So it had to be Minnesota in January . . .

Bummer. You hope that each team is able to play their best in the playoffs and this will certainly curtail the play, on both sides.
Sure hope Pete / John come up with an advantage somewhere – maybe arriving a day early, even though it will be “only” 17?

I was in Wisconsin this time last year and it was 0 degrees high temp with 40 mph winds. Just saying, it could be worse, although even under those conditions my 9 yo daughter insisted on spending the entire day outside sledding.

i think cold dry and calm is perfect football weather, as long as the field is clear. Whats in the cards this week in no way approaches the infamous Ice Bowl, where a spectator actually died from exposure. This wiki excerpt has some colorful descriptions:

“Dubbed by the sports media as ‘The Ice Bowl’, the game-time
temperature at Lambeau Field was about −15 °F (−26 °C), with an average wind chill around −48 °F (−44 °C); under the revised National Weather Service wind chill index implemented in 2001, the average wind chill would have been −36 °F (−38 °C).[28]
Lambeau Field’s turf-heating system malfunctioned, and when the
tarpaulin was removed from the field before the game, it left moisture
on the field, which flash-froze in the extreme cold, leaving an icy
surface that got worse as more and more of the field fell into the
shadow of the stadium.[29] The heating system, made by General Electric, cost $80,000 and was bought from the nephew of George Halas, George Halas Jr.[citation needed] On the sidelines before the game, some Dallas players believed that Lombardi had purposely removed power to the heating coils.[30] The heating system would eventually be given the moniker Lombardi’s Folly.[31] The prior convention to prevent the football field from icing up was to cover the field with dozens of tons of hay.[32]

The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
(then Wisconsin State University–La Crosse) Marching Chiefs band was
scheduled to perform the pre-game and half-time shows. However, during
warm-ups in the brutal cold, the woodwind instruments froze and would
not play; the mouthpieces of brass instruments got stuck to the players’ lips; and seven members of the band were transported to local hospitals for hypothermia. The band’s further performances were canceled for the day.[citation needed] During the game, an elderly spectator in the stands died from exposure.[33]

Prior to the game, many of the Green Bay players were unable to start
their cars in the freezing weather, forcing them to make alternate
travel arrangements to make it to the stadium on time. Linebacker Dave Robinson
had to flag down a random passing motorist for a ride. The referees for
the game found they did not have sufficient clothing for the cold, and
had to make an early trip to a sporting goods store for earmuffs, heavy
gloves, and thermal underwear.[34] Packers quarterback Bart Starr
attended an early church service with his father, who had visited for
the game, and as Starr later said, “It was so cold that neither of us
talked about it. Nobody wanted to bring it up.”

The officials were unable to use their whistles after the opening kick-off. As referee Norm Schachter
blew his metal whistle to signal the start of play, it froze to his
lips. As he attempted to free the whistle from his lips, the skin ripped
off and his lips began to bleed. The conditions were so hostile that
instead of forming a scab, the blood simply froze to his lip. For the
rest of the game, the officials used voice commands and calls to end
plays and officiate the game. At one point during the game, CBS
announcer Frank Gifford said on air, “I’m going to take a bite of my coffee.”[35]

I remember the ’81 AFC title game, when a very good San Diego team had to play in a Cincinnati icebox, and that tilted the balance to the Bengals. History also works against the Seahawks; they’ve never went to the Super Bowl when they didn’t have home field throughout, and they’re just 1-3 when opening the playoffs on the road.

As for the opposition, weren’t the Vikings missing a lot of defensive starters against the Hawks a few weeks ago? If so, then this one should be a lot closer than that blowout. Optimistic, but not overconfident.

Vikings have the better starting RB but with Lynch back, albeit with limited practice, plus the committee that has been filling in for him, the Hawks might have more depth. Their playoff experience should be the difference. Pretty sure the fire in their belly will keep them warm as they’re out to erase last year’s Super Bowl.

Thinking russell has played in these conditions before–as a badger.

Hope the guys don’t go macho and come out in short sleeves. The survivors that don’t freeze to death will probably win. At 0 degrees and wind chill there is a danger of lung frosting. That thing Sherman wears that covers his mouth would be a good precaution. Spent a year in northern WI as a boy, recall walking across a frozen lake to school in 48 below temps. Only your eyes better be visible. No fun at all . . .