Get ready for the coldest Super Bowl Sunday in history

Count your fingers and thank your lucky toes that the Super Bowl is being played indoors.

The temperature Sunday, the day of the long-awaited bout between the Patriots and the Eagles, is expected to stay in the single digits or lower, according to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. At kickoff? Just a few degrees above 0.

This would make it the coldest Super Bowl Sunday in history. The previous record was in Pontiac, Mich., in 1982, where the high was 16 degrees, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. (That game was played in the Silverdome, which is also a covered stadium.)

However, the most dangerous weather will take place in the morning, when winds between 10 and 15 miles per hour could make it feel as low as 30 below.

A windchill advisory was issued by the Twin Cities office of the Weather Service from 4 a.m. until noon, warning people to wear several layers to avoid frostbite or hypothermia.

"A lot of visitors here may not have experienced this kind of windchill before," said Alexandra Keclik, meteorologist for the Weather Service's regional office.

"If your skin is exposed, within half an hour you're at risk for frostbite."

She also advised people to take breaks inside buildings to warm up, if possible.

Unlike Saturday, which saw snowfall throughout most of the day, Sunday is expected to be clear and sunny in the late morning and afternoon, which can be deceptive.

The highs for the rest of the week are expected to rise to the teens, still below normal for this time of year.

Saturday's poor visibility and snowfall made for dangerous road conditions on state highways. Multiple crashes were reported by state agencies throughout the day, several of which were caused by drivers hitting icy patches.

By 9 p.m. Saturday, the State Patrol had responded to 229 vehicle spinouts and 407 crashes — 46 of which resulted in injury and one that was fatal. In Carlton County, a person died in a crash on Interstate 35 just after 4 p.m., but the agency released no other details.

One of the most extensive crashes Saturday happened after a semitrailer truck driver slammed on the brakes and jackknifed on eastbound Interstate 94 near Rogers.

According to the State Patrol, that set off a crash involving 30 to 50 vehicles, including two other semitrailer trucks, leading to a large pileup and hourslong delays. Five people were hospitalized with noncritical injures.

Keclik urged those who plan to keep the party going after the game and into Monday to roam about responsibly, as the temperature is likely to stay just below zero.

"That's when people tend to be outside for longer periods of time because they don't realize it's so cold," she said. "It's very important for people to realize it's cold."

Staff writer Kelly Smith contributed to this report. Miguel Otárola • 612-673-4753