Kansas City Weather Forecast for Bills vs Chiefs AFC Championship Game
- A chance of rain is in the forecast for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs
- The probability of precipitation is 30%, according to the National Weather Service
- The Chiefs beat the Bills 26-17 in a sloppy rain at Buffalo during Week 6 of the NFL regular season
The weather forecast for Kansas City on Sunday is calling for a chance of rain. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 30% chance of showers to fall on Arrowhead Stadium for the game.
At the time of the scheduled 6:40 PM EST kickoff, the projections are for 32-degree temperatures, cloudy skies, and winds of 15 mph. The high for Sunday is expected to be 51 degrees. The low will drop down to 30 degrees.
The wind will be blowing from the northwest but shouldn’t be a major factor in the kicking game. It’s actually projected to ease up in strength as the game progresses.
2021 AFC Championship Game Weather Forecast
| Weather Data | Kickoff (6:40 PM EST) | Halftime (8:15 PM EST) |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 32 degrees | 30 degrees |
| Chance of Precipitation | 10% | 44% |
| Wind | 15 mph | 12 mph |
This will be the third straight year that the AFC Championship Game is played at Arrowhead Stadium. Last year, the Chiefs won and covered as seven-point favorites in a 35-24 decision over the Tennessee Titans.
Instant Rain Play?
If it rains on Sunday, it should be old hat for the Chiefs and Bills. When the two teams met in Buffalo on Oct. 19th during Week 6 of the 2020 NFL regular season, the game was played in a downpour.
If the sloppy field caused an impact on the game, it was clearly the Bills who ended up suffering. Buffalo was unable to run the ball.
Devin Singletary managed just 32 yards on 10 carries. As a team, the Bills rushed for a paltry 84 yards.
It's not the best night for a football game but it will have to do! Expect a showery sky and cool temperatures!
I'll be on air at 4 to let you know how long this rain will stick around. See you there! #WXOnthe1s pic.twitter.com/RJOg8Vtq4M
— Kaylee Wendt (@KayleeWendt) October 19, 2020
On top of that stat, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen ended up enduring his poorest passing game of the season in terms of yards. Allen was just 14-of-27 through the air for a season-low 122 yards and a passer rating of 73.4.
Bills wide receiver John Brown also suffered a leg injury in the game. It’s proven to be an ailment that’s impacted him all season long. Brown was activated from IR in time for Saturday’s NFL Divisional Round win over the Baltimore Ravens. He caught eight of his 11 targets for 62 yards in the 17-3 victory.
Wet Conditions Less Bothersome To Chiefs
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was below his season average of 316 yards passing in the wet win at Buffalo but was still solid. He went 21-of-26 through the air for 225 yards and a passer rating of 128.4.
Kansas City rambled for 245 yards on the ground in the slop. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, uncertain to start in the AFC Championship Game due to an ankle injury, was good for 161 yards rushing in the victory at Buffalo.
Could have some weather games for this weekends NFC/AFC Championship games. Some snow in Green Bay Sunday afternoon and rain showers for Kansas City Sunday evening. pic.twitter.com/dY1euXjeuI
— Tony D (@WX_TD) January 18, 2021
The Chiefs also played in the rain at home during their season opener against the Houston Texans. Those conditions were closer to what’s anticipated for Sunday – cloudy and light rain.
Mahomes passed for 211 yards and 3 TDs. Edwards-Helaire ran for 138 yards in his NFL debut. KC defeated the Texans 34-20.
Bills vs Chiefs AFC Championship Game Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | +120 | +3 (-122) | O 53 (-110) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -142 | -3 (+100) | U 53 (-110) |
Odds taken Jan. 19 at FanDuel
Rain Shouldn’t Be A Factor
Weather projections in Kansas City are for light rain showers. If the current forecast holds, the first half should be played in dry conditions.
There’s only a 10% chance of rain through 6 PM Kansas City time. Remember, Kansas City is in the Central time zone, and the game kicks off at 6:40 PM Eastern time. That’s 5:40 PM in KC.
Championship Sunday weather 👇
Green Bay:
Low 28°
1-3 inches of snowKansas City:
Low 29°
Rain changing to snow— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 18, 2021
The rain is anticipated to arrive sometime during the second half. Around 7 PM KC time the chance of rain increases for the next couple of hours to between 44-46%. Again, though, it’s only calling for light rain. It’s difficult to imagine a light rainfall making a dramatic impact on an NFL game.
There is light snow in the forecast for later in the evening. That’s not slated to arrive until 11 PM Kansas City time. Barring a replay of the 1971 Chiefs-Dolphins double OT epic in Kansas City, this game should be long over before there’s any snowfall.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
