GREEN BAY — As temperatures hovered in the teens during the late afternoon and evening on Monday, Packers fans layered up and headed out to the stadium for an evening of tailgating.
With Lambeau Field known as the frozen tundra, many football fans across the country expect the cold and snowy landscape during the late season games. Andy Burdick is one of those fans who thinks the cold actually makes the experience more unique.
"I'd much rather come to a game this time of year than in September or October when it's 70 degrees. This is Green Bay Packers football weather," said Burdick.
He said the coldest game he's been at was the 2014 playoff matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The temperature that day was a crisp five degrees at kickoff.
"You've gotta have everything you can find on. A lot of Patagonia stuff, a lot of warm socks, big boots, and of course your Packers hat," said Burdick.
Bill Rodencal has been coming to games since the 1970s and has seen many games with rain, snow, or frigid cold. He says one of the coldest game he remembers was the January 1997 NFC Championship Game where temperatures were in the single digits at kickoff.
Rodencal says that despite it not being quite as cold today, he prepared the same way.
"Got the Under Armour going on, the Carhartt, a vest, and a nice pair of boots...gotta have a good pair of boots and you know you gotta keep a couple of hot packs on you," said Rodencal.
Hand warmers and portable heaters were popular items in the tailgate lots, but the most popular way to heat up with grilling hot food.
As the resident grillmaster of his tailgate, Rodencal says the job helps keep him a lot warmer, but his signature hat is what keeps him comfortable.
"The hat is the best investment I've ever made in my life, the badger hat it folds down and keeps the heat inside," said Rodencal.
With more cold and snow in the forecast, it's possible that Packers fans will get to use those layers once again during one of the two remaining home games this season.
