(PINPOINT WEATHER) — Warmer practices, warmer tailgates, and warmer games. That is what climate change is bringing to football seasons.
The research from the nonprofit group Climate Central is looking at data from the years 1970-2024 and looks at the regular season months from September to December. The data is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The research shows that all thirty NFL cities are experiencing warmer seasons, with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings (Minneapolis) seeing the biggest warm-up over the last fifty years.
Both Las Vegas and Minneapolis have warmed over five degrees in the last five decades during the NFL regular season. A significant warmup for those two NFL cities.
Looking at the Super Bowl team cities this year, Kansas City has warmed over two degrees in the last fifty NFL regular seasons, while the Philadelphia Eagles have seen a warmup of three degrees in their seasons.
The city of New Orleans, where the Super Bowl is being played this year, has warmed almost four degrees in the last fifty NFL regular seasons.
Charlotte is also seeing warmer NFL seasons, as the Carolina Panther’s regular seasons have warmed roughly two degrees over the last fifty NFL regular seasons.
This is very impactful and important to track for our athletes and fans.
For athletes, this leads to a higher risk of injury, especially more cramps during extremely hot games.
The warmer seasons are harder on fans as well, including higher chances of dehydration, which could lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
What about domes? Out of the thirty NFL teams, only ten of them have a dome. Even if your team plays in a dome, many fans are still outside at some point. Whether it is tailgating or a longer walk to the stadium.
The same can be said for athletes. The dome teams have a nice advantage when it comes to a cooler game. However, many dome teams still practice outside in the warmth.
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