Bundle up Bills fans. Here's the updated weather report for playoff game vs Chiefs
Many factors will determine who wins between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, but will the Orchard Park forecast be one of them?
The Bills playoff tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 14 was moved due to adverse winter weather, so eyes have been on the forecast since. Maybe this time, players and fans alike will not have as much to worry about on the drive to the stadium or during the game.
What is the weather in Orchard Park for the Bills-Chiefs game?
The National Weather Service in Buffalo anticipates a chance of snow showers before 8 a.m. Sunday in Orchard Park, but the day should be partly sunny with a high near 23 degrees. The evening forecast calls for mostly cloudy conditions with a low around 18 degrees as it gets colder and colder as the sun goes down. There will be a southwest wind around 14 mph.
The AccuWeather forecast for Highmark Stadium calls for a daily high of 26 degrees with considerable cloudiness. The evening forecast also calls for an 18-degree low temperature and breezy winds, with gusts up to 20 mph.
The forecast, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines, is pretty typical for western New York on a January evening. Anyone going to the game should bundle up for cold weather, as the wind will make it feel closer to 10 to 15 degrees. You hardly have to tell a Bills' fan that.
“Considering what they went through in the last game and what it could be in January, this is a pretty tranquil cycle of weather,” Kines said.
The forecast comes with higher than usual confidence, Kines said, and there is no expectation for precipitation to pop up on the forecast, despite snowfall earlier in the week that prompted a travel ban on Wednesday. While Buffalo is dancing in a snow globe ‘round and ‘round, heavy lake effect was forecast to stop Thursday evening.
Even with snow forecast up until the morning of Sunday’s divisional matchup, Bills fans should have less concern about travel conditions prior to kickoff.
Buffalo Bills weather this season
While Buffalo has a well-deserved reputation for cold weather football, this wasn’t exactly a banner year of frigid football at Highmark Stadium, according to information from NFLWeather.com. Last Sunday’s game against the Steelers was the first home game below freezing this season, though this Sunday is sure to join the list.
Two regular season games, Sept. 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders and Oct. 1 against the Miami Dolphins, were in the 70s. The Bills had only one rain game at home this season, the Dec. 17 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys, 31-10, amid the five-game winning streak to close out the regular season and win the AFC East. The rest were in overcast, clear or cloudy conditions.
— Steve Howe covers weather, climate and lake issues for the Democrat and Chronicle and his favorite outdoor chore is shoveling snow. Have any insight into changing weather or climate? Share with him at showe@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Weather for Buffalo Bills game vs Chiefs: Bundle up. The details
