ORCHARD PARK
Lake-effect snow could pose problems at Bills' Monday night game
An 8:30 p.m. kickoff and a possible lake-effect snow blast have local law-enforcement officials bracing for the worst and suggesting precautions for fans attending the Monday Night Football clash between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.
Wearing highly reflective clothing, opting for a designated driver or a limo ride and packing the car with blankets and flashlights are some of the precautions suggested by law-enforcement officials.
“Night games are typically more problematic, because people are going to be arriving and departing when it’s dark,” Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard said. “Because it’s an 8:30 p. m. game, people arrive early and potentially start drinking earlier, so there’s a possibility of more drunken drivers.”
Fans should dress for the weather, but they also should wear highly reflective clothing and use caution when they’re walking to and from the stadium, Howard suggested.
He also called on those who plan to do a lot of drinking to plan on having someone else drive, whether it’s a designated driver, bus driver or limo driver.
The night game isn’t the only factor that has law-enforcement officials concerned.
They’re also looking closely at the weather reports.
The National Weather Service’s latest forecast for the Southtowns on Monday night calls for occasional snow showers, with lows in the mid-20s and a 90 percent chance of snow.
But this is lake-effect snow, difficult to predict exactly where it’s going to hit the hardest.
“By Monday night, we expect bands of snow coming off Lake Erie,” meteorologist David Thomas said Friday. “The exact placement, it’s a little too early to know exactly where it’s going to hit.”
State Police plan to bring in extra troopers to patrol the roads, because it’s a night game.
The possibility of bad weather adds to the patrol challenges.
“From a policing standpoint, it absolutely complicates the issue for us,” State Police Capt. Michael Nigrelli said. “Not only do you have people driving who shouldn’t be, but that’s compounded by conditions that would be tough for even the most sober drivers. That could be a recipe for disaster.”
Because the game likely will end at about 11:30 p. m., authorities suspect fewer people will linger in the parking lots afterward. That means a mass exodus right after the game ends, possibly in bad weather.
That’s why Nigrelli suggested that people pack winter survival gear in their car, in case it breaks down. Things like blankets, flashlights and reflective clothing, just in case.
“You’re traveling in more wintry conditions than you’ve been used to since last winter, so be prepared,” Nigrelli said.
Extreme weather, especially a heavy lake-effect snow band that hits during the game, is part of the contingency plan prepared by law enforcement agencies.
“We’re watching the weather reports very closely,” Howard said. “A big lake-effect snow is one of the factors we’re prepared for, but we hope we don’t have to use [our plan].”
