WATCH: FOOT LAKE EFFECT SNOW PACKS ALONG THE GREAT LAKES paralyze travel and trigger a state of emergency

A lake effect snow warning remains in effect for Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park throughout the game, although the latest forecasts as of Sunday afternoon indicate that the Lake Erie snow band could drift south of Orchard Park ahead of Sunday night’s game. However, there may be persistent snow showers or thundershowers over the stadium as the evening progresses.

---

Weather observers in Orchard Park measured storm levels between 20 and 23 inches of snow Sunday morning, and the FOX Forecast Center said a few more inches were possible before the band of snow moved further south and away from Highmark Stadium.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has been working hard to clear snow from Orchard Park roads so fans can travel safely to the stadium.

“NYSDOT forces have doubled their plowing operations in and around the stadium since last night on Route 20, Route 20A, Route 219, Route 5 and Route 179,” NYSDOT wrote Sunday morning on X. “Tow trucks will be on standby to to clear the vehicles quickly and ensure that traffic stays moving.”

Highmark Stadium was hit by heavy snow Saturday and Saturday night as the bulk of the 20-plus-inch snowfall fell in Orchard Park.

The Bills shared photos on Saturday night on X showing scenes of a buried Highmark Stadium.

“Kudos to our snow removal crews for getting @HighmarkStadm ready for tomorrow night!” the Bills wrote on X in reference to a video showing bulldozers actively removing piles of snow from the stadium Saturday night.

5 NFL GAMES WITH THE WILDEST WEATHER

Travel advisories are in effect for parts of Western New York, including Erie County, where Orchard Park is located. Fans traveling to the game are therefore urged to exercise caution on the roads.

On Sunday, NYSDOT will focus heavily on plowing the sections of Interstate 90 leading to Highmark Stadium.

Impact on fantasy football

The Bills say goodbye a week after beating the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Calmness and the fact that they are no strangers to playing in extreme weather could set the Bills up for a potential seven-game winning streak.

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid is out for the 49ers game on Sunday.

However, there is hope for a return for rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, who suffered a wrist injury. He is listed as questionable after being limited in practice in recent days.

FILE – Frank Gore #23 of the Indianapolis Colts is stopped by EJ Gaines #28 and Matt Milano #58 of the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter at New Era Field on December 10, 2017 in Orchard Park, New York.

(Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

The status of San Francisco starting quarterback Brock Purdy is still uncertain for Sunday after he injured his shoulder in Week 11 against Seattle. He is also listed as questionable despite participating fully in the team’s most recent practice.

Meanwhile, a now-healthy Christian McCaffrey should be an automatic starter at your RB1 position. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year only managed 31 yards in the game against Green Bay, but with the possibility of snow showers and wind, fantasy owners can expect him to score more than 11 runs in this game.

---

With winds of up to 20 miles per hour and arctic air, temperatures will likely feel like subzero during the game.

The wind could make kicking difficult, and cold temperatures have been shown to affect a quarterback’s performance when throwing the ball.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team is prepared for any weather. “It just depends on how we react to it. Our employees do a phenomenal job,” he said.

McDermott said if snow needs to be shoveled out of the stadium like in years past, they are ready to do it.

“Ever since I moved here, I’ve always been amazed that you can get a foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 7 feet of snow and the streets will miraculously clear,” McDermott said.

Highmark Stadium is no stranger to lake-effect snow

While Bills fans remember last season when their Super Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers had to be postponed, it was the months of November and December 2022 that Buffalo will never forget.

The snow from the historic lake-effect blizzard that hit Orchard Park in November 2022 was so deep that an 80-foot-tall snowman could be built from all the snow on the Buffalo Bills football field.

3 to 4 feet of snow falls at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium during a major lake effect snowstorm on November 18, 2022.

(Buffalo Bills / NFL / FOX Weather)

The Cleveland Browns were scheduled to play the Bills at Highmark Stadium that snow day, but NFL officials decided to move the game to indoor Ford Field in Detroit instead.

Just a month later, a historic snowstorm dropped several feet of snow in nearby locations, stranding motorists and prompting a state of emergency to be declared in Erie County.

The FOX Forecast Center says this Thanksgiving weekend storm is not expected to produce as much snow as those historic days, but snow could cause travel delays for fans traveling to Sunday night’s game.

---