Living in the Northeast, do you know how often I’ve muttered to myself while shoveling snow out of my driveway, “Why don’t we have a better way of melting this stuff?” I always envied the guy in Frosty Returns who invented the aerosol spray that instantly melted snow. I always wished that was an actual thing.
It turns out the Buffalo Bills have come up with their own crazy way of melting snow, with plans to install the largest-ever snowmelt system at their new stadium. The team shared a video that highlights the specifics of the concept. How does it work? Well, there is a roof that covers 60% of the seating area above the stadium. The New Highmark Stadium roof will have sensors and the ability to let off hydronic heat to melt away the white stuff.
And yes, the roof is very strong. It has to be to hold the snow long enough for the advanced piping running through it to melt it away. The field will also be heated to help control any lingering flurries that make it onto the field.
Buffalo Bills’ New Stadium Will Actually Melt Snow on the Ground
There are no specifics on the cost of this, but the new stadium is projected to cost around $2.1 billion. And a decent chunk of that will go into this advanced system. If you’re wondering, this will be among the most expensive NFL fields ever.
When it comes to snow, there may not be a team that deals with more blizzards than the one located up north in Buffalo. The team just had a wild snow game earlier this month. They even had to move their playoff game last year back one day to account for heavy snowfall. So, yeah, a stadium that can melt snow seems warranted.
That being said, Buffalo could have just gone with a route that a third of the league already did: build a dome. 10 teams in the league have a closed stadium or the ability to retract the roof. If you’re wondering why the Bills wouldn’t go this route, it’s likely because they want to keep that home-field advantage – the cold and wind – while minimizing snow’s effects. We’ll see how it works out.
I’m Team Dome, for what it’s worth. It’s fun watching a snow game, but I’d rather have the two teams playing at their best with no outside factors dampening the experience.
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