The echoes of plows clearing snow from the walkways and the sounds of shovels digging seats resonated throughout Highmark Stadium on Monday, hours before the Buffalo Bills team hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a playoff game for the substitute spot in the Asian Football Confederation delayed due to the storm.

The sun that rose at noon gave way to a gray sky, but there was no more snow, as a small army of stadium staff and volunteers earning $20 an hour raced to clear the 70,000-seat facility before the game kicked off at 4:30 pm.

While the snow was removed from the green artificial turf, the vast majority of the stands were still covered with a white blanket, making it uncertain whether it would be cleared in time for the game, but the remnants of the lake-effect snow, which dumped more than two feet of snow on the Bills’ home in the Orchard Park suburbs, moved north toward Buffalo, providing relief for those working inside the stadium.

Bob Isaacs, looking at the blue sky south of the field, said, "It lightens the mood, that definitely helps."

As for how tough the task at hand is, Isaacs said, "For two seconds. Then you have to remember you’re a Bills fan. It’s all part of the deal."

This is the fourth year that Isaacs, 62, has volunteered to clear snow at the stadium, which he considers his way of supporting his hometown team.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at 1 pm Sunday, when most of the storm was hitting the area, mostly concentrated in Orchard Park. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in consultation with the NFL, postponed the game on Saturday due to public safety concerns.

Plow crews have been clearing stadium seats, walkways, and tunnels since Sunday, when snow fell at a rate of more than 2 inches (5 cm) per hour. Crews worked through the night, with the Bills issuing a call for more volunteers early Monday.

Brandon Bromert woke up at 4 am and drove 90 miles from Rochester, New York, to help with shoveling.

Bromert, who will switch his shovel for gate operation as a ticket, said, "The conditions are nice now. Thank God the wind isn’t blowing. If the wind was blowing, it would be tough now with the snow falling."

Main roads leading to the stadium were cleared, with five-foot-high piles of snow lining the roads after being plowed. The National Weather Service forecast on Monday predicted a chance of snow showers during the early afternoon, with temperatures reaching 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 degrees Celsius). Temperatures are expected to drop to 14 (minus 10), with winds ranging from 8 to 16 miles per hour (13-26 km/h).