Crews race to clear Gillette before Patriots game

FOXBORO, Mass. (WHDH) -- Crews had less than 12 hours to clear Gillette Stadium and the parking lot before the Patriots game Sunday. To put the task into perspective, the parking lot has twice as many parking spaces than all of the metered spots in Boston.

Eight inches of snow covered the 66,000 seats at Gillette. In an assembly-line fashion, crews shoveled the piles into chutes and dump trucks hauled it out of the stadium.

Fans braced the wind and snow to cheer on the Patriots for the final home game of their regular season, but tailgating took a back seat.

“I don’t like the snow thing” said one fan.

Some braving the elements knew there will be few chances to come back to Gillette Stadium this season.

“We love our Patriots. That’s all that matters,” said a tailgater.

“It’s a beautiful day, but the wind is something,” said Bill Myers.

Some say the snow is fitting for a faceoff with Miami. The last time it snowed there was January 1977, so long ago, not a single Patriots player on the current roster had been born yet.