The above image is from the opening minutes of a December, 1985 game at Lambeau Field between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The contest was played with more than a foot of snow on the field and wind gusts over 40 MPH. As will be the case in this Sunday's NFC Championship, the Bucs started a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Who was he? He is in the picture, that is Steve Young in his career second NFL start. The other NFL Hall of Famer from that game was Packers receiver James Lofton who caught six passes for 106 yards. Just over 19,000 fans made it to the stadium, some via snowmobile. It marked the smallest non-strike, non-pandemic regular season crowd in Lambeau Field history.
The Kansas City Chiefs played in Buffalo for the 1966 AFL Championship game, except for a typically muddy field at War Memorial Stadium, conditions were decent under cold and cloudy skies. Including Green Bay, three of the four teams that played in their respective AFL/NFL Championships leading up to Super Bowl I will play this Sunday. Early weather reports hints at a Snow Bowl sequel between the Buccaneers. In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes concussion protocol updates will be followed more closely than the weather. These forecasts will be updated right up until kickoff.
As of 12:00 p.m. CT, January, 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. Green Bay Packers (2:05 p.m. CT, Jan. 24, 2021)
3-6 inches of light, fluffy snow is forecasted for Saturday night into Sunday morning. Will likely not affect the game itself but will enhance the anticipation and atmosphere. Temperature expected to be in the upper 20s at kickoff under cloudy skies. Just slightly colder than for the Rams v. Packers divisional playoff.
The previous three NFL/NFC Championship Games in Green Bay have had game time temps of -13 (Ice Bowl), 3 (Jan. 12, 1997 v. Panthers) and -1 (Jan. 20, 2008 v. Giants). Sunday will feel like a heat wave.
Buffalo Bills v. Kansas City Chiefs (5:40 p.m. CT, Jan. 24, 2021) Unseasonably warm weather continued in the Kansas City area this week, but game day will be more seasonable with precipitation. Look for a kickoff temperature in the high 30s with intermittent showers. It should not affect the game much.