If you’re planning to watch Saturday’s NFC wild-card playoff game between the Vikings and Packers on television, you can expect to see shots of teeth-chattering fans, sideline heaters and players bundled in knit caps and puffy jackets.
Temperatures at Lambeau Field at 7 p.m. are only expected to be in the icy teens.
The Vikings, who once developed a reputation for playing cold-weather football in the days of Metropolitan Stadium, have not fared well outside this season–they are 0-5 in outdoor games. The team has been practicing amid freezing air at Winter Park this week in preparation for the “frozen tundra.”
In reality, Lambeau’s turf will be far from frozen despite low temperatures. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports Lambeau’s underground heating system keeps the turf thawed out.
Below the surface, a network of plastic pipes containing antifreeze, covered by a foot of sand, make the field of natural grass and artificial fibers playable. It’s designed to keep the field at 55 degrees when the temperature dips to zero.
Saturday’s game will be a fresh challenge for Vikings’ kicker Blair Walsh. The rookie has never kicked outdoors in a game where temps were below 40 degrees.
