The cold never bothered them anyway

After an historic snowstorm blanketed the region this weekend, local children and their pets had a blast frolicking in their very own winter wonderland.

About 17 inches of snow fell in East Meadow by 10 p.m. on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. However, totals climbed by midnight in nearby communities, as 29.6 inches fell in Hicksville and 25.8 inches fell in North Merrick. The most recent local measurement posted on weather.gov was taken at 9 a.m. on Sunday in Carle Place (24.1 inches).

Once the powerful low-pressure system that caused the blizzard pulled away from the East Coast of the United States, locals emerged from their snow and ice-covered homes, ready to shovel their driveways and sidewalks — and of course, have a little fun.

Children gathered at East Meadow schools, such as Parkway Elementary on Bellmore Road, and parks to go sledding. They also played in their own yards, building forts. And plenty of community members’ dogs happily walked around in the snow.