Hardy, tough, gritty, strong. When you think about football players tackling each other on a field in the middle of a snowstorm, these words might come to mind.
But do the same words come to mind when you think of the football fans in the stands?
Offers.bet surveyed over 1,000 NFL fans to determine which fan base they bet is the toughest when it comes to enduring inclement weather.
We also analyzed weather data to see which NFL teams played in notable weather conditions during the 2021-2022 football season.
Toughest & Weakest Football Fans
Not surprisingly, fans of teams in the Midwest and East Coast have been voted the toughest fan bases in the NFL when it comes to enduring bad weather. Green Bay Packers fans take the cake (or should we say the cheese?) for the top slot. They aren’t wrong… Packers’ games had the coldest average temperature at a balmy 39 degrees Fahrenheit for home games in the 2021-2022 season.
Supporters of the Buffalo Bills (2nd), New England Patriots (3rd), Pittsburgh Steelers (4th), and Chicago Bears (5th) round out the top five for toughest fans.
As for the weakest, look to the South and West. Fans of these teams are seen as the biggest babies when it comes to facing unfavorable weather conditions. Used to sun, heat, and humidity, fans of all three Florida fan bases probably wouldn’t do well at a game where jackets might be required. But it’s not just Florida fans that aren’t tough when it comes to enduring weather… fan bases of the Dallas Cowboys (2nd) and Los Angeles Rams (3rd) are also among the weakest.
Supporters had to show their dedication to their teams during some games last season. In looking at the average temperatures on game days, the top 10 coldest games were all below freezing! Green Bay Packers fans dealt with the brunt of the bitter cold. The Packers played in the coldest game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings on January 2, 2022. The temperature outside was just 10 degrees Fahrenheit, but the cold never bothered the Packers anyway. Used to playing in the Frozen Tundra, the team walked away with the win.
The Packers hosted three of the coldest games of the season at Lambeau Field and never lost a game. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills hosted two of the coldest games of the season at Highmark Stadium, and they won those games too. It turns out, the home teams won seven out of the top ten coldest games.
As for the hottest games of the season, every single one of them took place in Florida. The toastiest game was 85 degrees Fahrenheit when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the Dallas Cowboys on September 9, 2021.
The Buccaneers ended up playing in four out of the ten hottest games of the season, but it was the Miami Dolphins that dealt with the most heat. The team played in six out of the ten hottest games of the season.
In 2022, there was also almost a new heat record at the Super Bowl. The game between the LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals was the second hottest Super Bowl Game ever played, clocking in at 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The only hotter Super Bowl was in 1973 when the Miami Dolphins played the Washington Commanders. The temperature at that game? 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
You could say NFL fans are sometimes fair-weather fans. One in five fans says the weather has impacted whether or not they attended a game. Nearly three out of ten people say one of the main reasons they watch games at home is because of the weather.
16% of fans say they’ve left an NFL game early because of the weather.
Of those who have forked out the money to see their team in person, 16% of fans say they’ve left an NFL game early because of the weather. More than half blamed the rain or cold for ruining their experience. While most toughed it out for the first half of the game, nearly 72% admitted to throwing in the towel and leaving before the fourth quarter.
You know those fans you always spot on TV wearing no shirts as snow swirls around them? The majority of fans agree: they’re crazy.
Almost one in four (39%) football fans say they’ve dealt with bad weather while at a game. But despite that, one-third say it was worth it to be there.
Many football fans say they’d be willing to brave the weather for a football game over a family gathering. Nearly half (46%) say they’d rather deal with mother nature than their actual mother and family members.
Most fans do agree on one thing: severe weather like a hurricane, tornado, or blizzard would keep them from going to see a game. More than 40% say snow and cold would cause them to skip out on a game, and only 16% admit they would rather stay in the AC than go to a game in the sweltering heat.
Only 20% said they’d be willing to cheer on their team when the temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
If fans had to choose between rain or snow, 63% of fans say they’d go for snow. But when it comes to the temperature, more than half would rather deal with extreme heat than extreme cold. In fact, 46% of fans say they would sit through a football game above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Only 20% said they’d be willing to cheer on their team when the temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
NFL players may be the best of the best when it comes to the sport, but fans say the weather can stop players in their tracks. 98% of fans agreed that weather conditions make a difference in how a team plays. Fans also believe where the games take place can impact the outcome, and 89% say stadiums can impact that gameplay.
11 of the 32 NFL teams have indoor stadiums or stadiums with a roof. Nearly 30% of fans say that gives teams an unfair advantage. Separately, one-quarter of fans believe teams with outdoor stadiums have an advantage.
43% of fans believe every NFL team should have a dome or covered home stadium.
Either way, 43% of fans believe every NFL team should have a dome or covered home stadium. The chance of that happening anytime soon is unlikely. So until then, you better bundle up or grab the sunscreen before heading out to cheer on your favorite team.
Methodology
In March 2022, we surveyed 1,074 reported American fans of the NFL to get their feedback on attending NFL games and enduring bad weather. Respondents were 49% female and 50% male, with an age range of 18 to 85 and an average age of 40 years old.
Gameday temperatures were collected through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration database. Game days, opponents, and scores were collected through ESPN. Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys, Lions, Texans, Colts, Raiders, Vikings, and Saints were not included in the gameday weather analysis due to having indoor stadiums and/or retractable roofs.
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