Winter weather could play huge factor in second half of Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 season

The Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 schedule has been revealed.

Among the observations that can be made from it is that eight of the Chiefs' final nine games will be played in outdoor stadiums, starting with Kansas City's Week 10 home matchup against the Denver Broncos on November 10. That means that there will be potential for winter weather, which includes ice and/or snow, to be a factor. 

Four games during that stretch will be played in K.C., which is notorious for its unpredictable weather. It could be a sunny 60-degree day or blizzard-like conditions with temperatures below zero. The Chiefs hosted the Miami Dolphins on wild-card weekend last season in what was the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.

Other locations that K.C. will play at during its final nine games include Buffalo, Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Denver. Carolina (specifically Charlotte, North Carolina) is the exception as it doesn't typically snow there. All of the other cities could easily have wintery weather conditions when the Chiefs come to town.

The Chiefs are typically unphased by playing in snow or ice. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes relishes it. However, at the tail end of the season, there is a stretch for K.C. that would be tough for any team to endure.

Things could get frosty for the Chiefs in Weeks 15-17

The Chiefs' final three games will be played in 15 days, with two on the road, and all in outdoor stadiums. First will be a home matchup with the Houston Texans, who are expected to give K.C. a run for the AFC crown. Next will be a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, who are always a physically tough opponent with a great home-field advantage. 

With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, the Chiefs will have to play that game on just three days' rest. Finally, they'll wrap up the year against the Broncos in Denver. The Broncos may not be a top-tier AFC team, but divisional games are always tough, and Denver isn't a fun place to play for visitors. 

Hopefully, for the Chiefs, their playoff seeding will already be pretty much locked in as they enter Week 18, and they can rest their starters as they've done several times in the past. They will certainly be battle-tested as they head into the postseason (assuming they make it) as they attempt to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. 

If they're able to do so, battling the elements, as well as the tough luck scheduling, will be another notch in their belt during this dominant era of Chiefs football.