2025 NFL season schedules: Weather extremes that will impact games

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5 NFL Games with Wild Weather

5 NFL games in which the weather was a key participant.

The NFL has officially released schedules for all 32 teams for the 2025–26 football season.

Games will be played in extreme heat, frigid cold and everything in between, and even include games across six countries.

The season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 4, with a prime-time showdown as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 p.m. ET.

If Mother Nature follows her usual script, fans can already anticipate which matchups are likely to be the coldest, hottest, windiest and snowiest of the year.

Here are the seven must-watch games during the 2025 NFL regular season that could be impacted by weather:

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Warmest potential regular-season game

After many sweltering preseason games, the NFL regular season kicks off during what is considered to be meteorological fall, but temperatures can still feel summer-like.

If the weather follows usual patterns during September, Glendale, Arizona, will host the warmest game of the season.

The Carolina Panthers are scheduled to face the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Early autumn days in the desert Southwest are still typically scorching, with high temperatures often reaching the low 100s.

The average high temperature in the Phoenix metro area is 101°F in mid-September, though the city hit a blistering 112°F in 2000.

Fortunately for fans and players, State Farm Stadium features a retractable roof that is usually closed, and the venue is well air-conditioned.

State Farm Stadium keeps their grass outside to grow before taking it in for each sporting event. 

(Gene Lower /Sports Illustrated  / Getty Images)

Because the game takes place indoors, on-field temperatures won’t be as extreme as those expected in Jacksonville, Florida.

Due to the luck of the draw and the league’s scheduling department, the Panthers could also play in what may be the game with the warmest on-the-field temperatures.

The September 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium is set to kick off at 1 p.m., during the blazing heat of the afternoon.

North Florida’s average high during early September hovers around 89 to 90 °F, and that’s before factoring in the humidity and other elements that could make it feel like 100°F or even warmer.

Another contender for the season’s hottest game is the September matchup between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

Thanks to the daily sea breeze, Miami's temperatures can be slightly more bearable compared to inland areas, but the humidity still makes for steamy conditions.

You can calculate the heat index or feels-like temperature by knowing the temperature and the relative humidity.

(National Weather Service / NOAA)

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Rainiest potential regular-season game

Florida’s daily sea breezes act like mini-frontal boundaries, often triggering showers and thunderstorms throughout the summer - a pattern that continues into early fall, especially in South Florida.

Because of the high likelihood of unsettled weather on Sept. 14, the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins also stands out as one of the most rain-prone games of the year.

According to historical data from the NWS, South Florida averages about 0.33 inches of rainfall on a typical mid-September day.

Despite its modern design, Miami's Hard Rock Stadium does not have a retractable roof.

When lightning is detected nearby, stadium officials temporarily suspend game operations and advise fans to seek shelter until conditions improve.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 08: The Miami Dolphins are introduced prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Miami, Florida.

(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Coldest potential regular-season game

Similar to the impacts of having a roof during the warmest games, the coldest games of the year will also be impacted by who has a dome and who doesn’t.

The coldest air temperature should be during the game when the Denver Broncos take on the Minnesota Vikings during the final week of the regular season.

Air temperatures in Minneapolis don’t get much above the teens during the start of the new year, but U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed facility, so while fans may be subject to the cold temperatures in the parking lot, they won’t have to endure the freezing temperatures during the 60 minutes of game time.

The coldest game held in an open-air stadium could be the match between the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers, which will be held between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Temperatures at Lambeau Field during the final week of the year usually only start out in the lower teens and reach the mid to upper 20s.

The thermometer readings do not take into account the wind chill, which makes prolonged exposure to the elements dangerous.

To determine the wind chill temperature, find the value closest to your outside air temperature. Find the value that most closely represents your present wind speed. Your wind chill temperature is the value where lines drawn from the air temperature and wind cross.

(FOX Weather)

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Windiest potential regular-season game

Two late-season games in the Northeast could be shaped by gusty winds, with signs of winter potentially impacting play.

NOAA climatological data shows that January winds typically average around 12.6 mph in Boston and 12.7 mph in New York City, making both regions the breeziest major cities in the country during winter.

While neither city technically has an NFL stadium within city limits, both regions are hosts to football teams.

In Foxborough, Massachusetts, the New England Patriots will host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium and roughly 200 miles to the southwest, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be the stage for the New York Giants’ clash with the Dallas Cowboys.

Specific dates of the week 18 matches haven’t been announced, but most will occur during the first week of 2026.

Following the end of the regular season, the playoffs will unfold over several weeks, culminating in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Levi's Stadium stands in this aerial photograph taken above Santa Clara, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. The San Francisco 49ers will begin offering free food and nonalcoholic drinks to season-ticket holders, an effort to keep fans happy in an era when the cost of attending an NFL game is soaring.

( Sam Hall/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Snowiest potential regular-season game

Highmark Stadium, which is considered to be the snowiest venue in the NFL, will host the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills during the final week of the season.

According to National Weather Service records, the region typically receives just under an inch of snow per day in early January, which leads to a monthly total of between 25 and 30 inches.

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On average, Buffalo sees about 95.4 inches of snow annually, with totals approaching 200 inches in years with strong lake-effect snowfall.

To keep games on schedule in the wintry conditions, the Buffalo Bills and stadium operators enlist the help of hundreds of fans known as the "Bills Mafia" to help clear the stands before kickoff.

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Most hurricane-prone regular-season game

For many weather enthusiasts, the hurricane season is their version of the Super Bowl, and it coincides with the start of regular-season football.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, meaning nearly two-thirds of the NFL season is at risk of being impacted by tropical cyclones.

In past years, hurricanes have forced teams along the Gulf Coast and Southeastern U.S. to relocate or reschedule games in order to reduce strain on community resources and ensure public safety.

In September 2021, the New Orleans Saints moved their home opener against the Green Bay Packers to Jacksonville, Florida, due to the impacts of Hurricane Ida.

Hurricane Irma in 2017 prompted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to reschedule their matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

And in 2008, Hurricane Ike led the Houston Texans to postpone their home game against the Baltimore Ravens until later in the season.

In 2025, the game most likely to be affected by a nearby tropical system is the match between the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints, set to be held on Sunday, September 7.

34 Tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of New Orleans during the month of September.

(NOAA)

According to historical cyclone data from NOAA, 34 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of New Orleans during the month of September, with most occurring in the first half of the month.

Another hot spot to watch closely is the Sunshine State, with Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami all hosting home games during the peak of hurricane season.

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Newest locations to host regular-season games

Several international cities will host their first-ever NFL games in 2025, and if historical weather patterns hold true, the matchups are likely to be cool and damp.

Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain; and Berlin, Germany are all set to host their inaugural NFL games during the upcoming season.

The Minnesota Vikings will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Dublin’s Croke Park on Sept. 28. The "Emerald Isle" typically sees plenty of rainfall in September, with temperatures ranging between 50 degrees and 62 degrees F.

In Week 10, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium will host the Atlanta Falcons as they take on the Indianapolis Colts. Early November in Eastern Germany often brings low temperatures in the 30s and 40s, with highs hovering around 50.

The final game of the 2025 international series will be held in Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on November 16, featuring a matchup between the Washington Commanders and the Miami Dolphins.

November is typically the rainiest month in the capital city, with lows in the low 40s and highs reaching the upper 50s.