Bills vs. Browns weather updates: Week 11 NFL game moved to Detroit because of ‘extreme’ snowstorm in Buffalo

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NFL fans will be disappointed to learn that the league’s first potential “snow game” of the season won’t occur after all.

The Bills vs. Browns game, which was originally expected to be played in Buffalo, won’t be held there after all. This comes as Buffalo and the surrounding areas are set to be rocked by a snowstorm in the days leading up to the contest.

Snow has already begun falling in Buffalo as of Thursday, and it should pile up over the course of three days. There is the potential for lake-effect snow during the storm which could make this blizzard an all-timer.

Given the forecast, the NFL has moved the Bills-Browns game just across the Great Lakes. It will now be held in Detroit at Ford Field instead of Buffalo.

Here’s a look at the weather forecast in Buffalo over the next few days and why the NFL decided to hold the Cleveland vs. Buffalo game in Detroit.

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Bills vs. Browns weather updates, forecast

The Bills-Browns game is set to take place as a massive snowstorm hits the Buffalo area.

Meteorologists are forecasting that nearly six feet of snow (70 inches) could fall in Buffalo as a result of this storm. In fact, one model projects that much snow will fall nearby the city in less than a 24-hour span.

Snow is expected to continue to fall from Thursday through Saturday, as there is a greater than 80 percent chance of precipitation each day, per Weather.com.

And as many Buffalonians showcased on Thursday, a good amount of snow has already begun to fall.

The weather for Sunday in Buffalo isn’t as ominous as it is on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Weather.com forecasts that there will be “a few flurries or snow showers possible” during the contest, but lists the chance of precipitation at just 16 percent.

So, the bigger issue wasn’t necessarily about the weather during the game. It was about whether Buffalo would be able to clear enough of the snow to stage it.

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What is lake-effect snow?

The “extreme” nature of this Buffalo snowstorm is expected to be fueled by lake-effect snow. That is defined by the National Weather Service as the following:

Lake Effect snow occurs when cold air, often originating from Canada, moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes. As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere. The air rises, clouds form and grow into narrow band that produces 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour or more.

Both Buffalo and Cleveland are positioned right next to Great Lakes. As such, the Bills and the Browns are both familiar with lake-effect snow and how quickly it can pile up.

Even still, while both teams are familiar with it, that wasn’t necessarily going to make it easier to play the game. It all depended on the condition of the city and the stadium once enough of the snow stops falling.

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Is the Bills vs. Browns game being moved, postponed?

The NFL has decided to move the Bills vs. Browns game to Detroit’s Ford Field, the Bills announced on Thursday afternoon.

As of Thursday morning, the NFL had been planning to play the Bills vs. Browns game as scheduled at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. That said, the league had announced it was keeping a close eye on the weather conditions in Buffalo, so it’s not necessarily a surprise that they moved the contest.

“We continue to monitor the weather and have been in contact with both clubs,” Chief NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy told Pro Football Talk.

It also isn’t a surprise that the game is being moved to Detroit. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that Ford Field in Detroit was among those being considered to host the game if it is moved. “Several other locations” were in the mix but Detroit was ultimately chosen to host the game.

The Bills have had a game moved from Buffalo to Detroit because of a snowstorm before. That occurred in when the Jets and Bills played on Monday night in 2014, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reminded NFL fans on Thursday.

Given that the Lions are playing on the road against the Giants, it made sense for the Bills to stage the game at Ford Field, which is relatively close to both Cleveland and Buffalo. The Bills are also set to play at Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day, so it makes sense from a travel perspective to move them there.

The NFL was always more likely to move the game than postpone it given that the Bills were set to play on Thanksgiving at 12:30 p.m. ET; that would have made it impossible to move the game to Monday or Tuesday.

Both teams knew that moving the game was a possibility. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was told that the “logistics” of the game could be impacted by the weather but he is just trying to make sure the team is focused and ready for the game, wherever and whenever it may be.

“For us, we just have to focus on what we have to do,” he said, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Now, the two teams will have to gear up to play in a neutral-site game instead of a big-time blizzard.

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How Browns, Bills are preparing for snowy conditions

Neither the Browns nor the Bills seem particularly worried about playing in snowy conditions. Both teams are focusing on controlling what they can control and being prepared for whatever weather is present on game day.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski explained that his No. 1 focus is making sure the Browns have an offensive game plan ready for a bad-weather game.

“When the weather is going to be a factor as it might be, you are always thinking about having plays that you might turn to should it be a major factor,” he said, per The Chronicle-Telegram.

Additionally, Stefanski believes that the team’s experience playing in these types of games will prove beneficial, especially at the quarterback position.

Jacoby played in a whiteout in this stadium in 2017, so he is used to it. [Offensive coordinator] Alex Van Pelt is on staff. He played there for many years. The guys are prepared for if that is what it ends up being but can’t spend too much time worrying about that. Just on the front end, put together a plan and [be] ready to pivot on the moment if need be.

Meanwhile, Bills coach Sean McDermott’s focus was less on the on-field performance of the Bills. After all, his team is used to playing in Buffalo and played through a brutally windy game and single-digit temperatures in their two games against the Patriots last season.

Instead, McDermott wants to make sure his younger players who aren’t as familiar with the snow are equipped to deal with it. He also wants to make sure the Bills have practice contingency plans in case they aren’t able to get to the team facilities Thursday through Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot of guys from Florida, a lot of guys from down south, out west even, that have never seen snow before,” McDermott said, per the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “Our development team does a great job. They equip them with scrapers and de-icing mechanisms.

We’ve already started to put a plan in place behind the scenes of what happens if we can’t get in Friday, what happens if we can’t get in Saturday, or to the hotel Saturday evening (where the team stays the night before games) with that being downtown.

While the coaches and some of the veteran leaders on both sides are focused on preparation, others are simply looking forward to playing in the snow.

“There’s a little bit of excitement in there,” said Browns running back Nick Chubb. “It always looks like fun.”

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