Residents battle the elements

A man on Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square clears a path in front of his house.

Courtesy Heather Magone

Commuters get on the N6 bus on Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square

Courtesy Heather Magone

Rob Reynolds of Franklin Square taught his daughter how to make the perfect snowball.

Courtesy Rob Reynolds

Franklin Square resident Krystina See Torregrossa bundled up her daughter, Alana as they began to shovel the snow on the day of fourth birthday party.

Courtesy Krystina See Torregrossa

Snow has been falling steadily in Franklin Square since late Friday night.

Courtesy Margaret Agrippino-Petruzzo

Franklin Square resident Yuli Mera attempted to keep her dog warm during the storm.

Courtesy Yuli Mera

Plows continue to battle the snow fall despite the forecast which calls for continued accumulations late into tonight.

Courtesy Heather Magone

Franklin Square resident Marcela Reglis measured the snow fall accumulation at noon on Saturday.

Courtesy Marcela Reglis

Franklin Square resident Margaret Agrippino-Petruzzo was out snow blowing during the storm.

Courtesy Margaret Agrippino-Petruzzo

Kristine Schear Recine let her daughter use the snow blower under her father's supervision.

Courtesy Kristine Schear Recine

This was the view from Franklin Square resident Debbie Guthlein Paino's back deck on Saturday.

Courtesy Debbie Guthlein Paino

The snow at Trudy Max Morhorst's home on Doris Avenue in Franklin Square reached her window sil.

Courtesy Trudy Max Morhorst

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On Saturday residents from Franklin Square ventured outside with their children and animals to experience the first major snowfall of the winter.

Although cold and windy, many started shoveling and plowing their walkways and driveways as the snow continued to fall.

Initial forecasts called for eight to 12 inches but that model was quickly updated late Friday night as new estimates by the National Weather Service upped the total accumulation to 12 to 18 inches.

The winds have made the snow drifts reach higher than first thought, said Franklin Square resident Mike Mollish.

"Six to 12 inches is wrong," he said. "These drifts are five feet deep."

The snow drift at Trudy Max Mordhorst's house on Doris Avenue in Franklin Square reached her windows and high up on her garage door.

"I wont be using that garage door for a while," she conceded.

Despite the high snowfall, many residents were still eager to enjoy the weekend.

Franklin Square resident Krystine See Torregrossa was supposed to celebrate her daughter, Alana's fourth birthday today. Instead she bundled her up in layers and let her play in the snow.

"Today was her party, and all she wanted was snow for her birthday," Torregrossa said. "I guess with 2 plus feet mother nature delivered!"

Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony J. Santino said he has been traveling roadways throughout the township, overseeing snow removal operations along local streets. Santino declared a state of emergency on Friday.

“The Hempstead Town snow team has been out in force, deploying salt spreaders prior to the first sign of snow, following up with the activation of snow plows along town roadways,” he said. “At the same time, we request that neighbors remove cars from local roadways so that snow removal crews can effectively clear roads for the safety of residents.”

Santino added that Hempstead Town snowplows can do a more effective job of clearing streets curb-to-curb when cars are not restricting full-street access. Further, the supervisor has advised neighbors who are clearing snow from sidewalks and driveways to place snow on their property. Under no circumstances should snow be shoveled or blown from private property onto local roadways, he said.

Strong winds and ice have downed tree limbs and power lines around Nassau County. PSEG Long Island is reporting that as of 11:30 a.m., 3,738 of its approximately 1.1 million customers across Long Island and the Rockaways, are currently without service.

“These conditions also make it difficult for our crews to get around,” a press release stated. “It is unsafe for our crews to go up in buckets to make repairs if there are high winds.”