20:11
Muhammad Aslam
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — A storm that has dumped more than six feet of snow in the Buffalo area this week, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency, led to the N.F.L.’s decision Thursday to relocate theBills-Jets game, scheduled for Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, to Detroit on Monday night.
While Ford Field could have been used on Sunday, the league chose to move the game to 7 p.m. Monday so that the Bills, who have been unable to practice this week, could have more time to prepare.
The Bills will be able to use the Lions’ practice center on Friday and during the weekend. The league said that details on tickets and other game-day information would be announced later.
The storm has left at least 10 people dead, others trapped in their homes and large swaths of western New York buried under as much as 10 feet of drifting snow.
With thousands of people stranded and more snow on the way, the N.F.L. decided that Sunday was not the time for a game in the Buffalo area.
“We have been in contact with the public authorities, and we realize the importance of all available public safety resources being available for the community at this difficult time,” the N.F.L. spokesman Michael Signora said in a statement. “We are also in discussions with the team and the Red Cross on ways the N.F.L. can support the community through this weather disaster.”
Speaking before the league announced that the game would be moved, Jets Coach Rex Ryan said his team would be ready.
“It’s clear that the most important thing is the safety of the people in the Buffalo area, and we certainly understand that,” Ryan said.
The Bills and the N.F.L. had been criticized for not deciding to move the game sooner.
Early Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in town to coordinate cleanup efforts, said at a news conference with county officials, “My two cents is it would be impractical to do the game because it could jeopardize public safety.”
On Thursday afternoon, the N.H.L. postponed a game between the Sabres and the visiting Rangers scheduled for Friday night. The league said a makeup date would be announced as soon as possible.
Mike Gilbert, a Sabres spokesman, said that no snow had fallen in downtown Buffalo on Thursday but that with driving bans in effect across the region, there were concerns about the welfare of fans and workers.
A series of lake-effect storms brought high winds and heavy snowfall beginning Monday night and lasting into Wednesday. By Thursday, a fresh storm had dumped more snow in areas mainly south of Buffalo. The Bills canceled practice for the second straight day.
By 2 p.m., whiteout conditions had struck Orchard Park. Crews working to keep the parking lots clear at the stadium halted their efforts because of near-zero visibility.
Bills Coach Doug Marrone has been living at the team’s offices. He and his staff have been sending game video to players electronically.
Although the 220,000 tons of snow that had fallen by Wednesday needed to be moved from the 22-acre stadium before Sunday’s game, Andy Major, the Bills’ vice president for operations, had hoped to enlist the help of 500 shovelers to clear the stadium in time.
Now the operations staff will focus on clearing the stadium for next week’s game, against the Browns.
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