ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills are set to face off for the second time this season Saturday night at Highmark Stadium, and snow is in the forecast.
Last week, the Dolphins needed bench heaters during Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers because temperatures were in the mid-50s.
Now with the Bills’ open-air stadium, snow and below-freezing temps, they’re going to need even more heaters as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not known to play well in cold-weather games.
And it’s no surprise that the Dolphins have been one of the worst-performing NFL teams in frigid weather since 2008. In games with temperatures below 34 degrees, the Dolphins have a record of 7-14 with a winning percentage of 33%, according to data from SportsWeather.
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While the Bills were one of the best, ranking in the top 10 with a 28-23 record since 2008 and a winning percentage of 55%.
The Dolphins are on a two-game losing streak entering Saturday’s game but can keep their division title hopes alive with a win over Buffalo, which would be a season sweep.
Winter Storm Warnings are currently posted for central and northeastern Pennsylvania through Upstate New York and portions of northern New England, where snow is expected.
The FOX Forecast Center said the snow will overspread much of Pennsylvania and New York on Thursday afternoon, then expand into Vermont, New Hampshire and western Massachusetts on Thursday night.
DISRUPTIVE ICE, THEN HEAVY SNOW AHEAD FOR NORTHEAST AS COAST-TO-COAST WINTER STORM BIDS ADIEU
Snow will continue all day Friday while spreading into Maine before it finally winds down on Saturday.
FOX Weather Winter Storm Specialist Tom Niziol is forecasting a long-lived snow event for upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
The snowfall amounts will be elevation-dependent, with the higher elevations easily picking up more than a foot of snow from upstate New York to western Maine. Lower elevations will see lower snowfall amounts due to mixing with sleet and freezing rain.
Earlier this season, the Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills game had to be moved from Buffalo to Detroit due to a historic snowstorm.
BROWNS VS. BILLS GAME MOVED FROM BUFFALO TO DETROIT DUE TO HISTORIC SNOWSTORM
Due to Highmark Stadium being an open-air stadium, crews were worried about the amount of snow needing to be cleared, as the city picked up several feet of snow.
The last time the NFL moved a game out of Buffalo due to weather was in 2014.
In 2014, the Jets vs. Bills Week 12 matchup was moved from Sunday to Monday at Ford Field. Heavy snow in the Buffalo area moved the game to Detroit.
The Buffalo Bills stadium design provides little protection from the elements – both snow and cold.
Only a select few areas in Highmark Stadium have heating, and due to its design, almost all seating has no protection from the elements – including the snow.
BUFFALO BILLS’ HIGHMARK STADIUM OPEN TO MOTHER NATURE WITH PROTECTION FROM IMPENDING SNOWSTORM
Now, the Buffalo Bills recently released renderings for their new state-of-the-art stadium expected in the fall of 2026, and the team and designers knew that the lack of heat and no overhang to protect fans were issues.
“In addition to the stacked seating that will provide protection from the elements, extensive radiant heating will be in place to enhance fan comfort,” Bills insider Chris Brown wrote about the released renderings.
And while the design is always subject to change, the new stadium is said to have a clearer focus to be both “functional and comfortable” for the Bills Mafia.
But in the meantime, the open-air stadium will have to do with the little heat and snow.