The New England Patriots battled frosty temperatures and snow to beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game.
The temperatures should be warmer than Denver for the Patriots during their matchup against the Seattle Seahawks for Sunday's Super Bowl, but a cold front is expected to hit the San Francisco Bay Area before the game.
Per Jennifer Gray of The Weather Channel, the toastier-than-usual temperatures in the Bay Area this week are expected to leave by the weekend. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 50s or lower 60s by kickoff.
"Warmer-than-average weather has been dominating much of California this week," Gray wrote. "However, an area of low pressure moving into Southern California later in the week will call an audible, ushering in slightly cooler temperatures and a few clouds across the Bay Area through the weekend."
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The cold front could bring a surprise for the Seahawks and Patriots.
Rain is expected to pour in Northern California. Santa Clara isn't currently predicted to be hit by showers during the Super Bowl, but that's subject to change before the big game.
"A cold front will push into the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, bringing showers into Northern California," Gray wrote. "For now, most of the rain looks to stay north of the Bay Area, keeping gameday conditions largely out of the red zone.
"While we can’t completely rule out a stray shower during the big game, the forecast isn’t throwing any major flags. All signs point to weather that won’t steal the spotlight from the action on the field."
Both the Patriots and Seahawks are used to playing in cities that are subject to colder conditions and rain. If the forecast changes and showers go south to Santa Clara, the two offenses might have to rely more on their rushing attack.
After losing running back Zach Charbonnet to a torn ACL in the divisional round, the Seahawks rushed for just 75 yards in a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Kenneth Walker III led the Seahawks with 62 yards rushing and one touchdown on 19 carries. Running back George Holani was kept to four yards on three touches.
The Patriots rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown against the Broncos during the snowy AFC championship.
Quarterback Drake Maye accounted for 65 rushing yards and one touchdown on 10 carries. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson led the Seahawks with 25 rushes for 71 yards.