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Fans and workers work on clearing the seats of Highmark Stadium before the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Buffalo Bills on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Orchard Park.  #NFL
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After massive snow storm, Buffalo's Highmark Stadium ready to host Steelers-Bills

Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette

After massive snow storm, Buffalo's Highmark Stadium ready to host Steelers-Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Now this is more like it.

The temperatures in Buffalo and at Highmark Stadium south of the city are still plenty cold, with temperatures not expected to exceed 20 degrees all day. 

But the wicked winds have stopped whipping, a travel ban that locked down Erie County has been lifted, and there’s actually concrete visible on area roads now that snow plows have worked overnight to restore a sense of normalcy.

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In case there was any lingering concern, the AFC wild card game between the Bills and Steelers is expected to press on as scheduled, with kickoff slated for 4:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills fans clear out seats at the Highmark Stadium before the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Buffalo Bills on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Orchard Park.  #playoff #NFL
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Fans watching the game on TV should still see plenty of effects from the massive snowstorm, which has dumped more than 30 inches in some areas.

The lake-effect snow that has blanketed this region isn’t expected to completely stop — but it will become much more manageable, with new accumulations in the 3-to-5-inch range throughout the day.

There will also be some minor wind issues later in the day, with gusts up to 15-20 mph. But that pales in comparison to the atmosphere around Highmark Stadium on Sunday, where the wind force was basically double those figures.

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During what was supposed to be game time, it was impossible to see more than a few feet in front of your face, raising questions about the safety of players and 70,000-plus fans alike. Accumulation reached 5-6 inches per hour of wet snow, which didn’t feel great when it was blown sideways into your eyes.

A day later, the dynamic has certainly shifted. The stadium remains buried in snow, though, and the Bills have the call out for more volunteers to help shovel the stands. 

There are still light flurries falling and vehicles on roads but no longer a feeling of desolation.

Thus began the process of digging cars out, where one Steelers fan in my hotel did so while blasting the latest version of Roger Wood’s “Here We Go” and “Renegade” by Styx.

Chris and Kelly Hust (left to right) drove here from Binghamton, N.Y. on Saturday. "I was like, we’re literally leaving and driving toward a storm," Kelly joked. "Usually you go the other way."
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Crews worked through the night to clear Highmark Stadium of snow, as Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz offered wiggle room from the travel ban for fans traveling to shovel.

Towns further east, away from Lake Erie, saw their travel bans lifted late Sunday. The areas closer to Highmark Stadium opened at 6 a.m. Monday.

The parking lots around Highmark Stadium opened per the standard four hours before kickoff — in this case, 12:30 p.m.

As normal life was restored, so, too, was Buffalo’s sense of community. The Denny’s on Camp Road in Hamburg, about 10 minutes from Highmark, opened at 8 a.m., the parking lot still being plowed and a waitress clearing the doorway of several feet of snow.

Other surrounding fast-food restaurants remained closed, along with private businesses. Most gas stations are open.

As one group entered the restaurant wearing Bills gear, they were greeted by a group of plow drivers who had worked all night clearing roads who shouted “Go Bills.”

The conditions won’t be ignorable later, but they also shouldn’t turn this one into a run-only affair.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke at a press briefing on Sunday night and described the expected conditions as “very, very cold” and a wind chill as low as zero.

But pushing the game back 28 hours to get that versus the mess that preceded it was clearly hailed as a victory.

“It’s a far better dynamic than we would have had [Sunday],” Hochul said. “I’m not saying it’s going to be pleasant, but conditions won’t be life-threatening, either.”

First Published: January 15, 2024, 1:56 p.m.
Updated: January 15, 2024, 8:43 p.m.

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Fans and workers work on clearing the seats of Highmark Stadium before the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Buffalo Bills on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Orchard Park. #NFL  (Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette)
Fans continue to help the grounds crew clear snow from the seats at Highmark Stadium on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, before the AFC wild-card game between the Bills and Steelers. Kickoff is slated for 4:30 p.m.  (Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette)
Crews continue to clear the snow outside Highmark Stadium, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, before the Steelers vs. Bills game starts.  (Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette)
Crews continue to clear the snow outside Highmark Stadium, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, before the Steelers vs. Bills game starts.  (Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette)
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