NFL weather data
The Windiest NFL Stadiums, Ranked by 20 Seasons of Game-Time Wind
The windiest NFL stadium is Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland: 12.2 mph of wind at kickoff on average across 161 games since 2006, with 30% of games starting in 15 mph or more. Soldier Field in Chicago (10.3 mph) and Buffalo's Highmark Stadium (9.7 mph) come next. Denver is the calmest outdoor stadium. Below, all 20 open-air stadiums ranked, and what wind actually does to scoring and kicking.
The short answer
Cleveland: 12.2 mph average, 30% of games at 15+ mph.
Chicago (10.3 mph) and Buffalo (9.7 mph).
Denver: 5.3 mph average.
20+ mph games average 7.7 fewer points. Under 10 mph, wind barely matters.
Every open-air NFL stadium ranked by wind
Wind at kickoff for every regular-season game from 2006 to 2025, from the hourly ERA5 weather record at each stadium's location. Stadiums need at least 40 games to be ranked. Indoor and closed-roof games are left out.
| # | Stadium | Games | Avg wind | 15+ mph | 20+ mph | Windiest | Avg points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntington Bank Field Browns | 161 | 12.2 mph | 30.4% | 8.7% | 31.6 mph | 40.0 |
| 2 | Soldier Field Bears | 161 | 10.3 mph | 14.3% | 5.0% | 27.1 mph | 43.3 |
| 3 | Highmark Stadium (old) Bills | 154 | 9.7 mph | 16.9% | 3.9% | 27.5 mph | 45.0 |
| 4 | MetLife Stadium Giants | 130 | 8.8 mph | 9.2% | 1.5% | 22.3 mph | 43.6 |
| 5 | Arrowhead Stadium Chiefs | 161 | 8.5 mph | 8.1% | 0.0% | 18.7 mph | 42.6 |
| 6 | Lambeau Field Packers | 161 | 8.4 mph | 5.6% | 1.2% | 21.8 mph | 45.8 |
| 7 | Hard Rock Stadium Dolphins | 145 | 8.2 mph | 4.1% | 0.0% | 19.6 mph | 44.7 |
| 8 | M&T Bank Stadium Ravens | 163 | 8.1 mph | 6.7% | 1.2% | 23.0 mph | 43.5 |
| 9 | Gillette Stadium Patriots | 162 | 8.1 mph | 6.2% | 0.0% | 19.4 mph | 46.1 |
| 10 | Raymond James Stadium Buccaneers | 158 | 8.0 mph | 7.6% | 2.5% | 24.6 mph | 44.1 |
| 11 | MetLife Stadium Jets | 130 | 7.9 mph | 5.4% | 0.8% | 20.5 mph | 42.8 |
| 12 | EverBank Stadium Jaguars | 151 | 7.7 mph | 6.0% | 0.7% | 21.2 mph | 41.8 |
| 13 | Lincoln Financial Field Eagles | 161 | 7.5 mph | 5.6% | 0.6% | 20.3 mph | 45.9 |
| 14 | Acrisure Stadium Steelers | 162 | 7.4 mph | 3.1% | 0.0% | 18.2 mph | 43.1 |
| 15 | Paycor Stadium Bengals | 161 | 7.4 mph | 4.3% | 0.6% | 20.6 mph | 45.9 |
| 16 | Lumen Field Seahawks | 162 | 7.2 mph | 7.4% | 1.2% | 21.4 mph | 44.9 |
| 17 | Levi's Stadium 49ers | 95 | 6.7 mph | 2.1% | 0.0% | 17.5 mph | 44.8 |
| 18 | Nissan Stadium Titans | 162 | 6.6 mph | 2.5% | 0.0% | 18.0 mph | 44.5 |
| 19 | Bank of America Stadium Panthers | 161 | 6.5 mph | 4.3% | 0.0% | 19.4 mph | 42.4 |
| 20 | Empower Field at Mile High Broncos | 150 | 5.3 mph | 1.3% | 0.0% | 19.4 mph | 44.4 |
MetLife Stadium appears twice because the Giants and Jets play on different dates. Buffalo's figures are for the old Highmark Stadium. Stadiums with fewer than 40 games in our records (including newer venues and Washington after 2015) are not ranked. Snapshot taken 7 October 2026; it does not update on its own.
How much wind changes NFL scoring
We grouped 3,474 outdoor games by kickoff wind and compared each group with calm games under 10 mph. A result counts as real only when |t| is 1.96 or more.
| Kickoff wind | Games | Points | vs calm | t |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 mph (baseline) | 2,506 | 44.7 | – | – |
| 10–15 mph | 720 | 42.4 | -2.3 | -3.88 |
| 15–20 mph | 203 | 42.0 | -2.8 | -2.89 |
| 20 mph and up | 45 | 37.1 | -7.7 | -3.12 |
All three windy groups score less than calm games, and all clear the bar. The drop is modest from 10 to 20 mph and large above 20 mph. Only 45 games reached 20 mph, so the exact size of that last drop is uncertain. These are raw averages: windy games also tend to be colder and later in the season. Market totals already move for strong wind, so a lower average score is not by itself a reason to expect the Under to win. Full method in the NFL wind and totals study.
Wind and field goals
Each kick is compared with how often kicks of the same distance usually go in, so a band full of long tries doesn't look worse than it is.
| Wind | Attempts | Made | vs expected | t |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calm (under 10mph) | 8,495 | 86.6% | +0.8 pts | 2.40 |
| Moderate (10–14mph) | 2,422 | 84.6% | -1.6 pts | -2.36 |
| Strong (15–19mph) | 640 | 84.1% | -2.5 pts | -1.82 |
| Gale (20mph+) | 140 | 84.3% | -4.7 pts | -1.58 |
More in the field goal accuracy study.
Why these stadiums are windy
- Cleveland sits on the Lake Erie shore with open water to the north. Nothing slows the wind off the lake.
- Chicago's Soldier Field is beside Lake Michigan, and late-season games catch cold northerly winds.
- Buffalo is downwind of Lake Erie. The old stadium sat low in an open bowl, so gusts swirl inside it.
- Denver is calm at field level despite its altitude; the thin air helps kicks travel, it doesn't add wind.
Our figures come from the weather record at each stadium's location, not sensors on the field. Inside a bowl, the wind a kicker feels can be stronger or weaker and change direction.
Check this week's games
See kickoff wind for every open-air stadium on the NFL weather page. For baseball, see the windiest MLB stadiums, and for the cold, the coldest NFL games ever.
Method and sources
Regular-season outdoor games 2006–2025 from our NFL history database. Wind is the ERA5 hourly 10-metre wind at kickoff. Scoring comparisons use Welch's t-test against calm games. By the OverUnderWeather Research Desk.
- Copernicus ERA5 (hourly wind at each stadium)
- Pro Football Reference and ESPN (scores and kicks)
OverUnderWeather Research Desk
Independent data analysis on public sports and weather records. Studies match historical game outcomes to archived game-window weather, apply pre-set sample and significance rules, and publish null results when that is what the data show. Editorial policy and corrections log.
Frequently asked
What is the windiest NFL stadium?
Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, on the shore of Lake Erie. Across 161 regular-season games since 2006 it averaged 12.2 mph of wind at kickoff, and 30% of games started in 15 mph or more — about double any other stadium.
Is Soldier Field or Buffalo windier?
Soldier Field has the higher average (10.3 mph against 9.7 mph), but Buffalo's old Highmark Stadium had more games at 15 mph or above (17% against 14%). Buffalo gets fewer breezy days but stronger gusty ones.
What is the least windy outdoor NFL stadium?
Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, at 5.3 mph on average. Only about 1 in 75 games there started in 15 mph or more. Indoor stadiums are not ranked because wind does not reach the field.
How much wind affects an NFL game?
Below 10 mph, almost nothing. From 10 to 20 mph, games average about 2 to 3 fewer points. At 20 mph and up, scoring drops by about 7.7 points per game — though only 45 games since 2006 have been that windy.
Does wind affect field goals?
Yes, more than any other weather. Wind is the main reason kicks miss outdoors; longer kicks are hit hardest. See the field goal table on this page and our full kicking study.
Why is Cleveland so windy?
The stadium sits right on the Lake Erie shoreline with open water to the north. Wind off the lake has nothing to slow it down, and the bowl is open at the lake end.