It's easy to recall scenes of some of the coldest football games played in Orchard Park. Many may remember the Bengals game in 2004 where the wind chill was a measly 4 degrees.
It's a little tougher to find stats on record heat for Bills contests. But it has indeed been steamy in the past for football Sunday, and this Sunday could be one of the hottest yet.
Since then-named War Memorial Stadium opened in the early 1970s, a little over a dozen games have seen the mercury rise into the 80s. The hottest game on record was against the Saints in 2001; a broiling 90 degrees at kickoff. After that was the Jets game in 2002 at 89 degrees. Four contests were fought at 84 degrees: the Chiefs in '82, the Dolphins in '83 and the Steelers in '91.
Just for fun, the Bills record in the 14 games played at 80 plus degrees is 6-8.
Tailgaters this Sunday will feel the warmth rise rapidly with 70s by late morning. The kickoff temperature will be in the mid 80s and by halftime it could be 90! Couple that with notable humidity and little to no wind and we're in for an early season scorcher.
Fans should be sure to drink plenty of water before and during the game and don't neglect the sunscreen either. It may be autumn, but the sun is still plenty strong.