Snowstorm batters Valley Stream as village plows on

A powerful snowstorm which blew across Long Island Friday night into Saturday is now pummeling Valley Stream with heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts.

Accumulations of 5 to 9 inches of snow and winds gusting as high as 45 mph are expected in the village through the day. A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Steve Acquavella, the Valley Stream Department of Public Works supervisor, said they began their snow removal operations as early as Friday night as 25 vehicles salted the roads from 7 to 10 p.m. to “ensure roads aren’t slippery until the main snow comes.”

Crews will be plowing “for 24 hours straight,” covering all spots including streets, parking lots, and railroad stations. “Every road will be taken care of. We’ll be fully cleaned up by around Sunday morning to early afternoon,” Acquavella said.

He further stressed the importance of the residents doing their part to ensure timely and efficient operations. “Anytime we have any snow condition, we need the residents to keep their cars in their driveway during snow operations and not out on the street,” he said. “…it jeopardizes [the work] of our crews and it’s not fair to them or to fellow residents.” Cars left on the street will be ticketed, according to village officials.

“We take great pride in our work. We clean curb to curb and do a very good job. The guys are very dedicated and take it very seriously,” Acquavella said.

White-out conditions will pose a problem with powdery snow and dust blowing around, according to Acquavella. “During white-out conditions, I will be pulling all of my manpower off the streets because it’s a dangerous situation," he said. "The wind gusts blow all the snow and dust back in the streets as if we weren’t even there. But we are fully prepared to handle the situation as it comes.”

For immediate emergencies, call 911. For other storm-related issues or concerns, you may contact Code Enforcement at (516) 592-5140 or (516) 369-3872, Mayor Fare’s HELPLINE at 1-(855) 996-2967, or Public Safety during regular business hours at (516) 369-3875.

Should there be power outages or downed wires, call PSEG at (800) 490-0075. Yo Report and received status updates text OUT TO PSEGLI (773454 or go online, www.psegliny.com/outages.

Below was the National Weather Service forecast for the Island:

Saturday
Snow, mainly before 4 p.m. High near 24. Wind chill values between zero and 5. Windy, with a north wind 25 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.
Saturday Night

A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 12. Wind chill values between -5 and 5. Blustery, with a northwest wind 20 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 27. Northwest wind 9 to 17 mph.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.