Home News Local News Snow prompts closings, cancellations, delays across North Fork

Snow prompts closings, cancellations, delays across North Fork

Even though it took longer than initially forecast for rain to change to snow overnight, heavy snow will fall across the North Fork through the morning into the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, sparking a sea of closings.

All North Fork school districts are closed today. Stay tuned to SoutholdLOCAL for a full list of closings and cancellations.

With snowfall rates of an inch per hour likely, accumulations of four to seven inches are still being forecast and a winter storm warning remains in effect through 7 p.m.

The snow is falling due to an arctic front that will slide to the southeast this morning, according to the weather service. Temperatures will fall from the mid-30s, where they remained overnight, to the mid- to upper-20s later this morning and to the low 20s this afternoon, according to the NWS. The arctic front is expected to pass from northwest to southeast between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST. Road conditions are expected to deteriorate in its wake, the weather service said. Icy conditions and snow-covered roads are expected for the afternoon and evening commute as well.

Snowfall is expected to be heavy at times this morning and early afternoon, NWS forecasters say.

Snow should gradually taper off in intensity and coverage from northwest to southeast this afternoon, according to the forecast.

Highest snowfall totals will be across Long Island and NYC/NJ metro, where four to seven inches will accumulate before snow tapers off and comes to an end this afternoon and evening, according to the weather service. The forecast calls for two to five inches in coastal and southeastern Connecticut.

“At 600 a.m. EST… National Weather Service Doppler radar was tracking moderate to locally heavy snow developing over the area. Snowfall rates of one half to one inch per hour and visibilities of one-half to one-quarter mile or less are expected to develop through 8 a.m.,” NWS said in a special weather statement.

“Temperatures dropping below freezing from mid-morning on will result in icing on untreated roads. Expect travel to become increasingly difficult through the morning rush.”

2015_0303_salt_orlandoSouthold Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando said he received a delivery of 40 tons of road salt last night. Mixed with sand, the salt on hand will be enough to treat all town roads in Southold. The delivery came as the department’s supply was just about out. Orlando told SoutholdLOCAL on Tuesday his supply was “desperately low.” He had been promised a delivery but the supplier’s barge was delayed, he said, and they couldn’t make the shipment.

Atlantic Salt, which ships out of a waterfront depot in Staten Island, has struggled to supply salt to the region’s highway departments since the Jan. 26 blizzard, said Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson, who serves as president of the Suffolk County Highway Superintendents Association . The company won the state bid for road salt and all the town and county highway and public works departments across Long Island, NYC, Westchester and Rockland have contracted with Atlantic for salt at the state contract price.

Local highway departments have been having trouble getting salt deliveries for weeks — since the Jan. 26 blizzard — with large orders going unfulfilled. See March 3 story, “Officials face critical road salt shortage as winter storms approach — and no deliveries are in sight.”

 

 

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Denise Civiletti
Denise is a veteran local reporter and editor, an attorney and former Riverhead Town councilwoman. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a “writer of the year” award from the N.Y. Press Association in 2015. She is a founder, owner and co-publisher of this website.