The most fascinating NFL games read like the glossary of a weather textbook. The “Ice Bowl” immortalized the frozen tundra of Green Bay’s Lambeau Field. Fans still recall the “Mud Bowl” in rainy Miami, the New England Patriots’ infamous “Snow Plow Game” and the ever-entertaining “Fog Bowl” in Chicago. From extra points blown wide to heat exhaustion, the weather can occasionally be a bigger factor than anything on the field.

Thanks to the magic of college football almanacs and online weather databases, I pieced together some facts and records about weather conditions at N.C. State football games going back to the 2002. There are certainly bigger extremes in the entire 100-plus year history of Wolfpack football.

Temperature Extremes:

Hottest Home Games

Sept. 17, 2005 Eastern Kentucky @ NCSU 92 W 54-10

Aug. 30, 2003 Western Carolina @ NCSU 90 W 59-20

Sept. 6, 2008 William & Mary @ NCSU 88 W 34-24

Hottest Away Games

Sept. 8, 2007 NCSU @ Boston College 95 L 37-17

Sept.16, 2006 NCSU @ Southern Mississippi 92 L 37-17

Sept. 25, 2010 NCSU @ Georgia Tech 87 W 45-28

Coldest Home Games

Nov. 4, 2006 Georgia Tech @ NCSU 37 L 31-23

Nov. 24, 2007 Maryland @ NCSU 45 L 37-0

Nov. 29, 2008 Miami @ NCSU 46 W 38-28

Coldest Away Games

Nov. 22, 2008 NCSU @ UNC 41 W 41-10

Nov. 12, 2005 NCSU @ Boston College 44 L 30-10

Oct. 17, 2009 NCSU @ Boston College 47 L 52-20

Hurricanes

Hurricanes and football often compete for headlines in September. The Wolfpack has avoided the brunt of many legendary storms. Hurricanes Isabel, Fran and Hazel unleashed their worst on North Carolina during the work week, leaving clear skies in time for Saturday matchups. Most recently, 2008’s Tropical Storm Hanna poured more than 5 inches of rain in the area on the night before the William & Mary home opener. Clear skies returned just in time for tailgating. Sometimes the Wolfpack slogs through tropical weather anyway. As 1999’s Hurricane Dennis lumbered ashore, pouring rain and gusty winds turned a home game against South Carolina into a muddy mess. East Carolina didn’t take any chances with Dennis and relocated to Charlotte for a game with West Virginia. A few weeks later, flooding from Hurricane Floyd made it impossible for East Carolina to play ninth-ranked Miami at home. Carter-Finley Stadium played host as the Pirates bested the Hurricanes (in both senses) with a 27-23 victory. There is no indication that tornadoes have ever been a problem for N.C. State, UNC or Duke home games.

Snow

In modern history, Raleigh has never seen snowflakes before Nov. 2. Football season usually ends in late November, well before our substantial winter storms. As a result, snowy home games almost never happen. In recent years, the closest we’ve come to seeing snow on the field was the day before 2008’s late-November meeting of the UNC rivalry. As you can imagine, the measly half-inch coating melted long before kickoff. Road games can provide better opportunities for winter wonderlands. The Pack frequently made November visits to Penn State back in the 1970s and 1980s. Weather records show that falling snow greeted the Pack’s arrival for the 1982, 1973 and 1956 matchups.

Climate Control

Until Carter-Finley Stadium is rebuilt with a dome, the Wolfpack will remain at the mercy of the elements. The team last played a regular season game indoors at Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome for the 1997 road opener. The only other occasions were the 1995 Peach Bowl in the Georgia Dome and the 1974 Bluebonnet Bowl in the Houston Astrodome.