ORCHARD PARK, NY (KDKA) – The Steelers vs. Bills AFC Wild Card matchup will have to wait another day.
According to multiple reports in Western New York, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the NFL have agreed to postpone the game to Monday at 4:30 p.m. instead of Sunday at 1 p.m.
“In consultation with our emergency response teams, [Buffalo Bills] Chiefs and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed Monday at 4:30 p.m.,” the governor said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Now, heavy, lake-effect snow and high winds are expected in Western New York, making it dangerous to play in those elements.
“Due to public safety concerns in light of the weather emergency in Western New York, Sunday's Steelers-Bills game has been moved to Monday at 4:30 p.m. … The decision has been made to move the game to Monday. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is in the best interest of public safety,” the Bills said in a statement.
Related: Heavy snow and high winds will make travel to New York for the Steelers-Bills playoff game tricky
According to KDKA First Alert Meteorologist Ray Petelin, snow rates can exceed 2 inches per hour at times in the Buffalo area, and that means whiteouts should be expected and road crews can't keep up with snowfall of that intensity.
In addition to postponing the game, the governor also announced a full travel ban in Erie County starting at 9 p.m. Saturday.
This isn't the first time the Steelers' playoff game has been postponed in the last 10 years.
In 2017, the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs was moved from 1:00pm to 8:00pm due to an impending storm.
The Steelers won the game 18-16.
Monday's game will be on KDKA-TV at 4:30 p.m
Stay with KDKA.com for more details
