Winter football means something else entirely in Charlotte, North Carolina, which the city will show on Saturday evening during the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
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The fans won't expect to see heavy snow as they would in Chicago, Pittsburgh, or Philadelphia. Instead, they will prepare for wind, rain, and potential weather delays.
The Carolina Panthers will host the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium to kick off the NFL playoffs (4:30 p.m. ET on Fox). This stadium in the heart of Charlotte has no roof, which means that the weather can and will have an effect on the action.
Not a washout but wet and windy for the @Panthers playoff game. #KeepPounding #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #wcnc pic.twitter.com/25ZW1Hrj5M
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) January 9, 2026
According to WeatherUnderground, the forecast calls for cloudy skies, rain showers, and possible thunderstorms. The chance of rain is 43% at kickoff, but this increases to 60% shortly after. The evening, in particular, shows chances of thunderstorms between 6-8 p.m. ET.
Additionally, the forecast calls for winds up to 29 mph. This could affect the kickers if either team needs to attempt a game-winning field goal.
The Panthers are familiar with playing wet-weather games. The team just did so last weekend against the rival Buccaneers. This created problems for the future NFC South champions, who abandoned the rushing attack and gained only 19 yards on the ground.
Running backs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard struggled to gain traction, occasionally slipping on the slick turf. The Panthers tried switching cleats, but they had very little impact.
Quarterback Bryce Young still accounted for 266 passing yards and two touchdowns, but the offense did not produce at a consistent level during the 16-14 loss.
The Rams, for comparison, play in an indoor stadium, so the weather is not a factor at their home games. However, the NFC West team regularly plays outdoors while facing off with the 49ers, Seahawks, and other teams with open-air stadiums.
A recent example occurred on Nov. 30, 2025. The Rams traveled to Charlotte to face off with the Rams during the regular season. This game also took place in inclement weather as Matthew Stafford accounted for three turnovers and the Panthers put up 358 total yards.
