Powerful snowstorm hits Bellmore-Merrick

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. Snowfall projections increased throughout the afternoon and evening on Wednesday, and by 9 a.m. on Thursday, a blizzard warning had been issued in Nassau County.

Most parts of Nassau County are expected to receive five to eight inches of snow when all is said and done, with localized totals as high as 12 inches, while Suffolk could see up to 14 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

In Bellmore and Merrick, the NWS said that snow totals should range between 5 and 9 inches, with wind gusts that could reach 46 miles per hour.

All schools in the Bellmore, Merrick, North Bellmore, North Merrick and Bellmore-Merrick Central High School Districts announced Wednesday evening that they would be closed.

Hofstra University canceled classes as well. Additional cancelations were expected.

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.

The extreme cold will be worrisome on Thursday, according to the NWS. The temperature could drop to as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and as low as -5 degrees, later in the day, with the wind chill factored in. Winds could gust to as high as 40 to 50 miles per hour.

More as this story develops.