Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - In the NFL, it's all about the game plan, right?
Well, that will be the case both on and off the field for the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, as they plan to defeat the Miami Dolphins in a divisional showdown in Orchard Park, and also get fans safely into the parking lots and stands with as much as a foot of snow on the ground.
"We’ll deal with it as it comes," said Buffalo Bills Vice President of Operations and Guest Experience, Andy Major on Friday, as plans were being tweaked to clear snow from the lots, stands and field as a lake effect snow storm was looming.
Will Saturday night's game be a repeat of the infamous "Snow Bowl" against the Indianapolis Colts in 2017? Time will tell, says Major.
"That game against the Colts is certainly one that’s in a lot of peoples’ minds,” he said.
Major says the team feels comfortable with their plans, and says they have a great partnership with the Erie County Department of Public Works, as well as emergency services officials, the New York State Department of Transportation and surrounding municipalities.
"We’re a storm-ready facility with the National Weather Service," said Major, meaning they have the proper communications and planning in place to handle a developing storm situation.
Crews will be keeping the roadways leading to the stadium clear, as well as the main stadium driveways and lots right up until the lots open, according to Major. Once the lots are full, the lots won't be plowed to avoid "plowing in" fans' vehicles, and attention will focus on clearing the main driveways and main roadways.
"It’s a lot easier if it’s six inches that they just have to drive through to get to a main artery," said Major of fans leaving after the game ends. “We just need to get the fans to the arteries.”
Inside the stadium, fans should expect to be ready to sit in and walk through any snow that falls after gates open and the game is being played.
"Everything focuses to safety, safety, safety and comfort drops down on your list," Major said.
Bills officials remind fans of what's not allowed inside the stadium for any game will apply to Saturday's game. No battery-powered warming devices are permitted inside the gates.
Meteorologists are continuing to track the potential path of the lake effect snow, with some models showing the snow band over the stadium area before and during the game before it eventually settles southward.
On the field, the snow-clearing effort get tricky, as the Bills need to follow NFL guidelines and the on-site officiating staff, whose main focus is on keeping the lines every 10 yards clear of snow.
"You need to keep the lines clear. That’s the NFL rule for game day," Major said.
As meteorologists continue to track the lake effect snow potential, the Bills operations team and area public works crews are working overtime to be ready to safely usher fans in and out of the Highmark Stadium on Saturday night, and host a prime-time NFL game in the process.
"I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing a final score, and that will make everything we’re doing worthwhile when it’s a Bills ‘W'," said Major, as he contemplated the unknowns heading into a big Bills game while staring down a lake effect snow monster.
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