Buffalo Bills dig out 20-plus inches of snow at Highmark Stadium ahead of 49ers Sunday night matchup

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – After a brutal loss last Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will face another tough competition during Week 13's Sunday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills as parts of western New York are buried under more than 3 feet of snow.

Heavy lake-effect snow has been blasting western and northern Michigan, northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania and western and northern New York since Black Friday and shows no signs of slowing down until Monday night or Tuesday morning. As much as 46 inches had piled up by Sunday morning in areas south and east of Watertown, New York, in the heaviest snow band off Lake Ontario.

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A Lake-Effect Snow Warning remains in effect for Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park through the game, though the latest projections as of Sunday afternoon indicate the Lake Erie snow band could drift south of Orchard Park ahead of Sunday night's game. However, a few lingering snow showers or flurries might pass over the stadium throughout the evening.

Weather observers in Orchard Park measured storm totals between 20 and 23 inches of snow on Sunday morning, and the FOX Forecast Center said another few inches was possible before the snow band shifted farther south and away from Highmark Stadium.

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

"NYSDOT forces have been doubling up on plow beats in and around the stadium since last night on Route 20, Route 20A, Route 219, Route 5 and Route 179," NYSDOT wrote on X Sunday morning. "Tow trucks will be on standby to clear vehicles quickly and ensure traffic keeps moving."

Highmark Stadium was pummeled by heavy snow on Saturday and Saturday night, which was when the majority of the 20-plus inches fell in Orchard Park.

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

"Shoutout 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 mounds of snow from the stadium Saturday night.

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Travel advisories are in place across parts of western New York, including Erie County, where Orchard Park is located, so fans traveling to the game are urged to use caution on the roads.

On Sunday, NYSDOT will focus heavily on plowing the portions of Interstate 90 used to get to Highmark Stadium.

Fantasy football implications

The Bills are coming off a bye week after winning against the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Rest and being no stranger to playing in extreme weather could set the Bills apart for a potential seven-game win streak.

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid has been ruled out Sunday for the 49ers game. 

However, hopeful to be back is rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman from a wrist injury. He is listed as questionable after being limited in practice in recent days.

San Francisco's starting quarterback, Brock Purdy's status is still up in the air for Sunday after he injured his shoulder in Week 11 against Seattle. He is also listed as questionable, though he was a full participant in the team's most recent practice.

Meanwhile, a now-healthy Christian McCaffrey should be an automatic start in your RB1 position. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year was held to only 31 yards during their game against Green Bay, but due to the possibility of snow showers and wind, fantasy owners can bank that he should get more than 11 carries in this game.  

With winds potentially gusting to 20 mph and arctic air in place, temperatures will likely feel like the teens during the game.

The wind could make kicking tough, and cold temperatures have been shown to affect the performance of how a quarterback can throw the ball.

The Bills' head coach Sean McDermott said the team is prepared for whatever weather comes their way. "It's just about how we respond to it. Our staff does a phenomenal job," he said. 

McDermott said if snow needs to be shoveled from the stadium like in years past, they're ready for it. 

"I've always been amazed since moving here, that you can get a foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 7 feet (of snow), and the roads are cleared in some miraculous way," McDermott said. 

Highmark Stadium 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 November and December of 2022 that Buffalo will never forget.

Snow from the historic lake-effect snowstorm that hit Orchard Park in November 2022 was so deep that you could make an over 80-foot-tall snowman with all the snow on the Buffalo Bills’ football field.

The Cleveland Browns were supposed to play the Bills at Highmark Stadium on that snow day, but NFL officials decided to move the game to Detroit’s covered Ford Field instead.

Just a month later, a historic blizzard dropped feet of snow in nearby locations, stranding motorists and forcing a state of emergency across Erie County.

The FOX Forecast Center says that this Thanksgiving weekend storm isn’t expected to produce as much snow as these historic days, but snow could cause travel delays for fans headed to Sunday night's game.