Just ten months after their wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed due to a blizzard, the Buffalo Bills are preparing for another snow-covered spectacle this Sunday. About two feet of snow has already blanketed Orchard Park, New York, as of Sunday morning, with more expected ahead of the Week 13 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. A lake-effect storm warning remains in effect for the Buffalo area until Monday evening.
.@SNFonNBC prep.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 1, 2024
Shoutout to our snow removal crews for getting @HighmarkStadm ready for tomorrow night! #SFvsBUF #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/pdaOCyPykh
The Bills posted photos on social media showing their stadium and playing field covered in snow. Snowplows have been hard at work at Highmark Stadium since Friday, and the team has called on volunteer shovelers to help clear the snow, similar to the efforts before January’s weather-affected playoff game. Despite these efforts, footage from Spectrum News 1’s Andy Young shows the stands still deeply buried just hours before kickoff.
Winter Wonderland.#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/vbgnUNGgyS
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 1, 2024
Local authorities have issued travel warnings for those planning to attend the game. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz expressed concerns at a news conference, saying, “This will be challenging for people trying to travel to the football game. We do not expect the game to be postponed or anything like that. The game will go on. [We’ve] had games that are colder [But] people need to be prepared. It’s the first real cold of the season. We haven’t had anything like this all year.”
Be ready to dig, #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/C4Sp02h4mv
— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) December 1, 2024
The National Weather Service is forecasting “whiteout conditions” from Saturday through Monday, making travel potentially dangerous. Lake-effect snow can create varied weather conditions, with some areas experiencing heavy snowfall and greatly reduced visibility, while others just a few miles away may remain dry.
The Buffalo Bills are set to face the San Francisco 49ers at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday. Here’s the weather forecast for the game:
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Location: Highmark Stadium (Erie County, New York)
- Chance of precipitation at kickoff: 24 percent
- Temperature at kickoff: 27 degrees, feels like 18 degrees
- Wind factor: 11 mph
Be sure to bundle up and drive safely if you’re heading to the game!
