BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Black Friday was giving way to a white weekend in parts of New York state, with the first big snow of the season threatening to bury towns along lakes Erie and Ontario during a hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend.
As flakes began flying Friday, forecasters warned 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) of blowing and drifting snow could fall in Watertown and other areas east of Lake Ontario through Monday.
After an unusually mild fall, as much as 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) of snow were possible along Lake Erie and south of Buffalo from lake-effect bands notorious for pummeling the region with snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) per hour. Lake-effect snow happens when warm moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead.
“The lake is 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius). We’re about six degrees above where we should be this time of year, that’s why we’re seeing these heavy lake-effect events,” Erie County Public Works Commissioner William Geary said. “The outlook for the next two weeks into December, we’ll probably see some more.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency for the targeted counties, allowing state agencies to mobilize resources. Rapidly deteriorating conditions Friday caused closures along Interstate 90, and tandem and commercial vehicles were banned from Interstate 86 in western New York and much of state Route 219 beginning Friday afternoon.
“There’s a considerable number of vehicles going off the road on the 219 currently,” Gregory Butcher, Erie County's deputy director for preparedness and homeland security, said at an afternoon briefing. He said ATVs and snowmobiles were being placed around the county to help first responders if necessary.
The Buffalo Bills called for volunteers potentially willing to shovel snow at Highmark Stadium, where over 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow was possible before Sunday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier this year, a major lake-effect storm forced the NFL to push back the Bills wild-card playoff home game against Pittsburgh from Jan. 14 to Jan. 15.
“It’s going to be slow going, there’s no doubt about that,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, adding the heaviest snow is expected to be over by kickoff.
The team, meanwhile, was preparing to play in any conditions.
“We’re trying to stay on top of it,” coach Sean McDermott said on Friday.
“You guys know things change around here quickly with the weather coming off the lake and everything. So we do the best we can,” he added.
The Bills are 9-2, their best start since 1992, and with a win Sunday, they would clinch their fifth straight AFC East title.
Lake-effect snow also covered parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in a system that is expected to last through the weekend.
The area was blanketed in snow by Friday afternoon, with some places already measuring more than a foot (0.3 meters) of snow.
“We’ve got this westerly, northwesterly flow regime and this chilly air mass over the U.P.,” National Weather Service meteorologist Lily Chapman said. “So it’s a pretty good setup for this long duration lake-effect snowfall event.”
Heavy lake-effect snow in parts of northern Michigan was expected to continue into the weekend, according to the weather service's Gaylord office. Some areas of the Upper Peninsula could see up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) of snow Sunday night through to Monday, Chapman said.
Gusty winds, especially near the Great Lakes, have impacted visibility, and Chapman urged caution on the roads.
Another weather service meteorologist, Joe DeLizio, said he hadn’t been made aware of any major accidents so far.
“Haven’t heard too much as far as problems, but obviously travel is pretty difficult,” DeLizio said.
AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed from Orchard Park, N.Y. Isabella Volmert contributed from Lansing, Michigan and and Joey Cappelletti from Sawyer, Michigan.
FILE - A stadium worker clears snow from seats before an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)
DENVER (AP) — Jerry Jeudy can't wait to get back to Denver, the city he once was so eager to leave.
Monday night marks Jeudy's homecoming when the Cleveland Browns (3-8) visit the Denver Broncos (7-5), who are seeking to go three games above .500 for the first time since opening the 2021 season with three victories.
“I ain’t circled it,” Jeudy said, “but I definitely seen that it was on the schedule, was very excited about it. Now it’s here. Now it’s time to perform.”
Jeudy was the Broncos' first-round draft pick in 2020 and mostly a disappointment before requesting a trade in March and signing a three-year, $58 million contract extension in Cleveland.
Jeudy returns to Denver on the kind of roll he never really enjoyed in the Mile High City — 19 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown over the last three games — and he's developing a good chemistry with Jameis Winston while averaging nearly 100 yards per game since Week 8.
That's the kind of production the Broncos envisioned but rarely saw from the highest-drafted wide receiver in franchise history, one who got along well with Denver coach Sean Payton but still felt he needed a change of scenery.
“I just wasn’t satisfied how they were using me and I felt like I could do way more than what they expected of me,” Jeudy said. “I felt limited, so I felt like I had to go somewhere else to really showcase what I’m about.”
Part of the problem was living in Courtland Sutton's shadow in Denver.
Sutton is on quite a roll himself as he deepens his connection with rookie QB Bo Nix after skipping the offseason program in a quest for more money.
Sutton has caught 36 passes for 467 yards and three TDs over the last five weeks and is coming off his first career game with multiple touchdown receptions. He even threw a TD pass to Nix at Baltimore in Week 9.
Just like he did when the Broncos faced Atlanta safety and former teammate Justin Simmons recently, Sutton said he wishes Jeudy all the best — but just not in Denver.
“I wish nothing but many blessings and a lot of highlights coming to him — anything past this week," Sutton said. “But going into this week, he's got a tough matchup with (Patrick Surtain II) over there. That's cornerback one.”
Like his former teammates, Payton was — and is — a big fan of Jeudy's.
“He’s explosive, he separates,” Payton said, adding, Jeudy “has great hips, great transition, and he has great football IQ.”
It just didn’t pay off all that often in Denver.
Jeudy grew up in Florida about 20 minutes away from Broncos star fellow Alabama alum Surtain, and they squared off against each other plenty in youth football.
“It’s going to be a fun matchup,” Jeudy said. “I’ve known Pat since little league, been competing against him down there my whole life. To finally get the opportunity to go against him on this big stage, it’s going to be fun.”
Surtain is equally excited to play against his childhood friend.
“Yeah, it's going to be fun,” Surtain said. “I know it's going to be a great matchup."
The Broncos are in position for the seventh and final AFC playoff spot entering December. The Browns have won just two of their last nine games but those victories were against the playoff-contending Ravens and Steelers.
“You can't look at records in the NFL,” Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “Any team any week is capable of beating anybody. Like you just saw, Carolina took Kansas City down to the wire.”
Take it from Jeudy: Altitude is a real challenge in Denver.
“It’s kind of hard to breathe but that shouldn’t stop us,” said Jeudy, who advised his teammates to “make sure they hit that, what’s the thing? The altitude room.”
The Browns spent time during the week in their altitude room inside the team's headquarters where the oxygen level can be changed so players can do cardiovascular training in conditions replicating what they'll deal with in Denver.
“We got treadmills. We got some bikes. We got some skiing,” Winston said.
Nix has been named the NFL Rookie of the Week three consecutive times. He has thrown for at least 200 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in his last three games, which is tied for the longest streak by a rookie since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The others to do it were C.J. Stroud, Gardner Minshew and Dak Prescott.
The Browns have a horrible history with — and in — Denver.
Cleveland has suffered some of the toughest losses in franchise history against the Broncos, who beat the Browns in three AFC Championships in four years in the late 1980s. Two of those losses were given infamous nicknames: “The Drive” and “The Fumble.”
The Browns are 4-14 at Denver. They won in 1970 and 1972 but have gone 2-14 since.
“I don’t put much stock in the history there,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “It’s a tough place to play regardless for any team that goes in there.”
AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) scrambles in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) pulls in a pass against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton pulls in a touchdown pass as Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones (18) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
