NFL Week 1 Weather: Heat and Thunderstorms Could Disrupt Several Games

The NFL has two regular-season games in the books thus far, with a whole slate of action set to kick off on Sunday. The season is finally here, but will the weather cooperate? Here is your detailed game day forecast.

Heat Will Distinguish NFL Opening Weekend

The NFL Week 1 weather forecast will offer a mixed bag of conditions ranging from unseasonable heat to the possibility of lightning delays. Football season has already been the victim of rough weather. Last week's college football opening weekend was marked by extreme heat at many games.

Tragedy struck in Iowa City, Iowa, when a University of Iowa marching band member suffered cardiac arrest as the temperatures soared into the 90s on Saturday. The college student was removed from life support on Tuesday.

Farther south, the mercury reached the 100-degree mark in Austin, Texas, when the hometown Longhorns hosted Texas State. According to local media, at least 13 people were transported to hospitals.

As was the case last weekend on the college scene, the biggest concerns for Sunday's NFL games will be the heat. Several games will be contested with heat and humidity that feel more like the middle of summer than early fall.

Widespread highs in the upper 80s and low 90s will be the story for four games scheduled to kick off in the southeastern U.S. These include Tampa Bay at Cincinnati, New York Jets at Tennessee, Chicago at Carolina, and Cleveland at Jacksonville. All three games have a start time of 1 pm EDT, meaning that they will happen during the peak afternoon heating hours.

The road teams more accustomed to northern climates may face the biggest challenges adjusting to heat of this magnitude. In addition, most of the starters have not played a high volume of snaps yet this season.

While it will not be as toasty in areas to the north, rising humidity levels will still make it uncomfortable for both players and fans. Games that could feel steamy include Washington at Philadelphia and Atlanta at Pittsburgh.

The good news for games in Houston and Indianapolis is that both of these stadiums are equipped with retractable roofs and air conditioning. However, it could be a warm affair for tailgaters.