Update: Buffalo Bills paying fans to shovel snow at Highmark on Sunday after playoff game moved to Monday

Update: The Buffalo Bills’ AFC Wild Card game will be postponed until Monday afternoon to avoid a potentially “dangerous storm,” Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Saturday afternoon.

>> Buffalo Bills playoff game postponed because of ‘dangerous’ lake effect storm

The game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will now be played at Highmark Stadium at 4 p.m. Monday, Hochul said. The National Football League agreed to the change, she said.

The Bills announced they would pay fans $20 per hour to shovel snow inside Highmark Stadium ahead of the game when it was scheduled for Sunday. That announcement was made before the decision to postpone the game until Monday.

The Bills announced that shovelers can begin reporting to Highmark Stadium starting at 8 a.m. Sunday.

There are multiple shifts available for snow shovelers to work. The shifts begin at 8 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Shovelers are encouraged to click here to pre-register.

Original post

As a massive lake-effect snow and wind storm crushes much of Western New York this weekend, the Buffalo Bills are calling to fans for help ahead of their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon.

The Bills announced Friday that they would pay fans over the age of 18 to shovel snow at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Saturday night through Sunday morning. They will be paying $20 per hour and ask shovelers to bring their own shovels, if possible, to the stadium starting at 10 p.m. Saturday.

According to the National Weather Service, the Buffalo area could get as much as 27 inches of snowfall accumulation between Saturday and Sunday night. The service also issued winter storm warnings for the region.

The temperatures are expected to drop as low as 22 degrees Saturday night with a high of 24 degrees on Sunday, according to the weather service.

Driving conditions will also be a concern with wind speeds ranging from 29-38 miles per hour with wind gusts up to 60 mph on Saturday night and 26-28 mph with wind gusts up to 44 mph after 8 a.m. Sunday.

Gov. Kathy Hochul also declared a state of emergency this weekend in Western New York and Tug Hill for “potentially dangerous and life-threatening blizzard-like conditions” at the eastern shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

The state of emergency applies to Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego and Wyoming counties.

Shovelers can shovel snow throughout the night on Saturday into Sunday morning if needed. Complimentary food and breaks will be provided in a comfortable and warm area. Those interested in shoveling must have proper photo identification to work.

Shovelers can park in Lot 6 off Abbott Road just north of the team store and proceed to the Jani-King office trailer at the bottom of the steps to register for work.

Shovelers are encouraged to click here to pre-register.

The AFC East champion Bills host the Steelers at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Bills earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC after defeating the Miami Dolphins, 21-14, in the regular season finale last Sunday.

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