If you’re headed to Bank of America Stadium on Saturday afternoon, make sure you’re wearing your Long Johns.
Not only is the Christmas Eve matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions the most consequential of Week 16, but it’s also set to be one of the coldest. In fact, it could very well be the coldest home game in franchise history.
As of this writing, the forecast at kickoff in Charlotte N.C.—according to Weather.com—calls for a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If that holds, it’d be the second-coldest contest for the Panthers ever at Bank of America Stadium.
The current title holder is Carolina’s Week 17 game of the 2009 campaign. That outing saw the cats host the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 3, 2010—where quarterback Matt Moore, running back Jonathan Stewart and wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad paced a 23-10 victory in 30-degree weather.
Luckily for interim head coach Steve Wilks’ Panthers, their smash-mouth brand of football could bode well in that chilly setting.