56.0°,
Overcast Five Towns hit by snowstorm
Blizzard warning in effect until Wednesday midnight
Schools in the Five Towns will be closed on Tuesday and a blizzard warning is in effect until Wednesday at midnight as up to two feet of snow is expected to fall on Long Island, according to the National Weather Service.
A state-imposed travel ban is in effect as blizzard consition and high winds with gusts up to 55 mph will create hazardous road conditions. Heavy winds could knock down power lines and tree branches.
The Hewlett-Woodmere and Lawrence school districts, The Brandeis School in Lawrence as well all divisions of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, including Davis Renov Stsahler High School for Boys and Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls in Hewlett Bay Park will be closed on Tuesday as well as Rambam Msivta High School in Lawrence and Lawrence Woodmere Academy.
Area villages such as Lawrence and Cedarhurst have workers out salting and plowing. Lawrence officials said that they are fully staffed and heavy trucks and pickup trucks with plows will be covering the village and work continuously to keep roads and parking lots clear of snow. The village busgets $50,000 a year for snow removal and clean up.
In Cedarhurst, all available employees are on call and the trucks are ready, according to Mayor Andrew Parise. The village has issued a snow alert and asked residents who can to park their vehicles in their driveways to keep the roads clear for plowing.
If residents have a non-emergency problem they can call the village at (516) 295-5770. For emergencies call 911. Officals are also asking residents who shovel to toss the snow to the right side of the driveway (when facing the street) to reduce the chance of snow being pushed back into the driveway.
"We are on top of it, we have plenty of equipment and enough manopwer," Parise said. Nine plows, three sanders, four bulldozers and a sidewalk crew of five are ready to go, he said. The village budgets $60,000 annually for snow removal and clean up.
Village of Atlantic Beach Mayor George Pappas said they are "very well prepared" for the storm and all available manpower and equipment will be out plaowing.
