Tips keep Chiefs fans and others outside safe this weekend

By Kyle Schmidt

With a Chiefs playoff game and plenty of snow needing to be shoveled, many will be spending time outside this weekend in the bone-chilling temperatures. 

If you’re determined to be outdoors this weekend, it’s important to dress with safety in mind. 

Members of St. Joseph’s Lot J tailgating crew say they’re optimistic the cold won’t keep fans away from Arrowhead Saturday night when temperatures are expected to be below zero at game time. 

“I still expect a big crowd to come out Saturday,” Josh Young said. “I still expect probably, four to six hundred people to be (tailgating) in the parking lot.”

Young is one of three guys who started the Lot J tailgate. With more than 20,000 members in its Facebook group, Lot J never fails to show up.

But this game may bring in new challenges. Kickoff temperatures are projected to feel like negative 30 degrees. Young says they are prepared.

“We have it set up to where it should be pretty warm down there,” Young said. “Getting people out of the elements and such.”

The group plans a “tent city” set up with heaters to keep everyone warm while tailgating.

But heaters alone will not be enough for anyone out in the cold this weekend. JoAnn Woody, executive director for Greater Kansas City and Northwest Missouri chapter of the Red Cross, offers some dressing tips to keep people safe and reasonably warm.  

“Work in layers because each layer will trap a little bit more of that body heat,” Woody said. “Making sure that you’ve got plenty of protection, protect the ears, protect the top of the head, the hands and making sure that your gloves are heavy enough to protect your hands.”

She adds people need to be alert for signs that the cold is too much. 

“Temperatures affect different people in different ways,” Woody said. “Listen to your body. If you’re talking to a friend and they’re they’re so cold that they can’t even speak clearly, that could be a sign that that person needs to get out of the cold for a while and warm up a little bit.”

She likes the idea of hand warmers and other accessories, but she just advises being safe with them around kids. 

Saturday’s Chiefs game is expected to be the third coldest NFL matchup ever.  But Young believes the Kingdom will still show up.

“I think it’s going to be packed in there,” he said. “It’s potentially the last home game of the season, the last one that we’re going to have this year with this group. So ticket prices are pretty affordable. And obviously, we got Tyreek Hill coming back and the Dolphins.”