The Pittsburgh Steelers took off from Pittsburgh International Airport just after 3:00 PM ET to travel to Buffalo for their playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday afternoon. The flight was slightly delayed, but they ultimately took off and arrived just before 4:30 PM ET, just over 24 hours before the game’s scheduled kickoff, per flight tracking data from FlightAware.
WGRZ sports reporter Lindsey Moppert posted a clip on X of the Steelers deplaning shortly after landing.
The game was originally set to take place on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET, but heavy wind and snow caused unsafe travel conditions and forced the NFL’s hand into delaying the game until Monday. There are near-whiteout conditions in western New York right now, but the Steelers arrived safely. Here is a shot of what it looked like just outside the stadium two hours before the original kickoff time, per Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz on X.
New York state officials, in communication with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, expressed confidence that the game would not be rescheduled again on Sunday afternoon, and the Steelers’ safe arrival should reinforce that message.
Getting to Buffalo Niagara International Airport was part one of the team’s travels, but now they will have to get safely transported to their hotel amidst unsafe travel conditions. Many parts of the area are still on a strict travel bans with low visibility and icy conditions.
The weather on Monday is not expected to be nearly as treacherous, though it is expected to still be snowing and slightly windy. The current forecast, per the National Weather Service, includes a high temperature of 21 degrees, 15-20 mph winds, and a 100 percent chance of snow with new accumulations of up to three to five inches. The effort to clear the stadium of snow is already underway, but with three or more inches per hour expected through the rest of today and into the morning that fight will be ongoing.
Many thought the nasty weather conditions could play into the Steelers’ hand against the Bills. The weather will still be a factor, but the 45 mph wind gusts aren’t expected to be present, so passing the football will be more of an option than it was initially expected to be.
