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As many of you know, NFL season is quickly approaching us, and many of you are getting ready to begin your Fantasy Football Drafts (I have one coming up here soon). And just an FYI, we will begin the Fantasy Football Forecasts again the first week of the season.
Many of us have our different styles of drafting. Some draft randomly. Some draft because they like the team. I once drafted the almost the whole Texans starting line up (that was a mistake). However, what many of us don’t take into consideration when choosing our players how the weather in those cities can affect the way a player plays. So with that in mind, I am here to create a guide to the weather that NFL cities typically see effect them during the season.
Atlanta, GA: A+ Weather
I would argue that this doesn’t even matter for fantasy purposes. Because the Atlanta Falcons play in a dome, the apocalypse could be going on outside, and you wouldn’t really have to worry at all. It’d be 75ºF inside, with the only wind coming from the fans breathing.
Baltimore, MD: C weather
Baltimore is not exactly a go-to destination for any hardcore vacationers during the fall months, and for good reasons. Almost all US cities on the east coast tend to experience crummy weather as they get deeper into fall, and into the winter months. They begin to see average temperatures tumble after September; falling from 78ºF in Sept. to 46ºF.
While it does get colder, snowfall averages don’t typically begin to pick up until January. However, this is a city that averages over 3″ of rain per month throughout football season, so the odds of a Sunday having crummy weather is fairly high.
Thus, I give this city a C for weather. It will definitely have weather that effects your players performance from time to time, but it isn’t going to be consistently bad (climatologically speaking).
Boston, MA: D+ Weather
Well, as we all well know now, Boston was literally buried under snowfall last winter. They set all kinds of records, and for a bout 3 weeks, it didn’t look like it would stop snowing.
However, much of that wasn’t impactful on the football season itself. But, as I mentioned before, East Coast meteorology is a game of its own. Climatology can only get us a certain distance here, and thus, I have to fill in some holes with what I can infer about typical meteorology.
Boston does see a similar temperature decline as Baltimore does, only they end up having average highs in the lower 40’s by December. This makes playoff games much more difficult, especially if it is cold and there is storm system effecting the region.
Average precipitation values approach the 4″ mark during much of the season, leading us to believe that there will be multiple Sunday’s in which the weather could be awful. And, to top all of that off, they begin to see snowfall by November (1.4″ average).
So with all of that in mind, I give Boston’s weather a D+. If you have players that will play here often, or players that actually play here, you may want to be paying attention to the forecast in Boston.
Buffalo, NY: Could be an F- or an A for weather grade
This is probably the most unpredictable of the cities. Buffalo could have great weather….or it could absolutely suck. I mean, look at the event that slammed them last November! They had an event like that back in October of 2006, as well.
A lot of the reason it all depends is because their biggest weather events, Lake Effect Snowstorms, are highly dependent on several atmospheric parameters lining up. If they don’t, they’ll be fine. Cold, but fine. Still, they are averaging 11″ of snowfall by NOVEMBER. If that doesn’t suck, then I don’t know what does.
But again….lake effect snowfall is big there. If things aren’t lining up well, they’ll be fine. Overall, this is a pretty crappy city weather-wise, so watch your players carefully. Also: if you drafted from there, you are insane. Their entire team is basically hurt.
Charlotte, NC: B+Weather
This is in the south, which means it is generally warm. And what is nice about that is that there are few snow games. Even the few games that would be effected by precipitation wouldn’t be as awful because it wouldn’t be too cold.
Granted, average monthly precip decreases every month during the season, leading one to believe that precip incidence decreases as well. I would still plan on having some crummy games, but it wouldn’t be as cold as other cities, making it slightly easier to play in.
For those reasons, I give Charlotte a solid B+ for their weather during football season.
Chicago, IL: C Weather
Well, Chicago is about average. The weather there can be either or. Their average precip amounts vary throughout the season, going between 2 to 3 inches on average. This leads me to believe that they will likely have at least one of two bad, rainy/snowy Sundays, but that isn’t guaranteed.
Their temperatures don’t tumble in average until November, so colder games aren’t as likely until mid November or December, and by that point the season is close to being done. Plus, their snowfall averages only uptick by December, so this is a tough one to call.
I would pay attention to the weather if you have players here, but overall, it should be awful besides the cold/random rainy day.
Cincinnati, OH: C- Weather
Its the Ohio Valley. You already know how that works out.
The weather fluctuates almost daily, but that is fairly amplified as you head into the fall/winter months. Some days it is really warm and three days later it is incredibly cold. Now, there is nothing to say about that other than it is just a perception thing, and that it is absurd meteorologically.
However, that can have an impact on the players. The Ohio Valley has some of the most interesting meteorology in the entire US, and Cincinnati experiences that weekly. Their average highs only fall into the mid 40s by December, but rainfall averages continue to be relatively high throughout the season.
I would anticipate watching their weather weekly, because often times, we can get into a pattern where crummy weather passes through once or twice a week. Luckily, though, it shouldn’t get too cold before the Bengals are out of the playoff picture again.
Cleveland, OH: F Weather
First of all, WHY are you drafting from Cleveland? That is a ridiculous notion in and of itself.
You’re fooling yourself if you think that is a smart idea. Anyways, their weather sucks. They are apart of the Ohio Valley, but much like Buffalo, much of their meteorology is dependent on the weather that is coming off the lakes. Cleveland doesn’t always have the lake effect issue to worry about, but they do have to worry about similar things as Cincinnati.
Temperatures obviously drop throughout the season, but not too far to where it would be a bad idea to play a player if you have one. Even though the Browns won’t be playing for anything by November (or even October), the temps do start to get cold by the late November/early December timeframe, you’ll always have to worry about a random storm or two wrapping up and effecting the game.
Winds can get pretty high off the lake, too. I would always be watching the weather here if you are crazy enough to select a player from Cleveland.
Dallas, TX: A++++ Weather
“America’s Team” plays in the Jerry Jones palace; and therefore, they really don’t need this section. It is, however, still very fun to write about domes. Dallas is in the south, so that is always a good bet for nice Tailgating weather. Average highs only get into the upper 50s by December, so the weather outside of the stadium will be nice.
However, Jerry Jones could make it snow inside. He could make it really, really hot, or really cold. Either way, it’s Jerry Jones. He can do what he wants. I would definitely select players from the Cowboys because they play at least 8 games in a dome.
Denver, CO: D- or F+ Weather
I selected Matt Prater from the Broncos a couple years ago, and it was probably my smartest draft pick of all time. However, there were games where he was the source of scoring for the Broncos. If they are playing in miserable conditions and are facing a good defense, things can get pretty ugly, even with Peyton Manning calling the shots.
Average highs kinda start to suck by late September, even. Denver is the mile high city, right? And they start to average measurable snowfall by September. Does that mean it’ll happen this year? No, but November features over 10″ of snowfall on average for the Mile-high, and even if that doesn’t fall on a Sunday, the cold to follow would make the game difficult.
Also: it is harder to breath in these games. The air is thinner, and players that aren’t used to playing in that can get fatigued easier. Denver is a great place to select a wide-out or just Peyton Manning, but I would bench a player if the forecast looks rough.
Detroit, MI: A++++++++++++ Weather
I love it when cities have domes that NFL teams play in. That always makes life so much easier for everyone involved. You don’t have to deal with coats, or players hands getting frostbite. You can sit and enjoy the 75ºF indoor temps.
However, you have to leave at some point. Detroit isn’t exactly a Utopia anyways, but the weather there kinda sucks during football season. They start averaging significant snowfall by November, and their average temps fall into the mid 40s by November. This makes tailgating no fun. For your players, though? It is a piece of cake.
Indianapolis, IN: A- Weather
I think Indiana is a fairly mediocre state. There is a lot, a lot of corn. I feel like the amount of corn there is almost absurd, actually. One wonders how much corn can one state grow? Well, Indiana can grow about an infinity’s amount of it.
But Indianapolis is like the diamond of Indiana. It is awesome, its NFL team plays in a dome, and they have a fun NBA team. Its basically what dreams are made of for a city (other than being surrounded by corn). And the outside portion of the stadium is pretty nice, weather wise at least. Though the city may be plagued with being in the Ohio Valley, they still have some nice weather conditions throughout the season.
Average highs only fall into the upper 30’s by December, which is reasonable considering that many other cities are far worse. However, does any of that matter to you? Nope. Your Indy players are inside a dome.
Jacksonville, FL: A- Weather
Playing anywhere in Florida is kinda like playing in a natural dome. The weather is so nice, that it might actually distract your players from using it to their advantage.
The average highs get into the mid 60s at their lowest during the season, and precip averages are pretty down compared to the rest of the year. Though there is the shot that a storm pops up over the stadium during a game, this city should be a safe weather pick.
*I do not recommend draft any person from Jacksonville. That team sucks.*
Kansas City, MO: C Weather
Kansas City has to be the most bland city that exists. What is good about KC? It isn’t in the state it is named for, first of all. I think that should automatically disqualify it from eve being a relevant city. I mean, yeah it has Google Fiber and good BBQ, but what else? Nothing.
Back to football. Weather here is almost as bland as the city is. You are almost left wondering if there is anything that you’re missing about the city’s climatology, and then you realize that there isn’t anything you’ve missed. I mean, highs and precip averages fall throughout the season, but it doesn’t get too cold or too wet. It’s almost as if it is too close to call.
Out of the sake for keeping this brief and random, I wouldn’t select anyone from the Chiefs not named Jamal Charles.
Miami, FL: A+ Weather
If I can say that Jacksonville is essentially a dome, then I can easily say that about Miami. It is so nice in that area. Football season avoids the wet season, and so they are a lot less likely to be impacted by thunderstorms regularly. Season starts in July? The grade would be much different.
But I mean…its basically a tropical climate. Temperature averages only fall into the upper 70s into December. How nice would it be to have players there? Plus, precip drops dramatically by that point. The key stretch of the season will likely feature incredible weather, leading me to give it an A+.
Green Bay, WI: F Weather
Let us not forget the infamous, “Ice Bowl” played here back in the day. The temperatures were around -15ºF, with a wind chill of -48ºF. That is insanely cold.
Just think about that for a second when considering how Green Bay’s weather is. Now, granted, that was back in the 1960’s, but still. Green Bay has some pretty terrible weather during football season. The highest monthly average they have after September is only in the 50s, making this one of the coldest cities we have had yet. They don’t have a ton of precipitation in general, but they start averaging a lot of snowfall by November.
So, overall, their weather kinda sucks. I would advise not drafting anyone other than Aaron Rodgers. However, they’ve lost all of their good players, and I wouldn’t necessarily draft from them.
Minneapolis, MN: A+ Weather
I am not too sure whether or not they are gonna play in a dome this year, but I think that they are. So we’ll go with it. Apparently it’s a lot like the Cowboy’s stadium, and has a retractable roof. Question: why would they EVER use this? Though I gave Minneapolis an A+ for weather, they have awful weather during the season. I mean, by November, they are closing in on a monthly average of 10 inches of snowfall.
WHY WOULD YOU OPEN THE ROOF? That just bothers me. Anyways, as long as the roof is closed, there is a really good chance the environment that your fantasy players will be playing in will be ideal for success. So, draft from here and play your players here. Hopefully they won’t be stupid enough to open the roof.
Nashville, TN: B- Weather
Being in the northern tier of the southern US, Nashville does tend to see some more inclement weather than some others. HOWEVER, they do seem to have a snowfall dome over them that was recently broken. Maybe a snow game? Doubtful.
Much like the weather we see locally, they are often seeing wet weather increase into the season, with both November and December seeing more than 4″ of rainfall on average. This means the odds of you seeing your players impacted by some bad weather is higher than it would be elsewhere. However, the temperatures don’t drop too far on average, getting barely into the upper 40s by December.
So, if you draft from the Titans, be watchful of the weather. You may wanna bench a player for another one in a better city to accommodate for the bad weather.
New Orleans, LA: A+++++++++++++++++++ Weather
New Orleans plays in a dome. They are gonna have nice weather during that game no matter what the atmosphere is doing that day. Well, unless this happens…
Oddly enough, I can’t find a ton on New Orleans climatology, but Baton Rouge is close enough. There is a lot of rainfall during the season outside of the stadium, but it almost never gets very cold. So what does this mean for your fantasy team? Nothing. They play in a dome. Choose dome players.
New York, NY: C- Weather
Unfortunately, both teams play in outdoor stadiums. That makes this a little less easy. Still, though, it is NYC. They are on the east coast. Just going in, you’ve gotta expect that there will be a couple games played there that are gonna have some bad weather.
That’s what the east coast is. You get some really tightly wrapped nor’easters rolling up the coast on a Sunday? You should definitely avoid playing any players. It would be really hard to play in that. But because this is a climatology and not a “guess at the weather” post, I’ll leave that tidbit there.
NYC isn’t exactly a moderate in this as the grading may suggest, but they are pretty sub-average when compared to some cities weather. They don’t get too cold, but they average snowfall by December, and they average over 3″ of rainfall monthly throughout the season. I would anticipate having at least one Sunday with bad weather, and I would watch for more. Be careful when selecting or playing players in the stadiums.
Oakland, CA: B+ Weather
Arguably one of the more non-changing weather cities on this list, they are basically pretty consistent throughout the year. They see very little crazy weather, until the west season (December through March), where they can see some crazy weather.
However, by the 3rd week of the season, the Raiders should be out of the playoff picture, so you won’t have to worry much by December. Temperatures are pretty moderate, averaging out between the mid 50s and upper 60s throughout the season. If you have any player on your team from the Raiders, what are you doing? But if you have players that will play against them in Oakland, then play them. Odds are, the weather will be pretty nice.
Philadelphia, PA: D+ Weather
Okay, Philly can have some straight up awful weather. Remember this game (it was so awesome to watch)?
I am hard on east coast cities, but how can you not be? They have a perfect meeting point for crazy meteorology. I won’t get into that, but it is easy to see a couple Sundays throughout the season being really nasty throughout the northeast.
They are almost exactly like NYC in terms of climate, but they don’t get as cold. The lowest temps get on average throughout the season is the mid 40s, which isn’t all that bad at all. However, combine that with the occasion storm system (they average greater than 3″ of rainfall monthly throughout the season), and you will get some bad weather.
So would I choose a player from here? Yeah. But, be careful and watch the forecasts carefully.
Phoenix, AZ: A+++ Weather
I would have given this city an A+ no matter what. It only helps that they are in a dome. Phoenix has some pretty awesome winter weather, if we are all being honest. Summer is much different, but winter is great.
Temperatures never drop below 65ºF on average during the season, and they don’t really have much rainfall to speak of outside of the summer. I mean, you almost wish they could play outside it’s so nice. I would play my players here, no matter what.
Pittsburgh, PA: C- Weather
Another Ohio Valley city. They are kinda like the Cleveland of Pennsylvania. The only difference is that the Steelers are actually good.
Average temps don’t drop that far down compared to others, but they start averaging more snowfall than a lot of other cities by the time December comes. This makes it much harder to validate not paying attention to the weather closely, as the weather there can change rapidly. Overall, I would still draft from here, but pay attention to the weather because it could ruin a good player’s week.
St.Louis, MO: A++++ Weather
Another dome city. There are a lot of domes in the NFL, and that makes forecasting for them easier, and it makes it easier to play games in.
This will be a good one. I might be the only Rams fan left, so I am naturally predicting them too go undefeated and win the super bowl, especially playing at least 8 games in pristine weather conditions that domes provide.
Outside of the stadium, average temps will gradually fall into the lower 40s by December, which makes tailgating not that fun. Plus, they average decent monthly precip totals, and start to have decent snowfall by December. What does it matter, though? They play in a dome!
San Diego, CA: A+ Weather
This is the only non-dome city I am giving even close to a perfect grade for. Playing in San Diego is essentially like playing in a big, atmospheric dome. It is so nice there that I would draft the whole team if I could (that’s a dumb idea; don’t do that).
They are basically in at least the mid 60s year round, and almost never have precipitation. Even during their wet season, it is lower than 2″. What does this mean for you as a fantasy owner/fan? San Diego is a good place to have player and to play them.
San Fransisco, CA: B+ Weather
If San Francisco can ever get out of this drought, then this would likely change. San Francisco averages so pretty terrible weather during the winter months, and that would make this go down a bit.
However, they’ve been in a bit of a drought recently. So, we are kinda just waiting for them to get back to what they were. Until then, their weather is exactly what Oakland’s is, because they are about 10 miles apart. So you can expect decently warm temps throughout the season, with little rainfall threats until November and December. You may not even have that, though. They haven’t had rain in a pretty good bit.
Seattle, WA: F Weather
Weather in the northwest is almost always terrible. It is cloudy way more than it isn’t, and it rains a lot up there. It’s basically a seasonal rainforest.
Unfortunately, their wet season really gets kicking in football season. By October, their monthly rainfall average is over 3″, but by November, it is almost 6″!!! They have pretty cold temps, too. Average temperatures by December are in the mid 40s. And to top it all off, many of their storm systems bring with them some strong winds.
What is the lesson here? Seattle has awful weather, and you should probably check the forecast before playing players out there.
Tampa, FL: A Weather
Tampa, like the other two Florida teams, basically is in an atmospheric dome. The weather there is consistently nice, and the winter becomes a sort of dry season for them. They don’t average much rainfall, and their temperatures don’t drop below the 70s at all during the season.
That is basically dream weather, and I can see why a lot of people like to spend their winters down there. Play your players here. Drafting from here? I wouldn’t.
Washington, DC: D+ Weather
It’s another case of the east coast weather blues. The weather here is also just as bad as it is in NYC or Philly.
Average highs only fall into the low 40s by December, but that is still pretty bad considering they have monthly rainfall averages above 3″ throughout the season. Plus, they are, too, averaging snowfall by December. It is just a recipe for calamity. Plus, the Redskins are awful.
So, what would I do about this? Not draft from here. But, I would pay close attention to the forecasts throughout the season to make sure you aren’t gonna ruin your week with one player.
Houston, TX: A+ Weather
It is so fitting to end on a dome team. Ironically, both Texas teams play in domes when they have pretty nice weather. Houston just happens to be further south.
Playing in a dome, you can expect amazing conditions for JJ Watt to absolutely cream a QB on a sack.
Outside the dome, it looks about as nice as it does inside it. The average temps only fall to the mid 60s by December, but rainfall does tend to have an upward tick in the city in the winter months. Whats the big deal, though? My motto is always, “Domes are the great equalizer”.
(I just came up with that quote on the spot)
Well, that is about it. My whole point here is to be consistently paying attention to the meteorology of your favorite team, and of the cities in which your fantasy players are playing in. Meteorology has a significant impact on the way players perform, and you can take at least some control of how your team performs week in and week out by carefully playing players based upon the meteorology they will be experiencing. Hopefully, this can help guide you in what you may have to plan for in the upcoming season.