RELEASE: Hochul statements, press conference on WNY snow storm on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Releases, transcript, Youtube video. NYSNYS News
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For Immediate Release: 1/14/2024
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL
STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL, ERIE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MARK POLONCARZ, AND BUFFALO MAYOR BYRON BROWN
“Over the last 24 hours we have seen dangerous, rapidly-shifting conditions across Erie County. Our forecasts predict the City of Buffalo and eastern suburbs will receive an additional foot of snow tonight. To address these extreme conditions, we will be extending all current travel bans and advisories until 6:00 AM tomorrow morning. At that time, restrictions will be lifted everywhere in the City of Buffalo, most of Erie County, all State roads and the New York State Thruway. A full travel ban will continue in the City of Lackawanna and the Towns of Cheektowaga and Lancaster, which will be hardest hit overnight, but will be reevaluated after 6:00 AM. We are grateful to the plow drivers, emergency personnel and first responders working to keep our communities safe.”
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Sunday, January 14
Governor Hochul is in Erie County monitoring storm developments.
2:45 PM Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on Extreme Weather
NYS Thruway Authority Command Center
455 Cayuga Road
Cheektowaga, NY 14225
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For Immediate Release: 1/14/2024
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL
GOVERNOR HOCHUL UPDATES NEW YORKERS ON EXTREME WEATHER AND WESTERN NEW YORK TRAVEL BANS
Grand Island, Tonawanda, Amherst, Clarence and Newstead to Reopen to Vehicle Traffic at 3:30 PM Today
Travel Ban Remains in Place in Central Erie County and Many Southtowns; Commercial Vehicles Also Banned on New York State Thruway Between Exit 46 and the Pennsylvania State Line
Further Updates Expected at 7 PM This Evening
New Yorkers Should Continue to Stay Off the Roads and Avoid Unnecessary Travel
Lake-Effect Weather Systems to Continue Creating Near Impossible and Dangerous Travel with Whiteout Conditions Throughout Sunday
Potentially Life-Threatening Conditions Including Damaging Winds, Freezing Temperatures and Lake Effect Snow
State of Emergency in Effect for Multiple Counties; New York National Guard Deployed to Western New York for Emergency Response Support
Search and Rescue Personnel Deployed to Western NY
New Yorkers Urged to Prepare for Potential Power Outages and Other Severe Winter Weather Impacts
New Yorkers Can Subscribe for Emergency Alerts Here
Governor Hochul and local authorities today announced that full travel ban for passenger and commercial vehicles in Erie County will be lifted in Grand Island, Tonawanda, Amherst, Clarence and Newstead today at 3:30 PM. Central Erie County and many Southtowns will remain under a full travel ban until further notice, and the Thruway remains closed to commercial traffic between Exit 46 and the Pennsylvania State Line. Drivers are advised to stay off the roads and avoid unnecessary travel.
“Our crews have been working around the clock to keep the roads clear and New Yorkers safe, and I am grateful that the vast majority of New Yorkers heeded our ban and stayed off the road,” Governor Hochul said. “As conditions are improving int eh north towns we are lifting the travel ban there, but if you do not have to travel today, stay home and let our crews continue to work. If you are in Central Erie County and much of the Southtowns, continue to stay home.”
New Yorkers in Western New York are being urged to stay home throughout the duration of the storm. Travel in impacted areas could be dangerous at times throughout the evening due to life-threatening blizzard-like conditions. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert at https://alert.ny.gov, a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.
Currently, there are 25,569 outages statewide, including 18,518 outages in the Mid-Hudson region, 90 in Western New York and 42 in the North Country. Utility crews have kept up with the level of power outages incurred to date, and remain on standby to restore any additional power outages if and when they occur.
On Friday, Governor Hochul declared a State of Emergency to warn and prepare New Yorkers for potentially dangerous and life-threatening weather forecasted to impact communities along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario with blizzard-like conditions. The State of Emergency remains in effect and applies to the following counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Wyoming.
Earlier this morning, the travel ban was lifted in the Towns of Collins, North Collins, Concord, Sardinia, Colden and Holland, as well as in the Villages of North Collins and Springville.
Warming Shelters
New York State continues to operate warming shelters with cots, pillows, and blankets, as well as mental health counselors at each site for assistance with using facilities. NY National Guard and the New York State Incident Management Team are operating the sites:
Erie Community College (South Campus), 4041 Southwestern Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14203
Windom Elementary School, 3870 Sheldon Rd, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Orchard Park Middle School, 60 South Lincoln Ave, Orchard Park, NY 14127
The City of Buffalo has also opened warming shelters, more information on them can be found here. New York State has provided water and MREs for both state and city warming shelters.
Search and Rescue
New York has surged additional search and rescue resources to Western New York in response to this storm including:
33 State-tracked vehicles
50 4x4s
25 military vehicles
Additional resources are staged outside the storm area ready to deploy if needed, and the state is coordinating with the County to engage the snowmobile clubs for additional assistance as well.
Agency Activities
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is providing limited bus, rail, and paratransit services to customers, based on weather conditions. Before going outside, customers should check the NFTA website at https://metro.nfta.com/schedules/plan-your-trip. The Buffalo Airport remains open, but most commercial flights have been cancelled, travelers should check with their airline regarding their flight status prior to heading to the airport.
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The Division has activated the State’s Emergency Operations Center in Albany to coordinate the State's response throughout the severe weather event. The Office of Emergency Management is in contact with local counterparts and is prepared to facilitate requests for assistance, and State stockpiles are staffed and ready to deploy emergency response assets and shelter supplies as needed.
The State Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan is activated and the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control has 24 personnel and various types of emergency response vehicles staged at the Buffalo Airport. The New York State Incident Management Team was deployed to Western New York in advance of the storm to assist with emergency management-related tasks.
Division of Military and Naval Affairs
The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs is mobilizing 100 Soldiers and Airmen with 25 vehicles from the New York National Guard to provide general support to Western New York.
New York State Department of Transportation
The State Department of Transportation is actively responding to this statewide weather event with more than 3,700 operators and supervisors available statewide. Staff can be configured into any type of response crews that are needed (flood response, chipper, load & haul, sewer jet, cut & toss, traffic signal, etc.). All residencies in impacted locations will remain staffed for 24/7 operations with operators, supervisors, and mechanics throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations.
In addition to existing resources, the Department has deployed 74 staff, including 54 additional operators, 11 supervisors, six equipment trainers, two Incident Command Support specialists and one safety representative to Western New York, along with 25 large snowplows, three large snowblowers, two loaders and a grader. Additionally, four traffic signal technicians are being deployed to the Finger Lakes region.
Statewide assets are as follows:
1,599 large plows
337 loaders
148 medium plows
82 wheeled and tracked excavators
52 tow plows
37 snow blowers
32 traffic signal trucks
23 pickup trucks with plows
20 graders
13 tree crew bucket trucks
For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit https://www.511ny.org or the mobile site at m.511ny.org, New York State's official traffic and travel information source.
Thruway Authority
Thruway Authority staff are actively engaged in snow and ice activities and responding to the lake effect storm with more than 700 operators and supervisors available statewide. The Authority shifted additional staff and snow fighting equipment from the Syracuse, Albany, and New York Divisions to support snow and ice operations in Western New York throughout the weekend. Staff is currently monitoring the storm track and additional operators and equipment are on standby and will be deployed if conditions warrant.
Statewide equipment numbers and resources are listed below:
364 large and medium duty plow trucks
10 tow plows
64 loaders
Approximately 120,000 tons of salt on hand
Variable Message Signs and social media are utilized to alert motorists of winter weather conditions on the Thruway.
The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic information, live traffic cameras, and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails and follow @ThruwayTraffic on X for the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.
Department of Public Service
Electric utility companies regulated by the Department of Public Service have approximately 11,400 workers available statewide to engage in response, repair and restoration efforts for this weekend’s winter weather event. This includes the following additional external contract workers who remained in the State after finishing their work related to the earlier in the week storm.
Resource breakdowns for this winter weather event are as follows:
NYSEG and RG&E have 4,798 workers available, including 3,030 external line workers and 436 external tree workers.
National Grid has 4,362 workers available, including 2,069 external line workers and 382 external tree workers.
Con Edison has 750 workers available including 100 external contract line workers, assigned to their Bronx/Westchester Operating Division.
Orange & Rockland has 270 workers available for the weekend weather event.
Central Hudson has 135 workers.
PSEGLI has 1,134 workers available
The utilities’ emergency response plans and incident command structures are activated to track response, damage assessment, repair, and restoration efforts throughout the event. DPS staff continues to track utilities' work throughout the event and ensure utility companies shift appropriate staffing to regions that experience the greatest impact. If your service is interrupted, visit the DPS Utility Service Interruptions website for tips.
New York State Police
State Police continues to monitor weather conditions and is deploying additional Troopers to impacted areas as needed. All State Police four-wheel drive and specialized vehicles, including snowmobiles, airboats, and utility terrain vehicles are staged and necessary equipment is being utilized for immediate response as needed. All emergency power and communications equipment are functioning appropriately.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC Emergency Management staff, Environmental Conservation Police Officers, Forest Rangers, and regional staff remain on alert and continue to monitor the developing situation and weather forecasts. DEC is coordinating resource deployment with agency partners and all available assets to targeted areas in preparation for potential impacts due to rain, snow, and high winds, including swift water rescue teams and sawyers.
DEC reminds those responsible for the removal and disposal of snow to follow best management practices to help prevent flooding and reduce the potential for pollutants like salt, sand, oils, trash, and other debris in snow from affecting water quality. Disposal of snow in local creeks and streams can create ice dams which may cause flooding in nearby areas. Public and private snow removal operators should be aware of these safety issues during and after winter storms. Additional information is available at https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/togs5111new.pdf.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
New York State Park Police and park personnel are on alert and closely monitoring weather conditions and impacts. Response equipment is being fueled, tested, and prepared for storm response use. State Parks has sawyer crews in Western New York and the North Country on standby for deployment for potential road clearing operations.
Safety Tips
Winter Weather:
Service snow removal equipment. Use rock salt to melt ice on walkways, and sand to generate traction.
Winterize your home and have heating sources inspected annually.
If you use heating oil, maintain an adequate supply.
Have safe, emergency heating equipment available and use according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Install and check smoke alarms.
Protect water pipes from freezing.
Traveling in Winter Weather
Some of the most important tips for safe driving include:
Do not drive unless necessary.
If you must travel, make sure your car is stocked with survival gear like blankets, a shovel, flashlight and extra batteries, extra warm clothing, set of tire chains, battery booster cables, quick energy foods and brightly colored cloth to use as a distress flag.
If you have a cell phone or other communications device such as a two-way radio available for your use, keep the battery charged and keep it with you whenever traveling. If you should become stranded, you will be able to call for help, advising rescuers of your location.
The leading cause of death and injuries during winter storms is transportation accidents. Before getting behind the wheel, make sure that your vehicle is clear of ice and snow; good vision is key to good driving. Plan your stops and keep more distance between cars. Be extra alert and remember that snowdrifts can hide smaller children. Always match your speed to the road and weather conditions.
It is important for motorists on all roads to note that snowplows travel at speeds up to 35 mph, which in many cases is lower than the posted speed limit, to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. Oftentimes on interstate highways, snowplows will operate side by side, as this is the most efficient and safe way to clear several lanes at one time.
Motorists and pedestrians should also keep in mind that snowplow drivers have limited lines of sight, and the size and weight of snowplows can make it very difficult to maneuver and stop quickly. Snow blowing from behind the plow can severely reduce visibility or cause whiteout conditions. Motorists should not attempt to pass snowplows or follow too closely. The safest place for motorists to drive is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and salted. Never attempt to pass a snowplow while its operating.
Power Outages
Planning:
If you use medication that requires refrigeration, most can be kept in a closed refrigerator for several hours without a problem - check with your physician or pharmacist.
If you have space in your refrigerator or freezer, consider filling plastic containers with water, leaving an inch of space inside each one –this will help keep food cold if the power goes out.
Plan to have an alternative cooking source, such as a camp stove or outdoor grill. Follow appropriate safety rules for its use outside the residence.
Consider buying a generator and follow the rules for using it outside the residence. Before installing a generator, be sure to properly disconnect from your utility electrical service. If possible, have your generator installed by a qualified electrician.
Have extra blankets, coats, hats, and gloves on hand to keep warm.
If you have a computer, back up files and operating systems regularly. Turn off all computers, monitors, and other devices when they are not being used.
If you have an electric garage door opener, locate the manual release level, and learn how to operate.
If you have a telephone instrument or system that requires electricity to work, plan for alternate communication such as a standard tele-phone handset, cellular telephone, or radio.
What to Do If the Power Goes Out
Turn off or disconnect major appliances and other equipment, e.g., computers, in case of a momentary power surge that can damage these devices. Keep one light turned on so you know when power returns. Consider using surge protectors wherever you use electronic equipment.
Call your utility provider to notify them of the outage and listen to local broadcasts for official information. Check with your utility to determine area repair schedules.
Check to see if neighbors and those with access or functional needs have power.
Use only flashlights for emergency lighting - candles pose the risk of fire.
Keep refrigerators and freezer doors closed - most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for approximately four (4) hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
Do not use a charcoal grill indoors and do not use a gas stove for heat - they could give off harmful levels of carbon monoxide.
Stay warm by dressing in layers and minimizing time spent outdoors. Be aware of cold stress symptoms (i.e., hypothermia) and seek proper medical attention if symptoms appear.
Close off rooms you do not need.
To Report an Electric Outage, Call:
Central Hudson: 800-527-2714
Con Edison: 800-752-6633
National Grid: 800-867-5222
NYSEG: 800-572-1131
O&R: 877-434-4100
PSEG-LI: 800-490-0075
RG&E: 800-743-1701
Heating Safety
Use only safe sources of alternative heat such as a fireplace, small well-vented wood or coal stove or portable space heaters.
When using alternative heat sources such as a fireplace, woodstove, etc. always make sure you have proper ventilation. Always follow manufacturer's instructions.
Keep curtains, towels, and potholders away from hot surfaces.
Have a fire extinguisher and smoke detectors and make sure they work.
If you use kerosene heaters to supplement your regular heating fuel, or as an emergency source of heat, follow these safety tips:
-Follow the manufacturers' instructions.
-Use only the correct fuel for your unit.
-Refuel outdoors only and only when the unit is cool.
-Keep the heater at least three feet away from furniture and other flammable objects.
-When using the heater, use fire safeguards and ventilate properly.
Flooding
Planning:
Learn the safest route from your home or business to high, safe ground should you have to leave in a hurry.
Keep your vehicle fueled or charged. If electric power is cut off, gasoline stations may not be able to pump fuel for several days. Have a small disaster supply kit in the trunk of your car.
Find out how many feet your property is above and below possible flood levels. When predicted flood levels are broadcast, you can determine if you may be flooded.
Keep materials like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing.
Travel Safety
Flooding and damaging winds can make traveling dangerous.
Never attempt to drive on a flooded road – go another way. Remember: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
-Six inches of swiftly moving water can cause you to lose control of your vehicle or knock you off your feet if walking.
-Do not underestimate the power of fast-moving water. Two feet of fast-moving flood water will float your car and water moving at two miles per hour can sweep cars off a road or bridge.
-If water begins to rise rapidly around you in your car, abandon the vehicle immediately.
-If water is rising inside the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof. Do not drive around road barriers.
For more winter safety tips, visit https://dhses.ny.gov/safety. For all non-emergency service needs in New York State before, during or after a storm, call 211 or visit 211nys.org.
About the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. For more information, follow @NYSDHSES on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) or visit dhses.ny.gov.
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For Immediate Release: 1/14/2024
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL
VIDEO, AUDIO, PHOTOS & RUSH TRANSCRIPT: GOVERNOR HOCHUL UPDATES NEW YORKERS ON EXTREME WEATHER AND WESTERN NEW YORK TRAVEL BANS
Governor Hochul: “We're announcing now that at about 3:30, we'll be lifting the travel bans in the Northtowns, but only in these communities: Grand Island, Tonawanda, Amherst, Clarence and Newstead. Again, a travel advisory remains in effect. This does not mean you can leave these towns and go to other towns that are still in the area of the ban.”
Hochul: “No one should be on the Thruway. And again, no other roads are open outside those southeastern towns in Erie County and those northern communities will be opened at 3:30 today… It’s not about unnecessary restrictions. It's about keeping New Yorkers safe and allowing first responders and ambulances, utility crews to respond.”
Earlier today, Governor Hochul updated New Yorkers on the extreme weather and Western New York travel bans.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.
PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
When I opened my storm briefing yesterday afternoon, I said my highest priority as the Governor of the State of New York is to protect the public and their safety. Thanks to my amazing partners in this room, starting with our County Executive Mark Poloncarz, and our Mayor of the City of Buffalo Byron Brown. We have worked in incredible coordination with one single mission, that is to make sure that Western New Yorkers are protected during the duration of this storm.
I also want to thank the thousands of State, County, and City workers who put themselves out on the line during very hazardous conditions to keep the roads clear, to do the pre-salting, our law enforcement who are enforcing our travel bans. And let's remember all those and the countless people who are monitoring data as it's coming in and giving us real time information. Again, with the objective of keeping Western New Yorkers safe.
And I also know that we all have our favorite teams, right, Mayor? That's right. And my favorite team is the team that I brought here from Albany, and that is the Dream Team, who are so expert in dealing with storm response. And I want to thank Commissioner Jackie Bray from Homeland Services; Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, DOT Commissioner; Director of the Thruway Authority Frank Hoare; Commissioner Rory Christian from the Department of Public Service; and Colonel Dan Cooney from the State Police.
Now, we all know as Western Yorkers how dangerous the triple threat is – the triple threat of icy cold temperature, with high winds and the blowing snow and how dangerous that all can be. It's life threatening weather. That's exactly what's going on now in the vicinity of where there would have been a football game playing today in Orchard Park and overall throughout the Southtowns.
So, we've been working closely together, and I would say that the forecast of this storm really underestimated the ferocity of this storm. Number one, the volume of snow was predicted to be one to two inches an hour, which is a lot of snow over a 36 to 40-hour period. But what we've seen since this morning, that the snow bands are staying longer, they're broader, and also we're now seeing in real time four to five, possibly six inches an hour in the Southtowns in particular.
What we're expecting now over the next couple of hours, the Southtowns between now and 5 p.m., that same rate of snow falling three, four, five, six inches an hour. Again, more intense than previously thought.
Wind gusts were predicted to be 35 to 40 miles an hour. They are now gusting up to 50 miles an hour. What that means: whiteout conditions, limited or no visibility and again, very dangerous on our roads. After 5 o'clock, the conditions in the Southtowns will be a little bit better, but still can be very hazardous, with snowfall rates of one to three inches an hour. Still coming down, and still blowing.
And it still makes it very difficult for our State and County and City plows to do their jobs. The lake effect snow affects each community differently. We saw this afternoon in the North Country as well. We saw widespread four to eight inches. The Northtown – I'm not talking about the Northtown, I'm talking about the North Country.
The North Country up near, in Jefferson County and Watertown, which we're watching very closely. They're expecting at least another foot of snow tonight. Again, a lot of wind blowing at intense rates as well. So, we're closely communicating with those individuals as well.
Now, as you heard earlier, improvements in Erie County allowed us in consultation with the County Executive who determined that we could lift the ban in certain towns in the southeast part of Erie County. That was lifted at 9 a.m. today.
We're announcing now that at about 3:30, we'll be lifting the travel bans in the Northtowns, but only in these communities: Grand Island, Tonawanda, Amherst, Clarence and Newstead. Again, a travel advisory remains in effect. This does not mean you can leave these towns and go to other towns that are still in the area of the ban.
So, we're going to be very intentional about making sure those bans are still enforced. And we'll make sure that – we don't want a ban in place a single minute longer than necessary, but we can never let it be one minute too short either.
I know they're disruptive. I know they're frustrating. And that's why we're trying to be targeted in our approach opening up some of the communities that are not as affected, but being very conscientious about the fact that there are still many high impact towns that are being affected at this very moment, and it is too dangerous to lift the bans at those times, or on the New York State Thruway overall.
So, I will be updating Western New Yorkers again around 7 o'clock today on what's going on regarding any bans for the rest of Erie County and the City of Buffalo. The Mayor and I are talking about what he wants to do with the City in a couple of hours.
Again, this time also allows the crews to do their jobs so people aren't stuck on side streets, which is important so that'll continue.
Now, enforcement. You do not want to have to get a ticket and deal with this later. So the best advice is follow the bans, stay at home for whatever time is deemed necessary. Again, it'll be as minimal as necessary.
State Troopers have already issued over 360 tickets primarily on the New York State Thruway, which continues to be a place where people are violating the bans. And I want to give another message out to the truck drivers, including the one that, within the last hour, violated the ban – came through the Lackawanna toll barrier, jackknifed, as could be predicted, and blocked lanes of traffic, three lanes of traffic, for at least a half an hour. That's what we're trying to avoid.
This is what we've seen in every other storm. This is where people get stranded. This is where people can freeze in their cars. And while we've had very few incidences of this, because we preemptively shut down the Thruway and got the warnings out and the bans, a single incidence like this, of someone violating the rules and the ban, can cause a real problem.
And again, for our first responders to be taken off their jobs and have to go dig out a truck who should never should have been on the road in the first place, is frustrating. No one should be on the Thruway. And again, no other roads are open outside those southeastern towns in Erie County and those northern communities will be opened at 3:30 today.
So again, it's not about unnecessary restrictions. It's about keeping New Yorkers safe and allowing first responders and ambulances, utility crews to respond. Now, speaking about utility crews, you talk about the lessons of the past. We've always tried to get as many utility crews prepositioned before a storm hits so they can build up resiliency and understand the vulnerabilities, areas that could be most likely to lose power.
I'm really, really proud. And I want to thank Rory Christian, the head of the Public Service Commission, who is on the ground with us here today for his work and working with utilities. At any given time, we had thousands without power, but very quickly restored within just a couple of hours. And as someone who's lived through sometimes days and days without power at home with little kids in Hamburg not that long ago, we know how important it is to get the power restored, and I'm really grateful for them that there's only about 100 people now without power here.
Same with the North Country up in Jefferson County. Large, wide scale power outages, mostly restored, and now where we're seeing power outages are because of snow squalls that have now hit Central New York, the Southern Tier and the Capital Region. So that's what we're dealing with now.
We have about 12,000 power outages there. We did have crews prepositioned in those regions as well, so they're doing their work now. The storm is not over. It could have been far worse. But it's still not a safe condition to go out. So we want to make sure people continue staying home just a few more hours and we'll be through the snow.
Now, I do want to say this. I know there's a lot of excitement around tomorrow's game, and you know we could not risk the safety of our fans and the personnel at the stadium and all of our first responders and law enforcement because of the triple threat, where you get the high winds, you get the bitter cold, and the blowing snow.
Now at game time on Monday, here's what we expect. Weather conditions will be very cold, they'll be in the teens. And even wind chill factors as low as zero maybe to nine degrees, but that's going to be very, very cold. But this will be without the danger of the winds and the blinding snow and the hazardous traffic conditions for those as they travel to the stadium or leaving, based on current predictions.
So that is a better dynamic than, by far better dynamic, than we would have had today. I'm not saying it's going to be pleasant, but conditions won't be life threatening either. Just as a note, Monday will be the 30th anniversary of what was the coldest football game ever played in Buffalo Bills history here in Western New York.
It was zero with wind chills reaching minus 32. If you start feeling cold, think back about the people who were there 30 years ago, and it was a lot colder. And remember, that resulted in a win that led us to the Super Bowl. There's good karma playing in the bitter cold here in Buffalo, and that's what we're hoping for tomorrow.
With that, go Bills. Thank you, Western New Yorkers, for listening to us. We would not have gotten through this the way we did at this point, so please continue to heed our warnings. Thanks for your cooperation, and again, look forward to seeing you on the other side of a big win tomorrow night.