Dec. 12, 2025, marks just another day for many people around world. For some, it's the end of another workweek, but for the Minnesota Vikings, it's the anniversary of the stadium roof collapsing.
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On the morning of Dec. 12, 2010, the inflatable Teflon roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome tore open and collapsed under the weight of heavy snowfall. Fox Sports cameras, which the crew had left on while preparing for a game, captured the roof deflating as snow fell through the rips.
#OnThisDay Dec 12, 2010 at 5:00am: The inflatable teflon roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome tears open and deflates under the weight of 17" snowstorm. The @Vikings vs @Giants game is postponed and moved to @fordfield in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/ReiVTfhAwB
— Vince Mpls (@vincempls) December 12, 2025
This heavy snowfall, combined with the Giants remaining in Kansas City, forced the NFL to postpone the scheduled game between the NFC foes. It moved to Monday, Dec. 13, 2010. The game location also moved to Ford Field in Detroit, the home of the Detroit Lions.
According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, the team had a protocol in place for removing the accumulated snow from the roof of the Metrodome. The first option, which ultimately failed, featured the team increasing the interior temperature of the stadium to around 80 degrees in hopes that the snow would melt.
The second option saw crew members going to the roof of the building and spraying the snow with hot water hoses. Seifert noted that the high winds led to them aborting this part of the operation. These same high winds played a role in the Giants waiting out the storm in Kansas City.
This game between the Giants and Vikings is not the only one to move locations. Continued issues with the stadium roof forced the Vikings and Bears to move their Dec. 20, 2010, game to nearby TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings then closed out the 2010 season with two road trips.
The team made repairs to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and continued using the stadium through the 2013 season. The final game featured the Vikings defeating the Lions 14-13.
The Vikings returned to TCF Bank Stadium in 2014 and 2015 while building their current home, U.S. Bank Stadium, on the site of the Metrodome. This venue opened in time for the 2016 season and has continued to host Vikings games ever since.
