In January 2012, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s team prepared in damp conditions on the team’s Santa Clara practice field that were expected later that week for the NFC Championship game.
“Admiral Bull Halsey once said, 'If you're going to fight in the North Atlantic, then you've got to prepare in the North Atlantic,’” Harbaugh said a couple days prior to the 49ers' loss to the New York Giants.
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The 49ers will practice this week in high-60s-degree conditions. On Sunday, the 49ers figure to open the playoffs in a completely different climate. A high of 9 degrees is expected in Green Bay for the wild-card playoff game at Lambeau Field.
The Packers will get acclimated to the conditions with two outdoor practices, coach Mike McCarthy said in a conference call with Bay Area reporters on Wednesday.
“We practice outside. We get outside this time of year,” McCarthy said. “We’re fortunate to have the facility to go outside, as far as the outdoor field with the heating. We’ll be outside tomorrow and Friday.
“As a coach, you always try to get your practice structure as close to game-like. In pro football, it’s obviously hard because of the speed of it.”
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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he gets ready for cold-weather games with a lot of chicken soup.
When asked Monday about how the 49ers can prepare for the conditions, Harbaugh did not have an answer.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know if there is a way. Is there a way to prepare for the cold weather?”
