Will the cold stay around for Miami’s championship game? What the forecast says

South Florida woke up freezing on Friday. That’s what happens when temperatures plunge to the low-40s and feel like the 30s. And this winter wave is here just as college football fans are arriving and hitting the streets for a long weekend of festivities.

But will the cold weather carry into Monday night’s big game at Hard Rock Stadium when Miami meets Indiana for the college football championship?

Well, yes and no.

South Florida will warm up Saturday.

The “bone-chilling” temperatures will be gone — and it will stay “cool, not as cold though,” said CBS News Miami meteorologist Shane Hinton.

But another blast of cold air is forecast to arrive from the north Sunday night, he said.

MORE: Can cold weather in Miami make you sick? Your body can change in the chill

So, what does that mean for the big game on Monday?

Here’s the breakdown:

Friday and Saturday: The weekend in South Florida will warm up a bit. Temperatures, which started in the low-40s Friday morning, will rise to the upper-60s by Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. Friday night lows will drop to about 60, according to the weather service, and Saturday afternoon will warm up to 75. Saturday night will drop to the low- to mid-60s.

Sunday: Enjoy the day outside as Sunday warms up to near 80, with a 20% chance of rain. But Sunday night is another story. That’s when another cold front moves in, dropping temperatures to the low-50s. But what we really want to know is how the cold front will affect the game.

Monday big-game forecast: The cold front that moves in on Sunday night will linger into Monday, according to forecasters. As fans start gathering at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on MLK Day, Monday afternoon’s high will rise to about 70 degrees, with mostly sunny skies. But the forecast calls for temperatures to drop to the mid-50s for Monday night’s college championship game between the University of Miami and Indiana University. That may feel a bit cold for Hurricanes fans used to the heat and humidity of home games. And maybe the tourism promoters wished for warmer weather for a game nationally televised on ESPN. But for Indiana fans? Pshaw ... It’ll feel like just like summer. The forecast temperature on Monday night on campus in Bloomington, Indiana? Seven degrees.

This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 7:30 AM.