives, protect their businesses, and get more from their day. AccuWeather provides hourly forecasts with Superior Accuracy™ for nearly 3 million locations worldwide, with customized content and engaging video presentations available on smart phones, tablets, free wired and mobile internet sites, connected TVs, and Internet appliances, as well as via radio, television, and newspapers. Founded in 1962 by Dr. Joel N. Myers - a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society who was recognized as one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur Magazine's Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs - AccuWeather also delivers a wide range of highly-customized enterprise solutions to media, business, government, and institutions, as well as news, weather content, and video for more than 72,000 third-party websites.

Visit accuweather.com for additional information.

For more information contact:
Justin Roberti / 814.235.8756 / [email protected]
AccuWeather, Inc. / 385 Science Park Road / State College, PA 16803

Alan Danzis / 212.373.6022 / [email protected]
Golin Harris / 909 Third Avenue, 9th Floor / New York, NY 10022

SOURCE AccuWeather