Despite years of inaccurate forecasts, winter weather over-hypes, and consistently warmer and less severe seasons, this past weekend turned out to be right on the money.
Indeed, the Town of Islip and Long Island as a whole were blanketed with snow totalling close to three feet in some areas.
Islip has received 31” inches overall, unofficially shattering single-day snowfall records going back to 1963. The preliminary reports also show Islip having notched fourth place in terms of accumulation from the Mid-Atlantic to New England. Only Rhode Island T.F. Green International airport (37.9”), New Bedford, Massachusetts (37.0”), and Lyndhurst, New Jersey (30.7”) received more snow.
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) saw 31” of snowfall, the highest snowfall ever recorded there, according to the Town of Islip.
More than 300 pieces of equipment were deployed, covering about 1,200 miles of Town roads – “roughly the distance from Islip to Daytona Beach, Florida,” according to the Town.
“Our highway crews have been working tirelessly through extreme, white-out conditions to protect our community,” said Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip) in a statement. “We are grateful for their dedication and ask for residents’ patience as we continue clearing remaining roads and intersections.”
The Town reminds residents to move vehicles from roadways, when possible, clear fire hydrants near their homes, clear sidewalks, and check on neighbors who many need assistance. Property owners and business operators may be subject to fines for non-compliance.
“This was a massive storm by any measure. Our teams began preparations days in advance and have not stopped since the first flakes fell,” said Town Department of Public Works Commissioner Tom Owens in a statement. “We will continue operations until every road in the Town of Islip is safe and passable.”
Town-Wide Accumulations
These are unofficial reports from NBC New York
Central Islip: 31” – not only is the largest reported total accumulation for any village/hamlet in town, but it’s also the largest total snowfall across Suffolk County as of press time.
East Islip: 30”
Bay Shore: 29.1”
Holbrook: 29”
Islip hamlet: 25.3”
Islandia: 23.5”
Hauppauge: 23”
Lake Ronkonkoma: 23”
West Bay Shore: 22.8”
North Great River: 15”
