Baltimore, MD – The AFC championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend may be dampened by soaking rain, rather than the blizzard that postponed the Buffalo Bills’ home game during the wild-card weekend. Although it is still uncertain how heavy the rain will be, it is expected to make for a soggy Sunday across the Baltimore-Washington region where the game will take place at M&T Bank Stadium.
While there is a possibility of isolated areas of flooding Saturday night into Sunday, widespread flooding is not a major concern, despite the wet weather this month and winter so far. The rain is unlikely to significantly affect passing and kicking, though it may inconvenience fans. Sunday’s temperatures will be much more comfortable compared to the Ravens’ last game with a temperature of 24 degrees and a wind chill of 4 degrees. The previous weekend, the Chiefs endured the coldest game in NFL history with a kickoff temperature of minus-4 degrees and a wind chill of minus-27 against the Miami Dolphins.
As the precipitation hastens its departure, there is a chance it could conclude as a light snow on Sunday night. The weekend will commence with a partly to mostly cloudy and mostly dry Saturday, with rain expected to move into the Baltimore-Washington region in the evening. The rainfall will continue through much of Sunday, possibly tapering to lighter showers by Sunday afternoon or even allowing for a well-timed break in the rain during the game scheduled for 3 p.m. Regardless, it will be a damp and cooler day, with temperatures mostly in the 40s and north winds sustained at around 10 to 15 mph.
While total rainfall amounts of about 0.5 to 1 inch should not cause widespread flooding, isolated areas may experience flooding due to the already saturated ground. Moreover, some models indicate that lingering rain showers could transition into wet snow showers on Sunday evening, especially in areas north of D.C. and in and around Baltimore. However, it is uncertain if the atmosphere will cool down enough to result in a change from rain to snow, and even if it does, any snow accumulation will likely be minimal due to temperatures remaining above freezing.
This January has been one of the wettest on record, with Washington receiving about double the normal amount of precipitation from January 1 through Wednesday. December was also exceptionally rainy, making this the second-wettest winter in the city’s history. Both Washington and Baltimore have already witnessed significant rainfall, with Baltimore’s precipitation level closely rivaling that of the winter of 1936-1937.
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