Fans traveling to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl could be met with winter weather.
After a cold front entered the Dallas area on Sunday, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth expects the trend to continue late into the week. On Thursday and Friday, high temperatures will be around 35 degrees and lows around 26 degrees. Meteorologists have also called for measurable snow to fall late Wednesday and into Friday.
With the College Football Playoff semifinal between Ohio State and Texas scheduled to occur at 6:30 p.m. CST at AT&T Stadium, the Cotton Bowl stated Monday that officials will monitor weather conditions and reports to determine if inclement weather could impact the game's kickoff time. As of Tuesday, the Cotton Bowl will still take place as planned inside the domed venue.
“We continue to monitor weather reports, and over the last 24 hours, the forecast for later this week has improved according to the National Weather Service,” the Cotton Bowl said in a statement Tuesday evening. “We have been meeting routinely with city officials, the Director of Transportation for North Texas and the College Football Playoff. Should the forecast shift, we are prepared for all contingencies. North Texas highways are already being brined and plans are in place to assure a safe environment for everyone in and around AT&T Stadium on game day. The teams arrive tomorrow, as planned, and the 2025 CFP Semifinal at the 89th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will kick off on Friday evening as scheduled.”
Next Game Up
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 6, 2025
#GoBucks | @CottonBowlGame pic.twitter.com/GFnV4tkbEa
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that Cotton Bowl officials met with emergency management, law enforcement, College Football Playoff leaders and meteorologists on Tuesday to make plans for a potential winter storm but that “there has been little to no serious discussion about postponing the game as of now.”
There has been little to no serious discussion about postponing the game as of now, according to those with knowledge of the discussions.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 8, 2025
The forecast is for 3-6 inches of snow Thursday and no ice. There are no plans, as of now, to cancel any fan events or other Gameday events.
Fourteen years ago, the Dallas area had icy conditions when AT&T Stadium hosted the 2011 Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. While snow did not fall on the day of the game, almost four inches accumulated the week before in Arlington. The conditions led to several people suffering a range of injuries when melting layers of ice and snow off the AT&T Stadium roof.
Since that Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys have installed an ice guard on the stadium roof to prevent similar problems. The team has also installed a pipe system that pumps warmer water onto the roof to prevent the accumulation of ice and snow.
