64.0°,
Overcast Winter blast hits the Island with a bang
Scenes from last weekend's snowstorm
Residents in Malverne and West Hempstead were hit with a little more than a foot of snow last weekend as a massive blizzard struck the tri-state area.
According to weather reports, Malverne received 13.1 inches of snow while West Hempstead was blasted with roughly 12.8 inches. The storm ran from late last Saturday afternoon into the early hours of the morning the following day.
Ray Ribiero, commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Public Works, said that the county's plows and sanders were ready to roll as early as last Friday, and got on the road at about 5 p.m. last Saturday. Ribiero said that approximately 250 workers were able to clear the roads relatively easily because the heavy snow fell during the night hours when people were off the road, and that the snow itself was light in weight. The crew, Ribiero added, was back out at about 4 a.m. on Monday to sand the roads to prevent black ice from accumulating.
During this week, workers will be removing snow from curbside parking spaces, where snow had been pushed off the roads by plows. But despite most roads being clear, Ribiero urged motorists to remain cautious and beware of black ice.
"Be very careful," Ribiero said. "Keep a lot of space between you and the other driver. Be patient — it's going to be hard to find a parking space, but just be patient and use your common sense."
The storm's clean up, however, did cause some problems for local sanitation and police officials. Several cars on Hempstead Avenue had a rough time navigating through the snow Sunday morning, causing several traffic jams near Hempstead Turnpike. The Long Island Rail Road also had to curtail train service at the West Hempstead branch that same morning due to icy weather conditions, which caused several delays in commuters' travels.
But kids in the area took advantage of all the white stuff by bringing out their snowboards, snow tubes and other toys to have a little fun.
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liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
