Ravens-Bills Forecast Looking Dicey: Lake Effect Snow Could Fall In Buffalo During Playoff Game
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Ravens are getting ready to face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs on Saturday night.
Many fans are keeping a close eye on the Buffalo forecast with some potential for snow to impact the game.
Buffalo could see some lake effect snow Saturday night, about a 30% chance, just in time for the game and particularly during the first half.
The kickoff forecast will be 34 degrees, and winds will be between 15 and 25 miles per hour, which means windchill will be in the mid-20's most of the game.
WJZ's Bob Turk said snow is possible, but it doesn't appear that it will impact the entire game. Due to the changing winds off of Lake Erie, snow is nearly impossible to pinpoint, Turk added.
If it does snow, Lamar Jackson says he'd be playing in it for the first time. That might give the hometown team an advantage over the Ravens.
"I never got to play in the snow, except my first time seeing snow in Louisville," Jackson told reporters Tuesday. "But we had a snowball fight so that was totally different from playing in it."
"Hopefully it don't [snow]," he added.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman downplayed any fears fans may have, and says it could actually play to the Ravens' advantage because of Jackson's ability to run the ball.
"I definitely think it can aid somebody with his skillset, as far as the footing of the people trying to corral him. As far as the snow, I think the snow will be much easier for him to deal with than some of the heavy sheets of rain [and] some of the torrential downpours we've played in the last couple of years," he said. "A nor'easter just happened to blow in when we went to New England. Last year, you guys remember the [San Francisco] 49ers game. Do you remember that? There was flooding everywhere. So, those are the games that really, really impact it. Snow? Not so much. Wind? Yes; wind can be a major factor."
Wintry weather and a strong breeze could also impact the game for the kicking team. Justin Tucker recalls playing in some rough conditions in Buffalo in the past and says the team will be ready for whatever Mother Nature will bring.
"The one thing for us is we try to go outside and just really just try to kick in those elements. It's been pretty cold here. We typically get some wind on our field. When you're going up to Buffalo, you can't really replicate those kinds of winds in that stadium," he told reporters Wednesday. "What you can do is just go out there, trust your technique, and really, when you get out there in pregame, just making sure that you try to figure out those wind patterns. Now, for us, we actually had an opportunity to go up there and play last year in December. So, it was pretty windy. And we've got three great specialists that they know how to handle the game, and they'll make sure that they do the things necessary to go out and play at a high level on Saturday night."
The Ravens play the Bills at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. WJZ will be live from Buffalo starting at noon on Friday.
WJZ's Weather Team will be tracking the weather in Buffalo and will update the forecast should things change.
Stay up-to-date with the latest forecast by downloading the WJZ weather app.
