NFL Week 15 Weather Report and Forecast - Snow likely in Buffalo
As usual in my NFL weather forecasts, the main focus is to identify games with high winds or heavy rain. Of all possible weather variables, wind is the biggest detriment to offenses, with a 15+mph wind being impactful and anything over 20mph sustained becoming a major problem for passing and kicking. Rain is another important factor in scoring, in particular heavy rain, which makes it harder to both throw and catch a pass, as well as turnovers increasing across the board. Temperature rarely impacts scoring, so it will only be noted here in extreme cases, like late-season games with temps below freezing. You can use this to your advantage making your picks on DFS sites and sportsbooks.
It’s also worth noting that while winds are fairly predictable a few days out, trying to pinpoint rain over a stadium is difficult even a few hours ahead of a game. So for the very latest info as the NFL Week 15 forecast changes, stay tuned to @KevinRothWx on Twitter or check my main NFL weather forecast page.
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NFL Week 15 Weather Report & Forecast
Thursday Night Football – December 15th
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks – It’s chilly (upper 30s), but dry with fairly light winds, so I don’t expect any impacts to the game.
Saturday – December 17th
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns – Temperature at kickoff should be just a tick above freezing with a 10-15mph wind. Can’t rule out a stray rain/snow shower, but none of these weather elements really jump out as a significant issue.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – A “Lake Effect Snow Warning” has been issued for Orchard Park Friday night through Sunday morning, with this game’s kickoff on Saturday night smack dab in the middle of the potential heavy snow. It also goes without saying it will be cold (a bit below freezing), though winds won’t be a major issue with 5-10mph sustained winds. All things being equal snow is less impactful than rain, and in some cases can benefit the offense, but the combo of potential heavy snow, a gently breeze, and cold temps has me considering this as at least a slight downgrade to offenses. It’s also certainly the most visually ugly game of the week, with all the other games just being temperature issues.
Sunday Main Slate – December 18th
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears – Cold and a bit breezy. We’ll see temperatures in the mid 20s with a 10-15mph wind. In general temperatures only have a minor correlation to points scored, but on the extremes (and when combined with a bit of a breeze) I’ll consider it a slight downgrade to offense.
Sunday Night Football – December 18th
New York Giants at Washington Commanders – Cold but otherwise fine. The temp around 32 degrees shouldn’t have a significant impact on play.
Monday Night Football – December 19th
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers – Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field indeed… kickoff temp here should be around 15 degrees, with a feels-like temp between 0-5 degrees. Again it’s important to remember that even extreme cold like this isn’t as impactful as a windy day, but it should have at least some minor impacts as the ball is harder to throw, catch, and kick at these temperatures.
Overall Week 15 Weather Forecast
When looking for an edge, I’m always trying to find high winds first, rain/snow second, and cold temperatures a distant third. There’s nothing that’s really jumping out as an extreme wind issue, though in Buffalo we should see around 15mph sustained winds with some stronger gusts. More notable in Buffalo of course is the potential for heavy snow, which in conjuction with the wind could pose some issues. We’ll want to see pregame just how much snow is falling, as a light snow isn’t a big problem for offense, but a heavier band could slow the passing game. Lastly we’ve got a smattering of cold weather games where we could see minor impacts like Chicago and Green Bay. As I mentioned earlier, it’s best to follow forecasts right up until kickoff, so stay tuned to @KevinRothWx for the latest.
Image Credit: Imagn