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The New England Patriots have played some memorable snow games over the course of their 59-year franchise history. From the Snowplow game against the Miami Dolphins in 1982, to the Tuck Rule game versus the Oakland Raiders in the 2001 postseason, to the 59-0 blowout victory over the visiting Tennessee Titans in 2009: when the snow is coming down in Foxboro, the results are often highly entertaining.
Whether this will also be the case on Sunday, when the Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional playoff round, remains to be seen. The early forecast, however, is encouraging when it comes to precipitation — at least some sources see it that way.
The Weather Channel, for example, predicts temperatures ranging from 30°F to 16°F and a 50% chance of snow cumulating in three to five inches. AccuWeather, meanwhile, thinks that the temperature will be in the high-20s with a 25% chance of snow coming down. The Weather Network predicts four to six inches of snow and temperatures in the low-20s.
But not all outlets agree when it comes to snow for the Patriots’ next game: the National Weather Service predicts a “mostly sunny” Sunday with highs at around 25°F. No precipitation is mentioned. WBZ’s Jacob Wycoff predicts a chilly day with wind chill temperatures at around 10°F, but no snow. Everything seems possible.
Of course, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will take all the forecasts with caution. Numerous times in the past, he has pointed out his displeasure with predicting the weather with a press conference during the 2014 season as the high-point. “I’m not saying I could do it better than them, I’m just saying they’re wrong a lot,” Belichick said. “That’s a fact. They’re wrong a lot.”
“I’m not being critical of them, I’m just saying I don’t think you can go based on that,” he continued. Belichick also said something that applies to both his team as it heads into the playoffs as well as the general weather in Foxboro: “When you play in New England, you have to be ready for everything.” It looks like this week will be no exception.