The weather forecast for the AFC Championship game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots is not supposed to be pleasant.

With a spot in the Super Bowl on the line, the Patriots will not only have to overcome their historic struggles at Mile High, but also potentially brutal weather conditions.

The Sporting News provides all the weather updates for the Broncos vs. the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFF NEWS:

Broncos-Patriots weather forecast

According to NFL Weather, the kickoff temperature at Mile High Stadium will be 17°F, with a wind chill of-13°F. In addition: slight chance of light snow, accompanied by wind gusts up to 10 mph.

It is expected to be their coldest game of the season. The National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory for many of the towns neighboring Denver, although Colorado’s capital city is presently stuck in hazardous weather outlook status as of Saturday afternoon.

Both teams enjoyed some sunshine during pre-game warmups, but it turned to cloud cover by the time the game began. There is still expected to be snow throughout the second half of the game. 

Temperatures are expected to sit around 20°F, according to 9News Denver’s Chris Bianchi. Temperatures will fall precipitously during the bout, with a cold front set to sweep across Mile High Stadium as action unfolds. Snow should cover the field by the time the contest concludes, with Bianchi predicting the weather will sit at sub-15°F. Wind gusts could reach 20-25 mph by the second half.

Broncos kickoff temp today of around 20° may be deceptively ‘warm’ as we get some brief sun. But…

A cold front moves through *during* the game. That’ll bring snow + some wind.

1st half: Increasing clouds, temps drop
2nd half: Burst of 20-25 mph winds, snow develops#COwx pic.twitter.com/Nap30kzOEk

— Chris Bianchi (@BianchiWeather) January 25, 2026

Three hours from kickoff, the temperature stood at 22°F, according to MassLive’s Mark Daniels. Not too dissimilar from a typical wintery day in Massachusetts, it must be said.

It’s 22 degrees here in Denver and honestly, doesn’t feel that cold considering what we’ve dealt with in Massachusetts this winter. pic.twitter.com/tyBHv8iq2k

— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) January 25, 2026Will it snow during Broncos-Patriots?

As mentioned above, NFL Weather predicts a chance of light snow, whereas the National Weather Service forecast predicts mostly sunny weather on Sunday, with a 20% probability of snow after 11 a.m. local time.

However, the snow isn’t the main concern here — it’s the extreme cold. 

Updated winter storm map

As far as the forecast goes, the weather should have no impact on the odds or outcome of the AFC Championship. However, the cold will undoubtedly be uncomfortable for the players. Denver will avoid most of the sticky stuff that has fallen atop much of the United States. But the bitter cold will certainly make its mark.

Weather is happening. pic.twitter.com/Kk2pnmIVOl

— Weather Track US (@weathertrackus) January 25, 2026What time is the Broncos-Patriots game today?Date: Sunday, Jan. 25Time: 3:30 p.m. ET | 1:30 p.m. local time

The Broncos and Patriots’ match will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. local time) at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. It’s the first of two games set to take place on Sunday — the Rams will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks upon the conclusion of the AFC championship game.Â