NFL Playoffs: Plenty of snow to dig out for Bills-Steelers

The sun was shining Monday on Highmark Stadium, where the green artificial turf was cleared of snow but the stands were still covered in a white blanket some five hours before the Buffalo Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the storm-delayed AFC wild-card playoff game.

The remnants of the lake-effect snow band that dumped more than two feet of snow on the Bills’ home in suburban Orchard Park, N.Y. moved north toward Buffalo, allowing for a large crew of shovellers — volunteers being paid US$20 an hour — and a fleet of front-load tractors to clear the facility.

Kickoff was set for 4:30 p.m. EST for a game originally scheduled to be played at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the brunt of the storm was hitting the region, with much of it centered on Orchard Park. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in consultation with the NFL had postponed the game on Saturday, citing public safety concerns.

Shovel crews have been working on clearing the stadium seats, walkways and tunnels since Sunday, when snow fell at a rate of more than two inches-per-hour. Crews worked overnight, with the Bills making a plea for more volunteers early Monday.

Major roadways leading to the stadium were cleared, with five-foot snowdrifts lining the roads after they were plowed. It was unclear whether crews would have enough time to clear the 70,000-seat stadium’s three decks in time for kickoff.

The U.S. National Weather Service forecast for Monday called for a chance of snow showers through the early afternoon, with a high of – 8 C. Temperatures were expected to dip to -10 C, with winds ranging from 13 to 26 km/h.