At 5 am CST Sunday December 13, 2010, the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome collapsed due to high winds and up to 24 inches of snow that collected on it overnight. The damage to the roof caused the cancellation of several events, and one, the Vikings game against the New York Giants, to be moved to Detroit.
Eighteen to 20 inches of Minnesota snow ripped holes through the Metrodome, scrambled the NFL's scheduling plans and stole the Vikings' home-field advantage, pushing what was once a noon Sunday kickoff against the Giants to a neutral-site game in Ford Field at 6:20 tonight on Fox.
Coach Leslie Frazier said the team will miss the home-field advantage of playing in the Metrodome, but the Vikings realize their slim playoff hopes exist because of Green Bay's loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
The roof was inspected in April of this year by Birdair, the roof maker. In a report to the Minneapolis Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which manages and obtains financing for the Metrodome, Birdair explained that the roof should be replaced, and that while its outer fabric "is performing well as compared to the original fabric specification," the inner membrane "has exceeded its service life of 20 years."
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The stadium is 28 years old and the roof has collapsed four times over that period, including Sunday's disaster.
Roy Terwilliger, chairman of the Minneapolis Metro Sports Commission said the heavy snow and cold, high winds "was too much pressure on the dome and several panels on the Teflon roof were caused to rip."
Vikings could be the lost puppies of the NFL during the season's last four weeks should the Minneapolis Sports Facilities Commission — which is flying in specialists from across the country in an effort to repair three rips in the Metrodome roof — fail to set the table for the Dec. 20 matchup with the Chicago Bears on "Monday Night Football." The Vikings finish the season with games at Philadelphia and Detroit.
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