Preparing Linc for Eagles playoff game, 400 workers conduct snowfall blitz

After Thursday night’s storm dumped nearly 10 inches of snow onto Philadelphia, snow removal at Lincoln Financial Field required some hefty manpower. 

About 400 workers battled the wind and cold to clear aisles, ramps and seats at the Linc where the Eagles are set to play the New Orleans Saints Saturday night in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Tony Leonard, the Linc’s director of grounds, said the decision to cover the field with a tarp was made Thursday morning before the snow began.

Underground heating coils beneath the field assist in melting snow off the tarp at a toasty 60 degrees. Leonard said the tarp will come off Saturday morning before the game when winds die down and snow blowing onto the field becomes less of a risk.

Jason Miller, vice president of facility operations, arrived at the stadium at 6 a.m. Friday morning followed by a stream of workers from a winter services company and local unions.

After being checked to make sure they had proper weather gear for temperatures in the teens, workers cleared stadium seats, pathways, and shoveled snow into plastic chutes. Workers then jammed snow down the chutes onto the tarp for bulldozer to pick up and transport to dump trucks for hauling from the complex.

Miller said workers will be in the stadium until around midnight making sure there are no snowballs to throw at Saturday’s game.

Mike Melle, a worker helping to clean the stands, said he is excited about Saturday’s playoff game and is proud to be a part of the snow removal. “I’m happy to do anything that helps the team,” he said.