The 49ers are walking into a winter wonderland.
A lake-effect storm warning is in effect for the Buffalo area through Monday night, with multiple feet of snow expected before the Bills host the 49ers on Sunday night at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, about 10 miles south of downtown Buffalo.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET, and a snow band is forecast to pass through beforehand before dipping south of Orchard Park, according to the National Weather Service.
“As the front goes through, the snowfall rate will be 1 to 2 inches per hour. It’s got a pretty good snowfall rate with it as it moves south,” Aaron Reynolds of the National Weather Service told this news organization in a phone interview. “Once it moves south, the Orchard Park area should be free and clear, with decent snow showers around the area.
“But as far as heavier lake-effect snow, it should be clear of the Orchard Park area.”
Temperatures Sunday are expected to reach as high as 31 and fall into the low 20s, with gusts as high as 24 mph before calming in the evening to 5 to 9 mph.
“There’s not much here we can prepare for,” wide receiver Deebo Samuel said Tuesday. “I see like 30 mph winds (forecast). We live in California with great weather all the year around, so you can’t kind of prepare for something like that. You have to deal with it when you get there.”
Running back Christian McCaffrey grew up in suburban Denver and played in his share of snow games.
“When I was 7 we had a Super Bowl on the lower field at Regis Jesuit High School. It was a blizzard, and we beat the Cherry Creek Bruins, double overtime on a last-second play. And that was a blizzard,” McCaffrey said. “Then played in a bunch more, a couple of my state championships we were in in high school, in a blizzard. I’m familiar with the snow. It will be a fun atmosphere.”
The 49ers are flying into Buffalo on Friday night after their final, official practice; it’s unknown where they’ll hold their private, Saturday walk-through.
The team is expected to stay in downtown Buffalo, which is expected to avoid the brunt of the snowstorm this weekend.
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Last weekend, the 49ers lost 38-10 in Green Bay, where temperatures slightly dropped from 43 degrees at kickoff and a light rain developed.
“When you go into it and you hear that it could be the weather that it is, you take that in your mind a lot understanding how the game can be,” coach Kyle Shanahan said, “but you don’t make a full game plan for that, because I’ve listened to plenty of weather reports that changed that day too. So you’ve got to be ready for anything, just like you are with injuries, but we fully understand what the elements may be.”
This is the 49ers’ sixth visit to Buffalo. Here are the conditions and outcomes of past visits:
2016: Loss 34-24. Weather: 72 degrees with 22 mph wind
2008: Win 10-3. Weather: 38 degrees, 15 mph winds, wind chill of 29
1998: Loss 26-21. Weather: 50 degrees, 9 mph
1983: Win 23-10. Weather: 27 degrees, 14 mph wind, wind chill of 16
1972: Loss 27-20. Weather 60 degrees, 12 mph wind