The local area saw between 8 and 10 inches of snowfall from yesterday’s storm, according to National Weather Service reports.
A National Weather Service employee reported 10 inches in Riverhead, with reports of 9 inches in Orient and 10.6 inches at the National Weather Service office in Upton.
The snow, which began in earnest on the North Fork around 10 a.m. ended around 11 p.m. last night, said trained weather spotter Len Llewellyn of Mattituck. He measured 8 inches in Mattituck, he said.
Temperatures during the storm hovered in the low 20s, according to Llewellyn. The high was 23 and the low was 18.
Snowfall at Islip airport was 9.7 inches, a record for Jan. 8.
Roads have been plowed and sanded across Southold and in the Village of Greenport.
Southold Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando said crews finished plowing at about 12:30 this morning and then began applying a sand-salt mixture. They wrapped up operations at about 4 a.m., he said.
“The snow was very light, so that was good. We didn’t have any breakdowns,” Orlando said.
But the amount of traffic on the roads yesterday made plowing a challenge. All the traffic packed the snow down on the roadways, he said.
“Our guys couldn’t believe how many people were out,” Orlando said. “That made it harder to do the job.”
He also said the number of children out on quads in the roads presented a challenge for plow truck drivers. “Children need to be careful on their quads. I understand they want to play, but they should play in a field, not on the roads. Snow plows will win that battle,” he said.
Motorists are urged to use extra caution as they venture out today and tonight because packed snow and ice will make travel treacherous.
Cold weather will remain with us through tomorrow night. Temperatures today will not rise out of the mid-20s, according to the National Weather Service forecast. There is a 20 percent chance of snow showers this afternoon. Lows tonight will dip to about 12. With northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph, wind chill values will be as low as 3-below, according to the weather service forecast.
Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with highs in the mid 20s. Wind chill values will be as low as 4-below in the morning. Lows tomorrow night will reach about 19, with southwest winds of 10 to 15 mph.
Temperatures will climb to about 40 on Tuesday, when there will be an 80-percent chance of rain. Temperatures will remain well above freezing for the rest of the week, reaching 50 degrees on Friday, according to the forecast.
