A ‘major blizzard’ pummeled the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions Feb. 23 with heavy snow, high winds and coastal flooding, shutting down schools and businesses, disrupting travel and leaving thousands without power across the region.
Here’s the latest on how the storm is impacting the local area:
Riverhead schools will have a two-hour delayed start Wednesday
(Feb. 24-4:08 p.m.) Riverhead schools will be operating on a two-hour delay Wednesday morning, Riverhead Central School District announced Tuesday afternoon.
Riverhead the morning after the blizzard
Scenes from around town the day after a potentially record-setting snow storm.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl
Travel remains difficult Tuesday morning, with continued blowing, drifting snow and icy surfaces
(Feb. 24-7:56 a.m.)Local roads are open and passable, but still narrowed in some spots as winds continue to blow snow across roadways, causing drifting, especially on north-south roads south of Sound Avenue, and in some places, Sound Avenue itself.
Areas of black ice are possible across the region this morning, the National Weather Service said in a special weather statement. Lingering gusty winds may also result in blowing snow, leading to localized reduced visibilities, the weather service said.
Motorists and pedestrians are advised to use extra caution if traveling this morning, the agency said.
Riverhead Highway Department crews worked in shifts through the night again, Superintendent Mike Zaleski said. They worked to plow residential developments and concentrated on keeping roads open where blowing snow was drifting, and to push back snow to ensure safe passage in two lanes of travel.
“Today, we’re going to now widen everything. Today we go back, touch up, do what we forgot, and widen everything,” Zaleski said in a phone interview early Tuesday morning. “We need to widen roads for safety and to prepare for the next storm,” he said, noting that snow is in the forecast for tomorrow and Thursday, though no major accumulations are expected at this time.
“We understand that widening roads sometimes results in new piles of plowed snow in residents’ driveways, and that’s inconvenient and annoying. I get it,” he said. “But there’s really no alternative.” Plows must make multiple passes on all roads to keep them safe for travel, he said.
All roads are now open except for Hulse Landing Road between Route 25A and Sunwood Drive, he said. Hulse Landing is open from Sound Avenue to Sunwood Drive and homes on Sunwood can be reached from Sound Avenue.
Barricades are up at Hulse Landing and Route 25A because that section of the road is not passable. Vehicles that have gone around the barricades have gotten stuck and stranded, he said. Zaleski said he expects Hulse Landing will be fully open today.
“I can’t thank my department enough and the other departments that help,” he said. “We always seem to find a way.”
The blizzard, described by the weather service as “a historic nor’easter,” dumped nearly two feet of snow across much of the local region, with higher amounts on the far eastern ends of the twin forks.
Zaleski said this is the worst snowstorm he’s seen in his 32 years at the highway department. “The wind was the crippler,” he said.
PSEg-Long Island is reporting 74 active outages affecting 972 customers as of 7:41 a.m.
See prior updates below and the list of local closings and cancellations for more information.
Riverhead schools, town facilities closed Tuesday,
town travel ban extended until 6 a.m.
(Feb. 23- 2:10 pm.)The Riverhead Central School District will be closed again Tuesday, School Superintendent announced this afternoon. All before- and after-school activities are canceled tomorrow, Hagan said.
Riverhead highway crews are still working to open up the main roads across town, Superintendent Mike Zaleski said in a phone interview.
Doctors Path and Horton Avenue north of Reeves Avenue, and Hulse Landing Road between Route 25A and Sound Avenue, remain closed to traffic.
“We won’t be getting into developments until later today, maybe not until this evening,” Zaleski said. He asked residents to please be patient.
“There’s no point plowing developments until the main roads are passable,” he said. People who leave their homes before the main roads are clear enough to drive on end up getting stuck and then plow trucks can’t do their job, Zaleski said.
Multiple vehicles were disabled on local roads during the storm and its aftermath, impeding plow operations. Even plow trucks were getting stuck as heavy snow and strong winds produced whiteout conditions.
Riverhead Supervisor Jerry Halpin has extended its travel ban until 6 a.m. tomorrow, he said in a phone interview. Town Hall and all town facilities will be closed again tomorrow, he said.
“The best thing everybody can do is literally stay home,” Halpin said.
Officials are keeping a close eye on the coastal flooding situation across town, the supervisor said.
Halpin thanked town highway workers, buildings and grounds crew members, police and all first responders for their work in dealing with the storm and keeping people safe.
County Executive Ed Romaine extended the countywide travel ban until 3 p.m. subject to an additional extension if conditions require it.
Nearly 14,000 PSEG-Long Island customers are without power as of 1:40 p.m., according to the utility’s outage map.
“The storm has downed trees, branches and wires,” the utility said in an emailed statement. “Due to the multi-hour period of sustained high winds in the forecast, as well as the travel and rear-property access challenges associated with the snow, many outages may extend beyond 24 hours.”
Bands of very heavy snow likely to persist through mid-morning: NWS
(Feb. 23 -8:45 a.m.) Several bands of very heavy snow will likely persist through mid-morning across the area with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour, possibly locally higher. This combined with northerly wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph will produce blizzard conditions, making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening, the National Weather Service said in a statement issued at 7:32 a.m.
A travel ban remains in effect in Suffolk County until at least noon.
Impassable roads around town
(Feb. 23 -8:30 a.m.) Various roads across town are not passable this morning, even for plow trucks and police vehicles, due to snow depth and drifts. Mill Road and Connecticut Avenue in Manorville are impassable. First responders from Manorville Ambulance got stuck responding to a call. Riverhead Highway Department and Eastport Fire Department are using military vehicles to assist stranded trucks.
‘It’s Armageddon.’
(Feb. 23- 6:30 a.m.) “In 32 years, this storm is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski said in a phone interview at 6:30 a.m. “It’s Armageddon.”
“I got guys stuck, roads closed, whiteout, three inches an hour, 50-70 mph winds,” he said. “Absolute chaos.”
Town highway crews were at work all night struggling to keep main roads open, assisting first responders as needed and helping stranded motorists, he said.
“We’re working to get our own police officers to work,” he said. And it’s difficult even with the highway department’s large trucks and heavy equipment.
“It’s bad,” he said. “It’s bad. Drifts are 5 to 10 feet in some areas,” Zaleski said. Most of Sound Avenue is barely passable this morning due to blowing, drifting snow and whiteout conditions.
“Please, stay home,” Zaleski said.
The travel ban helped keep people off the roads, Zaleski said, and he hopes it will be extended until it’s safe for people to be on the roads. He said recent forecasts are predicting heavy snow will continue till later in the day than originally anticipated.
County Executive Ed Romaine has extended the travel ban countywide till noon today and said he may extend it again.
With the “relentless, just constant heavy snow” and powerful winds, “plow operators can’t even see what they’re doing,” Zaleski said. And as soon as part of a road is cleared the wind blows the snow and it drifts back over.
“North of [Rt.] 25 is a war zone,” he said. “The farm roads, from Fresh Pond to Herricks…”
“I got contractors coming in, other departments are helping,” he said. But opening town roads after this will be a long process.
Heavy snow continues early Monday morning,
at rates of 2+ inches per hour
(Feb. 23- 5:58 a.m.) A band of very heavy snow will likely persist another 2 to 3 hours across the area with snowfall rates of 2 to possible 3 inches per hour, the National Weather Service said in a statement at 5:27 a.m. This combined with northerly wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph will produce blizzard conditions, making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening, the weather service said. The blizzard warning remains in effect until 6 p.m.
PSEG Long Island is reporting more than 16,000 customers without power at 5:30 a.m., with 375 outages scattered across the island. The utility is reporting one outage in Riverhead Town this morning, affecting the Doctors Path apartment complex, where 67 customers are without power, according to the PSEG Long Island online outage map.
A coastal flood warning is in effect until 6 a.m. A costal flood advisory is currently in effect from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Prior coverage:
Updated blizzard warning forecasts 18 to 23″ of snow; travel ban takes effect 9 p.m. Sunday
Snowfall projection rises again: 16-24″ now forecast across region: NWS
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