The Miami Dolphins enter Thanksgiving thankful to still have a fighting chance in the 2024 playoff race. That said, they will be facing one of their most difficult tests yet in Week 13 when they take on the Green Bay Packers.
The Dolphins are traveling north to Green Bay on the short week to face the Packers on Thanksgiving night. The contest is going to be the coldest one that Miami has played this season, and while the rest of the forecast doesn’t look bad, the temperatures could be enough to quash the momentum the Dolphins have built on their three-game winning streak.
How cold is it going to be in Green Bay, and is there any chance we could get a second consecutive Thursday snow game? Here’s what to know about the weather in Green Bay on Thanksgiving.
Packers vs. Dolphins weather updates
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There isn’t likely to be heavy snow during the game, per Weather.com, but steady winds of 10-15 mph will blow throughout the contest. The wind and cold may make it more difficult to throw and catch the ball than usual, so each team may rely more on its running game.
Miami is coming from a warm-weather climate, so this contest figures to be particularly difficult for the Dolphins. They may be able to adjust to the conditions, but it will be worth watching how their players fare in pregame warmups and what measures they are taking to combat the cold.
The same can be said of the Packers players, but they should be better prepared to deal with the harsh, late-Fall nights that are customary in Green Bay.
Some flurries were falling early at Lambeau Field, but there were just a few flakes. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe referred to the stadium as ‘not [Kansas City] cold, but cold.’ That was in reference to the Chiefs vs. Dolphins playoff game from last season, during which the early game temperature peaked at negative-4 degrees.
Closer to game-time, the Packers and Dolphins players came out to warm up. There was a noted difference between the attire worn by some Green Bay players and the sweat suits sported by Miami.
Not all Miami players were averse to the cold, however. Tyreek Hill, who played the first six seasons of his career in Kansas City, was clad in short sleeves and looked pretty sharp in warm-ups.
Green Bay weather forecast for Packers vs. Dolphins on Thanksgiving
It’s going to be cold during the Packers vs. Dolphins Thanksgiving game, according to Weather.com. Below are the full details of Thursday’s forecast for Green Bay:
High temperature: 32 degrees
Low temperature: 20 degrees
Chance of precipitation: 36%
Wind: 10-20 mph
That cold weather could have a negative impact on the Dolphins, who have yet to play a game featuring a starting temperature lower than 54 degrees, per data from Pro Football Reference. Add in that Miami has won just once in the last 32 years when the temperature is lower than 23 degrees, and this short-week spot looks quite difficult for them.
The silver lining is that wind and precipitation don’t figure to be much of a problem for the Dolphins on Thursday night. Below is a look at the hourly Green Bay forecast for the contest, per Weather.com:
7 p.m. ET: 26 degrees, Cloudy, 10 mph winds
8 p.m. ET: 26 degrees, Cloudy, 10 mph winds
9 p.m. ET: 27 degrees, Cloudy, 11 mph winds
10 p.m. ET: 26 degrees, Cloudy, 12 mph winds
11 p.m. ET: 26 degrees, Cloudy, 12 mph winds
Midnight ET: 25 degrees, Cloudy, 12 mph winds
Will it snow at Lambeau Field?
Earlier in the week, it looked like there was a chance that NFL fans would be treated to a second consecutive Thursday night snow game. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you view it), it doesn’t look like that will be the case.
There is a 36% chance of snow on Thursday, per Weather.com. However, the hourly forecast lists there being no greater than a 15% chance of precipitation from 7 p.m. ET onward. Perhaps a snow shower or two could blow in, but it seems more likely to stay dry at Lambeau Field on Thursday night.
Tua Tagovailoa cold weather stats
Tagovailoa has struggled in cold-weather games throughout his career. He has an 0-7 record in games where the temperature is 45 degrees or lower, and he has posted a passer rating of just 71.13 in those contests.
Below is a look at Tagovailoa’s stats in those seven games:
Completion rate: 135-of-243 (55.6%)
Passing yards: 1,687
Passing TDs: 8
INTs: 10
Yards/attempt: 6.9
Passer rating: 71.13
Comparatively, Tagovailoa has a record of 36-16 in his 52 other starts and has thrown 87 touchdowns compared to 32 interceptions. That’s good for a passer rating of 101.35.
The big drop-off in Tagovailoa’s game could spell trouble for the Dolphins if temperatures stay low on Thursday night.