Powerful winter storm slams East Meadow with blizzard-like conditions; school districts cancel classes

As predicted, a powerful winter storm rolled into the greater metropolitan area after midnight on Thursday morning, bringing with it snow, frigid temperatures and heavy winds.

The National Weather Service issued a Blizzard Warning and a Coastal Flood Advisory for Nassau County on Thursday morning. It is expected to last through Friday morning.

In East Meadow, the NWS reported that there would be areas of heavy, blowing snow. Temperatures are expected to peak at 27 degrees with a wind chill between 5 and 10 degrees. Wind gusts are expected to be as high as 46 miles per hour. By tonight, the chance of snow is expected to drop to 30 percent by 9 p.m.

Most parts of Nassau County are predicted to receive up to eight inches of snow when all is said and done, with localized totals as high as 10 inches, while Suffolk could see up to 14 inches of snow, according to the NWS.

Nassau County school districts began canceling classes Wednesday night for Thursday. All schools in the East Meadow School District are closed on Thursday and all afternoon and evening activities are cancelled, according to Kenneth Card, the superintendent of the East Meadow School District. The Board of Education meeting will be postponed from Jan 4. to Jan. 11.

“If you must leave your home, I ask that you exercise caution,” Card said in a statement on the district’s website. “Be safe and have a good day.”

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen said Wednesday evening that the town had prepped 200 pieces of equipment to salt and plow the town's 1,200 miles of roadway. Gillen also urged people to stay off the roads.

"Roadways can be slippery and heavy snowfall can limit visibility," she said. "By minimizing vehicular traffic, roads can be cleared more quickly and residents can minimize the risks associated with driving in storm conditions."

Weather forecasters had warned that the storm system could shift off its current track. If it were to have veered farther east, into the Atlantic, snow totals would have been smaller. It, however, stayed farther to the west, bringing greater snow amounts across Long Island.

More as this story develops.