Forecasters warning of cold for AFC Championship Game

While it might not sound too cold to the hardy folks of Broncos Country, the Orange and Blue will be playing in their coldest game of the year when they take the field against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

After a cold snap brings snow and possible single-digit lows to the Front Range Friday and Saturday, sunshine and highs in the mid-30s will greet the Broncos and the Patriots on Sunday, according to forecasters.

New 9NEWS Chris Bianchi game-day forecast is much colder than a couple days ago: pic.twitter.com/tVUouU5jil

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) January 20, 2026

While the Patriots won their Divisional Round game in the cold and snow, anything that makes the offense more difficult could benefit the Broncos. They’re going to want a defensive struggle with a heavy ground game because Jarrett Stidham will be making just his fifth career start. He gets the nod in place of the injured Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Saturday’s overtime thriller against Buffalo.

By Sunday, the storm system, which is expected to bring snow to the metro and mountains on Friday and Saturday, will have moved out, leaving behind dry conditions and temperatures climbing to a not-so-balmy 32 degrees at halftime. This is according to the National Weather Service.

The game marks the Broncos’ first AFC Championship appearance since Super Bowl 50, and the 76,125-seat stadium is expected to be packed with orange. Patriots fans seeking tickets have been relegated to the secondary market after the Broncos implemented zip code restrictions on sales.

The forecast represents a far cry from some of the coldest playoff games in Broncos history and shouldn’t be too much of a factor. Fans will still want to layer up and limit skin exposure.

Every Broncos home game this season was played with a kickoff temperature of 60 degrees or higher until Saturday’s Divisional Game kicked with a temperature of 36 degrees. The record for the warmest coldest game will not stand since the team’s run continues. That will hold at 49 degrees in 1971.

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