Kickoff of the game between the Titans and Texans in Nashville has been pushed back one hour as the region grapples with rolling power blackouts amid the winter storm affecting much of the country.
Nashville is among the metropolitan areas feeling the effects of the storm, with temperatures in the teens and wind chill hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit in the hours before Saturday's scheduled Titans-Texans game at Nissan Stadium.
As has been the case in numerous areas throughout the Southeast, the Tennessee Valley Authority has implemented rolling blackouts in Nashville in an effort to conserve the power grid. The city's mayor, John Cooper, said in a tweet Saturday morning that he had asked the Titans to postpone the scheduled 1 p.m. ET game "in solidarity with our neighbors."
Around 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time, numerous reports emerged that the game would be pushed back one hour and start at 2:02 p.m. ET. The NFL made it official about 45 minutes before the original kickoff time.
Here are the latest updates on weather conditions that might affect Titans vs. Texans:
Titans vs. Texans kickoff time
The Titans vs. Texans game will begin at 2 p.m. ET, which is 1 p.m. local time, the NFL announced. A league statement said the decision was made "in consultation with local authorities" to "minimize the impact on the power grid."
"The Titans are exploring a number of measures to minimize non-essential power around the stadium," the league's statement said.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports had reported earlier that generators would be in use during the Titans-Texans game to help ease the energy load on the main grid.
Titans vs. Texans weather updates
Saturday, Dec. 24
Forecast: High of 23 degrees Fahrenheit, 11 mph winds
Temperatures Saturday morning in Nashville are in the teens with a wind chill of zero.
Thousands are without power in the area as utilities strain to stay operational. Nashville mayor John Cooper noted that Friday night's Predators-Avalanche game at Bridgestone Arena was run on generator power.
Despite Cooper's plea, all indications are game preparations are continuing as normal, including the removal of the heated tarp from the field as players get ready.