LOWVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Heavy snow and sweltering temperatures kept parts of the United States in a deep cold Sunday as the Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close. Despite the arctic weather, snowmobilers and skiers are reveling in their respective winter terrains, and meteorologists have some good news ahead of the NFL game in Buffalo.

In the remote Tug Hill region of upstate New York, where lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario can dump several feet of snow at a time, there was up to to 46 inches (117 centimeters) in the Barnes Corners area.

“We just keep digging,” Kevin Tyo, a local businessman, said Sunday. “We were out all day yesterday plowing.”

Like many area residents, he has a plow strapped to the front of his truck for much of the winter, “and I have a tractor with a bucket and a snow blower.”

His advice? “If you’re not used to it, stay home. If you’re outside, slow down.”

Buffalo Bills kickoff set for Sunday night

In Buffalo, NFL Bills officials had been looking for stadium snow shovelers for the season, including before Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The team said they would pay $20 an hour and provide food and hot drinks.

A lake-effect storm began hitting the area Saturday near the Bills’ stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Snow continued to fall near the stadium just hours before the game, according to the State Weather Risk Communication Center in New York.

“Total snowfall will be highly dependent on whether the current lake effect moves just south of the stadium or stays in place longer at the stadium,” the center said in a post on the social media site X.

Arctic air late last week brings bitter temperatures

A blast of Arctic air late last week brought bitter temperatures 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average across the Northern Plains, the National Weather Service said, triggering cold weather advisories for some parts from North Dakota. Frigid air is expected to move across the eastern third of the United States by Monday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.

Officials in Erie, Pennsylvania, said Sunday that heavy snowfall caused by lake effect has created “dangerous” conditions that are stranding even snow plows as they work around the clock to try to clear the city roads.

The city estimated Sunday morning that there were “approximately 100 cars throughout the city that were blocking roadways and needed to be towed away so plows could get through.”

Commercial vehicles remained prohibited on both directions of I-90 in western New York for a nearly 134-mile stretch to the Pennsylvania line. The National Weather Service said lake-effect snow was expected to continue east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario on Sunday, with an additional 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snowfall possible.

New York and Pennsylvania declare states of emergency

In a phone interview Saturday with WWNY-TV, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state had prepared for the storm for days by deploying snow plows and thousands of workers and consulting with public service providers. She also dispatched personnel from other parts of the state to help.

“I know this is something they are all used to and can handle, but I want to let them know we are here with reinforcements and make sure everyone can travel safely, especially during this very busy holiday weekend,” she said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency proclamation Saturday and said parts of northwest Erie County received nearly 24 inches of snow and that Others were expected until Monday evening.

Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents during a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, officials said. Authorities closed part of I-90 in Pennsylvania and the westbound lanes of the New York Thruway heading into Pennsylvania.