The Houston Texans might be in for a rude awakening come Sunday’s divisional round playoff game against the New England Patriots. Used to the cozy confines of their domed home arena, it appears that they will be subjected to some challenging conditions at Gillette Stadium.
According to a forecast shared on NFL Weather, temperatures in Foxborough will be in the low 30s throughout the contest, with a wind chill as low as 24°F. In addition, snowfall is likely for much if not all of the afternoon.
The National Weather Service predicts a “chance of snow” mainly after 1 p.m. ET, with “new snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.”
For the Patriots, playing in the cold is nothing new. Temperatures dropped below 40°F in each of their last six games, including Sunday’s wild card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. New England went 5-1 during that stretch.
The lone loss was also the Patriots’ most recent snow game, a 35-31 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in mid-December. The result of that contest, which was played in light snowfall with little accumulation on the ground, was primarily due to the team’s inability to maintain its early momentum rather than the conditions.
The Texans, on the other hand, bring limited experience to the table. They did win both of their cold-weather games this season, with last week’s victory in Pittsburgh among them, but they have not played in a snow game since December 2016. No players from that team remain on Houston’s roster in 2026.
Kickoff between the AFC East champion Patriots and the AFC South runner-up Texans at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m. ET.
