Monday, May 21, 2012

Schedule favors snow games for Bills, Patriots fans

Photo: Mark Watmough, Flickr 
BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Bills will be at Ralph Wilson Stadium for three games in December of 2012, and the Patriots will host games at Gillette Stadium three times that month, as well.

You'd imagine fans wouldn't have it any other way.

Buffalo averages roughly 18-to-25 inches of snowfall from the beginning to end of December, according to City-Data. The national average is two-to-four inches.

Foxborough (photo right, Aaron Frutman, Flickr) averages six-to-12 inches of snowfall in the final month of the year.

"So you're telling me there's chance?" said Lloyd Christmas while visiting snow-filled Aspen.

Foxborough and Orchard Park have combined to host 11 pro football games played in heavy snowfall since 2000, according to FootballGeography.com. The amount of games played in light snowfall or icy conditions is too copious to count.

I'm confident in estimating more than 90 percent of Buffalo and New England fans love the snow-game experience, so for their sake, let's hope it's a white December.

Buffalo will host the Florida-based Jaguars Dec. 2, so that's a favorable spot for the Bills, and it hosts the Jets Week 17, which is poised to be an entertaining contest.

The Patriots have an even more favorable finish in terms of climate, as they host the Texans, 49ers and Dolphins in December.

Follow Nick @NickStDenis
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily