Remember those doomsday scenarios of historic snowstorms predicted to bury Super Bowl XLVIII and make the NFL rue the decision to play the biggest game of the season outdoors -- in New Jersey -- in February?
Apparently even Mother Nature loves good weather for her Super Bowl.
The snow and frigid cold weather likely are out of the picture Sunday when the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks take the field. However, there is a slight chance for some rain showers to go along with the cloudy climate.
Weather Underground projects a 16 percent chance of rain at kickoff (6:30 p.m. ET). That percentage holds consistent, according to the weather website, until it bumps up to 71 percent at 10 p.m.
Weather.com corroborates the early chances for precipitation, placing the odds at 20 percent throughout the game, but a wintry mix of snow and rain is not expected until midnight.
Temperatures are expected to be between 41 to 44 degrees at kickoff and fall to only around 38 degrees as night ensues. In New Jersey -- in February -- consider that weather balmy.
Winds are expected to increase only slightly throughout the evening, moving from 4 mph to just 7 mph by game's end.
The other consideration when discussing the weather is the playing surface at MetLife Stadium.
NFL Media's Jeff Darlington spoke to Super Bowl XLVIII groundskeeper George Toma on NFL Network's "NFL GameDay First" on Sunday morning. Toma said there were six machines blowing hot air onto the field to keep it warm until his crew removes the field tarp several hours before kickoff.
"The condition of the field is excellent. We had it checked out yesterday," Toma said. "Everything is right on the money."
Snow showers are predicted to hit the area Monday.
To reiterate, the NFL appears to be right on the money once again.
*Live from New York, it's the NFL "Around The League Podcast" Super Bowl Preview! *
