Fox Weatherman Gives Patriots Advantage in AFC Championship

In the upcoming AFC championship, the New England Patriots will be taking on the Denver Broncos without their starting quarterback, Bo Nix.

The Patriots are coming off a win over the Houston Texans by a score of 28-16 in the Divisional round on Jan. 19. New England's signal caller, Drake Maye, is currently experiencing his first postseason run as a second-year player in the league and has been hearing calls for him to be named MVP all season long.

Denver has also been making noise as backup QB Jarrett Stidham gets set to face the team that drafted him in 2019. As such, the AFC title game will be a true showdown between the conference's top-two seeds. However, could heavy snow, ice and the brutal cold from a powerful winter storm put a damper on things?

Ian Oliver of Fox Weather graduated with honors from Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont with a Bachelor’s degree in Meteorology with a Broadcast Concentration. He's been with Fox Weather since 2021 and previously served as the weekend evening and midweek daytime meteorologist for WFLA-TV, where he covered numerous severe weather systems.

New England Patriots On SI spoke with Oliver — a big New England fan who was wearing a Patriots hoodie in the Fox forecast center throughout our conversation — in an exclusive. Here are his top weather tips and insights for Patriots fans ahead of the AFC championship against the Denver Broncos.

Ian Oliver, Meteorologist, Fox Weather — Ian Oliver at his Fox Weather desk with his Patriots hoodie | Courtesy: Fox Weather

Patriots Have Climate Edge Over Denver Broncos, per Fox Weather

First off, Oliver clarified what the 5,280-foot elevation of Empower Field at Mile High will mean for the game.

NFL tiebreaker rules robbed America of an all time AFC title snow game at Gillette! 🤣 https://t.co/voUjMQ4DwL
— Ian Oliver (@IanOliverWX) January 23, 2026

"So, Mile High Stadium, all the chatter is that the air is less dense. That does have a tangible impact on the body," Oliver said. "You're getting less oxygen per breath, truly, and that could be tough on the body. The density of the air allows for the longer field goals. And [that's why] we've seen NFL record field goals. That's always the spot; they're pulling up 60, 65 yards out."

The Patriots' placekicker is Andy Borregales. For the rookie, an advantage won't hurt, but it is certainly not needed — he was previously named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 12 and set school records while earning All-ACC honors during his collegiate career at Miami.

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots kicker Andy Borregales (36) kicks a field goal in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Borregales was handed those AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for New England after going 4-4 on field goals and turning in a 14-point performance on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Back to the weather — Oliver also said that the climate conditions in Denver will be better than what the Patriots just experienced in Foxborough against the Texans and would have had to play through if they were hosting the Broncos this weekend.

"The Patriots fly west to play in temperatures that are in the teens, with the wind, 10 to 15 miles per hour ... the wind chill, will probably be somewhere between zero and five," Oliver said. "So that's going to have a tangible impact on the game, but this is going to be better conditions than they played in last week, and nothing like what's going on in Foxborough."

However, with the previously referenced winter storm sweeping across America, NFL fans should be tuning into the weather like never before. This certainly keeps individuals like Oliver very busy.

Even in the midst of all his meteorology, Oliver also expressed specific tips on how New England fans can and should stay safe — which does include tuning into the AFC title game.

"I think it's been since 2022 that Boston has had a double digit snow. Get ready tomorrow. I said this to my family — they're on the south coast of Massachusetts. Get your supplies, everything you need for what would look like a Super Bowl party, except it's for a title game. Get comfortable at the house and don't go anywhere. It's a perfect day to have an AFC title game," Oliver said.

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