KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The AFC divisional playoff game between the Steelers and Chiefs on Sunday has been moved from an early afternoon kickoff to primetime because of an ice storm due to hit the Kansas City area this weekend.

The game was originally scheduled to kick off at 1:05 p.m. It will now start at 8:20 p.m. to give road crews and public safety officials more time to treat roads and parking lots.

“If people are going to the game, slow down, leave early and be cautious,” said Troy Schulte, the city manager for Kansas City, Missouri, where Arrowhead Stadium sits just off Interstate 70.

The forecast calls for ice to move into the area Friday, and persistent cold temperatures throughout Saturday and Sunday. More precipitation is expected Sunday, though mostly in the form of cold rain.

“We talked about all the options. We talked about the factors that went into making the decision,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said, but “it’s the Commissioner’s decision.”

Donovan said he began having conversations with the league office on Wednesday, when the forecast began to look dire. Those discussions continued Thursday, and he spoke with commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday morning, at which point the league decided to move the kickoff time.

“This storm has the potential to be pretty damaging,” Donovan said. “We talked a lot about the weather, what the experts are telling us. It’s changed so much the last few days, we wanted to make sure we had the most up-to-date information. But we also talked about the importance of making a decision quickly so we can prepare.”

The time change means the Packers-Cowboys game scheduled to kick off at 4:40 p.m. on Fox on Sunday will serve as the lead-in for the Steelers-Chiefs game, which will remain on NBC.