January 8, 2009
LI braces for snow storm
Brace yourself for a slippery commute today.
With a nor'easter predicted to speed up the Atlantic coast last night, Long Island Rail Road and Long Island Power Authority officials said they were ready to repair downed lines and keep trains running. But officials from both warned commuters to expect delays.
As the storm closed in last night, forecasters disagreed on how much snow would fall. The National Weather Service in Upton was sticking with earlier predictions of 4 to 7 inches in the city, northern Nassau and much of northern Suffolk east to Shoreham, but said storm totals could easily be half that. Other local forecasters said snowfall would be much less.
Most of the Island will see 2 to 4 inches, weather service meteorologist Bill Goodman said, with the higher amounts "looking like the exception rather than the rule," he said.
Related links
Light snow showers will continue on Long Island today until about noon, said weather service meteorologist Peter Wichrowski. Today's high is expected to hover in the mid-30s.
Winds were expected at between 15 and 20 mph, probably not strong enough to blow down power lines, said LIPA spokesman Marco Cucci. Instead, officials were preparing to repair poles downed by cars that spin out on snowy roads, Cucci said.
Meanwhile, the LIRR last night turned on switch heaters, salted platforms and deployed special trains that apply antifreeze to the third rail, said railroad spokesman Sam Zambuto.
Extra supervisors will be working at key locations throughout the system this morning, but the railroad warned customers to allow extra travel time and to watch out for slippery platforms and stairs.
Ana Heim, 44, of Levittown, headed to a Hicksville hardware store yesterday with her 3- and 8-year-old sons to buy salt. "My husband went away and I really want to be prepared in case something happens, she said."
Diane DeSanto, 41, of Levittown, also bought salt in Bethpage. "I have everything else," she said. "We have water, food, flashlights, candles and shovels. I'm hoping for a snow day for the kids at least."
Jonathan Starkey contributed to this story.
Mixx it!
Copyright © 2009, Newsday Inc.
Popular stories
- Woman's burned body found on Bronx rooftop
- Wall Street tech exec gets 16 days in hit-run fatal
- DA: Sex offender with AIDS endangered NY teen
- Animal CSI team to fight pet cruelty
- Rev. Wright pops back up, much to Obama's chagrin