(Reuters) – The NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and visiting Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed until Monday due to a winter storm, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Saturday.
The game, originally scheduled to kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Sunday, will now begin on Monday at 4:30 p.m, Hochul wrote on social media.
Hochul said she was in communication with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding what are expected to be dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend.
“In consultation with our emergency response teams, @BuffaloBills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 pm Monday,” said Hochul.
In a separate post, Hochul said travel was going to be “extremely dangerous” in Western New York and that she is implementing a full travel ban in Erie County starting later on Saturday.
The Bills (11-6) won their final five games of the regular season to clinch the AFC East division title while the Steelers (10-7) are riding a three-game win streak.
In anticipation of the storm, the Bills on Friday had asked anyone interested in shovelling snow at their stadium — for $20 an hour and with complimentary food — to arrive there at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday to get the venue ready for the game.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)