Once more, the Buffalo Bills are turning to Bills Mafia for assistance in getting ready for a home playoff game.
The Bills made the announcement on Thursday that they will need additional help shovelling snow at Highmark
Stadium in preparation for their divisional round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Potential shovelers are asked to show up and register at the location in Orchard Park, New York, beginning on Friday
at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Shovelers will be paid $20 per hour, and the company says they will have a “comfortable
warm break area”.
Shovelers need to have a valid photo ID and be at least eighteen years old, or have appropriate working documents if
they are younger. When shoveling between seating sections, the Bills urge that shovelers wear weather-appropriate
clothing and, if at all feasible, carry their own shovel.
For the second time in the past week, a lake-effect snowstorm has struck Western New York. Buffalo’s wild-card
game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was rescheduled from Sunday to Monday due to the first storm in the area. The
NFL and New York Governor Kathy Hochul cited public safety concerns as the reasons for the postponement.
Even before the postponement was announced on Saturday, the Bills had issued a call for shovelers, and workers
spent Sunday and early Monday digging out the stadium. As of Monday morning, just hours before kickoff, the team
was still looking for shovelers after Orchard Park saw an 18-inch snow pour.
Most of the stadium’s seats were still covered in snow when the gates opened for Steelers vs. Bills. Snow was cleared
by spectators using cardboard pieces or their hands after obtaining shovels from guest services.
Following Buffalo’s 31-17 triumph over Pittsburgh, the area has been pounded by another storm. The National
Weather Service (via NBC station WGRZ) reports that Orchard Park received 21 inches of snow from Tuesday
through Thursday morning. More snow is predicted for Friday and possibly Saturday.
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Even though Sunday is predicted to be quite chilly, snow is not anticipated to be an issue. With a high of 25 degrees,
a low of 18, and an 11% chance of precipitation, the gameday outlook is primarily cloudy.
The Chiefs, who defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-7 on Saturday in below-freezing Kansas City conditions, are
coming off one of the coldest games in NFL history.
The Chiefs-Bills game begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with the winner earning a trip to the AFC Championship Game.
