ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — For the second time in a week Highmark Stadium, home to the NFL's Buffalo Bills, was buried by lake effect snow.
The storm that hit the greater Buffalo area late last week forced a one day postponement of a wild card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where crews tried mightily, but unsuccessfully, to clear all of the seats of several feet of snow.
It didn't matter to Bills fans, though, who slogged their way in and, in some cases, slid down aisles on their backsides to sit where they could and enjoy the Bills victory, which sent them to the second round of the playoffs.
Just a day after that game occurred, another snowstorm struck, and the stadium bowl was once again buried.
Can you dig it?
On Thursday morning, before the last of the flakes finally stopped flying, crews began clearing the parking lots with front end loaders, scooping snow into a parade of dump trucks that began hauling it to nearby Erie Community College's South Campus, where heavy equipment pushed it into giant piles.
By Thursday afternoon, the first crews began shoveling out the upper decks of the stadium seating areas.
"Yesterday, unfortunately, we couldn't get in because of the driving bans, but now we're back, and hopefully we get enough people and clear this out for the game and beat the Chiefs," said Amanda Zeisz, a crew supervisor with Jani-King, a commercial cleaning company that's been hired to set up the shoveling shoots and remove snow from the seats.
"We actually enjoy it," said Jennifer Morales, a member of the crew who expected to be working into the night and multiple days in order to get the stadium cleared out by Sunday.
"We have fun here, and I don't have any problem with it at all, and go Bills!" Morales said.
Thursday evening the Bills put out a call for additional shovelers to assist those from Jani-King. They may begin work at 2 p.m. Friday and will be paid $20.00 per hour.
Zeisz advises that they wear hats, gloves, and even snow suits as well as a change of clothes because they get wet.
"Extra socks, toe warmers and even garbage bags to wear on your feet ... and make sure you wear actual boots. Sneakers just do not work," she said.