






If the ball is kicked in windless conditions, in East Rutherford [New Jersey, site of Super Bowl XLVIII] the ball would travel 59.5 yards, or 4.5 yards less than it would travel in Denver at the same moment in time. The ball would travel even less in Seattle, 59.1 yards if kicked at the same moment in time. The short version is that in Denver the ball would travel farther mostly because of its lower air density. Air density is mostly impacted by atmospheric pressure and temperature; in New Jersey and in Seattle the atmospheric pressures are higher and the temperatures warmer. Thus, New Jersey’s higher pressure and warmer weather makes it harder to kick a long field goal than in Denver, and a scootch harder than in Seattle.

In New Jersey, if a 10 mph wind is coming from directly behind the kicker when the ball is kicked, the ball will travel 70.3 yards, or 10.8 yards farther than with no wind at all. If a 10 mph wind is blowing directly against the direction the ball is being kicked, then the ball will travel 49.4 yards, or 10.1 yards less than with no wind at all. The short version is that tailwinds help and headwinds hinder. A lot.

And… Although air density and other environmental factors have a major impact on a kicker’s ability to make a long field-goal, wind blows these factors away.

They even showed their work, lest you have any doubts:

Environmental data used:

East Rutherford, New Jersey:
5:30 pm New Jersey-time
Weather Station: Carlstadt, NJ 07073
Estimated Temp: 44 F
Estimated Humidity: 81%
Estimated Atmospheric Pressure: 1013 mbar Estimated Gravity: 9.80239 m/s^2 Estimated Wind Velocity and Direction: varies from 3-12 mph, and up to 270 degrees in orientation

Denver, Colorado:
3:30 pm Denver-time
Weather Station: Denver, CO 80202
Estimated Temp: 26 F
Estimated Humidity: 55%
Estimated Atmospheric Pressure: 844 mbar Estimated Gravity: 9.79451 m/s^2

Seattle, Washington
2:30 pm Seattle-time
Weather Station: Seattle, WA 98101
Estimated Temp: 41 F
Estimated Humidity: 75%
Estimated Atmospheric Pressure: 1019 mbar Estimated Gravity: 9.80728 m/s^2