What is the weather like at Highmark Stadium for NFL games?
Highmark Stadium is an open-air stadium in Orchard Park, NY, home of the Bills. Across 431 NFL games at Highmark Stadium and its predecessor Ralph Wilson Stadium since 1973, the average game-day temperature has been 48°F, falling to 33°F in December.
- Early season: September games have averaged 64°F with 9.5 mph wind.
- Late season: December games have averaged 33°F; 39 of 87 were below freezing.
- Extremes: coldest 7°F (Patriots @ Bills, Jan 15, 2022); hottest 83°F (Sep 16, 2018); windiest 32 mph (Dec 28, 2008).
- Precipitation: 13 snow games and 11 rain games on record.
Highmark Stadium Game-Day Weather by Month
Average and extreme conditions for NFL games at the new Highmark Stadium, from the Spreadspoke dataset.
Games at the new Highmark Stadium so far
The current stadium opened in 2026; its weather history starts here and updates every week. For 1973–2025 weather by month, see Ralph Wilson Stadium.
| Date | Game | Final | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-17 | Lions @ Bills | 31–41 | 67°F |
| 2026-09-27 | Chargers @ Bills | 16–24 | 68°F |
| 2026-10-04 | Patriots @ Bills | 29–26 | 69°F |
| 2026-11-01 | Ravens @ Bills | 10–36 | 70°F |
Coldest & Windiest Games at Highmark Stadium
Includes Ralph Wilson Stadium, the predecessor across the street. Final shown away–home. PO = playoff game, SB = Super Bowl.
10 coldest games
Game-day temperature
| Temp | Date | Game | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7°F | 2022-01-15 | Patriots @ BillsPO | 17–47 |
| 9°F | 1993-12-26 | Jets @ Bills | 14–16 |
| 12°F | 1988-12-11 | Raiders @ Bills | 21–37 |
| 14°F | 2010-01-03 | Colts @ Bills | 7–30 |
| 14°F | 2024-12-22 | Patriots @ Bills | 21–24 |
| 17°F | 2024-01-15 | Steelers @ BillsPO | 17–31 |
| 18°F | 1975-12-20 | Vikings @ Bills | 35–13 |
| 19°F | 2025-01-19 | Ravens @ BillsPO | 25–27 |
| 20°F | 1982-12-12 | Steelers @ Bills | 0–13 |
| 21°F | 2000-12-03 | Dolphins @ Bills | 33–6 |
5 windiest games
Wind speed
| Wind | Date | Game | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 mph | 2008-12-28 | Patriots @ Bills | 13–0 |
| 27 mph | 1986-11-09 | Steelers @ Bills | 12–16 |
| 27 mph | 1990-11-11 | Cardinals @ Bills | 14–45 |
| 26 mph | 1995-11-12 | Falcons @ Bills | 17–23 |
| 26 mph | 1980-10-26 | Patriots @ Bills | 13–31 |
Every snow game at Highmark Stadium and its predecessor Ralph Wilson Stadium
13 games tagged snow, newest first
| Date | Game | Final | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-07 | Bengals @ Bills | 34–39 | 31°F |
| 2025-01-19 | Ravens @ BillsPO | 25–27 | 19°F |
| 2024-12-01 | 49ers @ Bills | 10–35 | 28°F |
| 2023-01-22 | Bengals @ BillsPO | 27–10 | 32°F |
| 2022-12-17 | Dolphins @ Bills | 29–32 | 25°F |
| 2022-11-13 | Vikings @ Bills | 33–30 | 35°F |
| 2022-01-02 | Falcons @ Bills | 15–29 | 26°F |
| 2017-12-10 | Colts @ Bills | 7–13 | 32°F |
| 2016-12-11 | Steelers @ Bills | 27–20 | 24°F |
| 2011-12-18 | Dolphins @ Bills | 30–23 | 32°F |
| 2010-12-26 | Patriots @ Bills | 34–3 | 22°F |
| 2010-01-03 | Colts @ Bills | 7–30 | 14°F |
| 2004-12-12 | Browns @ Bills | 7–37 | 32°F |
How Weather Has Played at Highmark Stadium
Scoring and home results by conditions at Highmark Stadium and its predecessor Ralph Wilson Stadium, 1973–2026.
Average combined points by conditions at Highmark Stadium
Outdoor games, all teams
Bar length on a 0–55 point scale. Small samples (n under 30) are directional.
Compared with the NFL
Average combined points, same conditions, all outdoor NFL games since 1966
| Conditions | Games here | Avg pts here | NFL avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 32°F | 59 | 41.4 | 40.4 |
| 32–49°F | 165 | 39.2 | 41.3 |
| 50–69°F | 166 | 43.0 | 42.0 |
| 70°F+ | 32 | 47.2 | 42.4 |
| Wind 15+ mph | 86 | 36.2 | 38.4 |
| Rain or snow | 24 | 42.9 | 40.7 |
Buffalo Bills home record by weather
Straight-up wins and losses at Highmark Stadium and its predecessor; neutral-site games excluded
| Conditions | Games | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| All home games | 430 | 264–166 | 61.4% |
| Below 32°F | 59 | 36–23 | 61.0% |
| 32–49°F | 165 | 98–67 | 59.4% |
| 50°F and warmer | 197 | 121–76 | 61.4% |
| Wind 15+ mph | 86 | 52–34 | 60.5% |
| Rain or snow | 24 | 15–9 | 62.5% |
| Playoffs | 19 | 16–3 | 84.2% |
More on this team: Bills ATS, over/under & ELO trends →
Historical descriptive statistics from the Spreadspoke NFL dataset for research and education. Past results do not predict future outcomes and nothing here is betting advice.
Ralph Wilson Stadium Weather History (1973–2025)
Before Highmark Stadium, the Bills played at Ralph Wilson Stadium (also known as Rich Stadium, New Era Field and the original Highmark Stadium), across the street. Same location, same weather — 427 games on record.
Games at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Games below 32°F
Coldest game: Patriots @ Bills, Jan 15, 2022
Game-day weather by month — Ralph Wilson Stadium
All NFL games, 1973–2025. Rain / snow = games tagged with that condition.
| Month | Games | Avg temp | Coldest | Avg wind | Below 32°F | Rain / snow | Avg total pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug | 1 | 65°F | 65°F | 6.0 mph | 0 | 0 / 0 | 47.0 |
| Sep | 106 | 64°F | 47°F | 9.5 mph | 0 | 0 / 0 | 43.2 |
| Oct | 105 | 53°F | 31°F | 11.0 mph | 1 | 3 / 0 | 42.2 |
| Nov | 102 | 42°F | 23°F | 11.4 mph | 9 | 2 / 1 | 40.0 |
| Dec | 87 | 33°F | 9°F | 11.7 mph | 39 | 6 / 8 | 39.2 |
| Jan | 26 | 28°F | 7°F | 9.6 mph | 10 | 0 / 4 | 48.3 |
Coldest games at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Final shown away–home
| Temp | Date | Game | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7°F | 2022-01-15 | Patriots @ BillsPO | 17–47 |
| 9°F | 1993-12-26 | Jets @ Bills | 14–16 |
| 12°F | 1988-12-11 | Raiders @ Bills | 21–37 |
| 14°F | 2010-01-03 | Colts @ Bills | 7–30 |
| 14°F | 2024-12-22 | Patriots @ Bills | 21–24 |
Highmark Stadium Weather Questions
Every Game, Every Stadium, Every Condition
Get game-by-game weather for all 14,000+ NFL games since 1966 — temperature, wind, humidity and conditions joined to scores, spreads and totals.
NFL weather data overview · For research use