In January, a near-record cold Kansas City Chiefs playoff game resulted in several attendees suffering from frostbite, with some individuals requiring amputations, as reported by a Missouri hospital. Research Medical Center disclosed that dozens of individuals sought treatment for frostbite during an 11-day cold spell in January. Among them, twelve patients, including attendees of the Jan. 13 game, had to undergo amputations primarily involving fingers and toes. The hospital anticipates more surgeries in the coming weeks as the injuries progress.
The University of Kansas hospital also treated frostbite cases following the game but did not report any amputations. The playoff game between the Dolphins and Chiefs saw temperatures plummet to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius), with wind gusts creating a bone-chilling windchill of minus 27 degrees F (minus 33 C). This set a new record for the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history, surpassing the previous record of 1 degree F (minus 17 C) set in 1983 and 2016.
On the same day as the Chiefs game, the Buffalo Bills were scheduled to host the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the match was postponed due to a blizzard that blanketed New York with up to 2 feet of snow, making travel hazardous. Despite the National Weather Service's warning of 'dangerously cold' windchills, the Kansas City game proceeded as the weather did not pose significant travel challenges to Arrowhead Stadium.
Dr. Megan Garcia, the medical director of the Grossman Burn Center at Research, highlighted that frostbite can occur on exposed skin within 30 minutes, with an even shorter timeframe if windchill is a factor. To combat the extreme cold, fans were permitted to bring heated blankets and small pieces of cardboard to insulate their feet from the frigid concrete.
The coldest game in NFL history remains the 1967 NFL championship, known as the Ice Bowl, where the Packers defeated the Cowboys at Lambeau Field in minus 13 F (minus 25 C) temperatures with a windchill of minus 48 F (minus 44 C).
The Kansas City Chiefs have not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident.
