Whither the weather for outdoor Sabres game?
Now that the Jan. 1 outdoor game between the Sabres and Penguins in Ralph Wilson Stadium has been all but finalized, what can fans look forward to -- or dread -- in regard to the weather?
The Old Farmer's Almanac tells us the average high temperature in Buffalo the past 35 New Year's Days has been 38.3 degrees, a tweener reading that's pretty darn chilly, but at least it's not sub-freezing.
Thankfully, the so-called Ice Bowl will begin at 1 p.m. Let's hope the sun's shining and the wind isn't howling.
Recent trends suggest the possibility of a balmy afternoon. While the average high the past eight New Year's Days is only slightly higher at 40.1 degrees, there have been four days that topped out at 45 degrees or warmer, three at 50 degrees or warmer. This year's high was 52.
Of course, nine years ago the high in Buffalo was 19 degrees. The warmest New Year's Day of the past 35 years happened in 1985, when the mercury hit 63 degrees.
---Tim Graham
