Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - WBEN and WKBW chief meteorologist Aaron Mentkowski is going to be busy over the next 40 days.
Mentkowski is working with The New York Times and The Athletic as their resident FIFA World Cup weather expert.
"I'll be doing the forecast for every game at 16 venues between the U.S., Canada and Mexico," Mentkowski told WBEN on Thursday.
If the weather becomes an issue and games are stopped, like due to lightning, he will be doing live updates as well.
The biggest weather concern will be the heat.
Of the 16 venues, 11 of them are completely open-air, including SoFi in Los Angeles and MetLife in New Jersey.
Mentkowski says his focus will be on heat and storms.
"Miami Stadium is outside and there is often a threat of afternoon storms. Also Kansas City, where it's still severe weather season, not to mention Foxborough Stadium, MetLife Stadium and Philadelphia where it gets very warm and very humid. Any outdoor games could have some stoppage time, just to keep everyone hydrated," he added.
It's not just the U.S. cities, though, as Mentkowski is also forecasting for the games in Canada and Mexico.
He admits Mexico is a bit of a challenge.
"I was just studying the elevation in Mexico City. It's over 7,000 feet above sea level. It's higher than Denver. The air is very thin. They're going to have issues there," Mentkowski said.
Mentkowski is also a huge soccer fan and coach, and still plays the game. He was thrilled to get the call to provide World Cup forecasts.
The World Cup continues until July 19.
"I'll be doing the forecast for every game at 16 venues between the U.S., Canada and Mexico" - Aaron Mentkowski
"I'll be doing the forecast for every game at 16 venues between the U.S., Canada and Mexico" - Aaron Mentkowski
