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Highmark Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, showed why it was vacated for this week’s scheduled Bills game against the Cleveland Browns in a video posted by the team amid the city’s wild thunderstorm blizzard .
The video, which lasts just 14 seconds and was posted to the team’s Twitter account, simply said, “Update: It’s still snowing.”
You can hear the thunder during the brief period of the video as the flakes fly around the nearly 50-year-old building.
The Buffalo storm air emanating from Lake Erie — which still hovers around 52 degrees — collided with cold blizzard clouds and sent electrical charges erupting in lightning and thunder.
Buffalo was buried by three feet of the white stuff, with the National Weather Service warning there could be historic levels of up to four feet.
Highmark Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, showed why it was vacated for this week’s scheduled Bills game against the Cleveland Browns in a video posted by the team amid the city’s wild thunderstorm blizzard
The video, which lasts just 14 seconds and was posted to the team’s Twitter account, simply said, “Update: It’s still snowing”
The Buffalo storm air coming off Lake Erie — which still hovers around 52 degrees — collided with cold blizzard clouds, sending electrical charges erupting in lightning and thunder
Buffalo was buried by three feet of the white stuff, with the National Weather Service warning there could be historic levels as high as four feet
Other areas are being hit by the arctic blizzard, with up to four feet of snow expected by Sunday
Other areas are being hit by the arctic blizzard, with up to four feet of snow expected by Sunday.
The Bills moved their home game against Cleveland to Detroit’s Ford Field, an indoor venue, on Sunday.
The Bills announced that their Friday practice had been canceled, but they would meet virtually.
“Due to public safety concerns and out of an abundance of caution in light of the ongoing weather conditions in western New York, Sunday’s Cleveland Browns-Buffalo Bills game at 1 p.m. ET will be moved to Ford Field in Detroit,” said the NFL.
“The decision to move the game from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, was made in consultation with the Buffalo Bills and local and state authorities as the region prepares for the storm.”
The Bills tweeted a weather chart on Friday afternoon with the caption “brb out to shoveling,” a few hours later posting photos of a snow-covered Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo and the surrounding areas turned into a winter wonderland overnight, but the massive blanket of snow has kept residents indoors unless absolutely necessary
The only residents seen outside were trying to dig out their driveways, but will likely do so beyond the weekend
The snow completely covered Buffalo and surrounding areas like here in Hamburg and caused Bills practice to be canceled on Friday
While residents were digging, the Bills tweeted a weather map on Friday afternoon with the caption “brb out to shoveling” and later posted photos of a snow-covered Highmark Stadium
The photos show mounds of powder snow caked on stadium seats and near the goalposts.
With Sunday’s game against the Browns being played in Detroit, the Bills will play two games in five days at Ford Field as they play the Lions on Thanksgiving in Detroit.
‘[Coach] Sean [McDermott] doing a great job messaging and making sure our guys understand it’s still going to be a football game,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane told ESPN.
‘Everything else is the same. It’s a short flight. We’re going to try to keep it as routine as possible. Is it a bit of a nuisance? Yes. But I think our guys are pros. They understand.’
The Bills are expected to return to Buffalo after the game against Cleveland before returning for their Thanksgiving game against the Lions.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in preparation for the storm, which she characterized as “life-threatening.”
The National Weather Service said, “The snowfall will lead to near-zero visibility, make travel difficult to impossible, damage infrastructure and paralyze the hardest-hit communities.
“Very cold air will accompany this event, with temperatures dropping 20 degrees below normal by the weekend. Historical snowfalls of more than four feet are likely around Buffalo.”
A man was seen shoveling snow after the blizzard and extreme winter weather hit Buffalo, New York
Due to the harsh weather conditions, trucks with attached plows began to take to the streets
Homes were covered in white powder after Buffalo experienced a massive amount of snow overnight
Buffalo residents tried to move snowdrifts blocking their homes amid a countywide travel ban for security concerns
Snow covered everything from houses to trees along the streets and will continue to blanket the city until Sunday
The Lake Effect Snow Warning will remain in effect until 1 p.m. Sunday, with forecast totals of 2 to 4 feet of snow.
South Buffalo to West Seneca to Elma are at risk for the highest totals, while the heaviest snow is expected to fall Friday night, when snowfall can exceed 3 inches per hour.
Wind gusts have been forecast as high as 35 mph and are expected to produce patchy blowing snow.
The National Weather Service has warned that travel will be very difficult to impossible during this period and dangerous conditions will affect Friday night commutes.
“The heavy snow could also bring down some tree branches and cause scattered power outages,” they added.
In areas east of Lakes Erie and Ontario, snow could fall at more than four inches per hour, with gusty winds and lightning also slamming the areas.
The storm’s most intense snow is expected to batter the Buffalo area, where more than four feet could pile up, making a forecast not seen in more than 20 years.
The city’s highest three-day snowfall is 56.1 inches, which occurred in December 2001
Williamstown, Oswego County residents had 24 inches of snow Thursday night, and Oneida County saw 14 inches of the white stuff.
Other areas affected by the storm include parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and western Lower Peninsula, where gusty winds and heavy snow also make for near-zero visibility and unsafe travel conditions.