Orchard Park, New York. – The San Francisco 49ers, who suffered a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, will play Sunday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13 as snow, subzero temperatures and high winds from a powerful winter storm are expected to hit Western New York. , will once again face a tough battle.
The FOX Prediction Center is calling for heavy lake-effect snow, with several feet of snow possible in areas near and south of Highmark Stadium throughout the multi-day event that continues into next week.
A lake effect snow warning will be in effect for Orchard Park's Highmark Stadium during the game, but the latest forecast from Friday morning shows snow could fall south of Orchard Park during Sunday night's game. .
Snow totals vary widely depending on where lake-effect snow bands form.
“Several feet of snow could fall throughout the weekend with the most persistent lake snow,” the National Weather Service office in Buffalo said. “Snowfall averages 1 to 2 inches per hour, but higher amounts are possible.”
Forecasters warned that poor visibility and deep snow on roads would make travel extremely difficult and in some cases “almost impossible”.
Impact on fantasy football
The Bills' victory comes a week after defeating the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. With some rest and getting used to playing in extreme weather conditions, the Bills could have a chance at a seven-game winning streak.
Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid could return for Sunday's game against the 49ers. He will very likely lead the Bills in goals this season, making him a great option to use as your primary tight end or as a flex option.
Also expected to return is rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, who is coming back from a wrist injury.
San Francisco's starting quarterback, Brock Purdy, suffered a shoulder injury in Week 11 against Seattle, so his status as of Sunday is still up in the air.
Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey, who is now healthy, should automatically start at the RB1 position. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year was held to just 31 yards against Green Bay, but snow and wind could reduce visibility, so he'll get more than 11 carries in this game. Fans are hoping that it will happen. .
Winds could reach 30 miles per hour and temperatures will feel like they'll be in the single digits to low teens as arctic air moves in. We know that gusty winds make kicking difficult, and cold temperatures affect a quarterback's performance throwing the ball.
If heavy snow falls over Orchard Park, Highmark Stadium could once again host a snowglobe game like the one seen in years past.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said his team is ready for whatever weather comes. “The only question is how do we respond to it? Our staff does a phenomenal job,” he said.
McDermott said if the stadium needs to be shoveled, as it has been in past years, he is ready to do it.
“What's always amazed me since I moved here is that even when we get a foot, two feet, three feet, seven feet (of snow), the streets are miraculously cleared,” McDermott said. spoke.
Highmark Stadium is used to lake effect snow
Bills fans remember last season when the Super Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers had to be postponed, but it was November and December of 2022 that Buffalo will never forget.
The snow from the historic lake-effect snowstorm that hit Orchard Park in November 2022 was deep enough to build a snowman more than 80 feet high on the Buffalo Bills football field.
On that snowy day, the Cleveland Browns were scheduled to play the Bills at Highmark Stadium, but NFL officials decided to move the game to covered Ford Field in Detroit instead.
Just one month later, a historic blizzard dumped several feet of snow on nearby areas, stranding motorists and issuing a state of emergency across Erie County.
The FOX Prediction Center says this Thanksgiving weekend storm is not expected to bring as much snow as the historic day, but the snow will cause road closures and significant travel delays across the state. It is said to be a possibility.
