As Buffalo Bills players return from their long weekend off and hit the practice field in advance of next Monday night's game against the New England Patriots, they'll enjoy above-average temperatures and calm conditions most of the week.
The sunny skies and low-60s will be a welcome change from this week last year, when -- as most in the region remember well -- Buffalo's southtowns were buried in six or more feet of snow, shutting down roads for up to five days.
The lake-effect system wiped out practice and forced the NFL to relocate the Bills' Week 12 game to Detroit's Ford Field, where the Bills romped Rex Ryan's New York Jets, 38-3.