Snow piles pose hazards at intersections

The growing mountains of plowed snow across Long Island are an increasing hazard for motorists and pedestrians, and the usual solution - a thaw - isn't in the forecast.

"If you're in a car, you can't see either side of the street," said Kelly Platt, 43, of Center Moriches, who Friday expressed concern about the icy 5-foot-high mound near the intersection of Hyland and Orchard Neck roads - a school bus stop. "The pile is too high."

The piles could get even higher, according to weather forecasters, with snow showers moving through the area Friday night and Saturday.

Temperatures are expected to be below normal after an Alberta clipper passes through the region Saturday, with highs just above freezing. And the Island's next snowstorm or wintry mix may come Tuesday and last until Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

"A melt would be wonderful," said Eileen Peters, spokeswoman with the state Department of Transportation.

The piles of snow that obscure street signs and make merging onto Long Island's parkways even more stressful are a growing concern of state transportation officials, Peters said. Workers Friday removed mounds along Routes 106 and 107 in the Village of Muttontown.

"This isn't people's imagination," Peters said. "We have some high mounds out there."

Transportation officials are considering alternatives, "just in case we face more storms," Peters said. "It could become a problem."

She wouldn't elaborate on what strategies state officials are considering.

Snow piles removed from highways are relocated to vacant state-owned land, Peters said.

Some hauling will occur this weekend, but "space is limited," Peters said.

For motorists, the snow piles can make dangerous road conditions treacherous, said Robert Sinclair, spokesman for AAA Long Island.

"Some areas are rife with conflict points," he said, referring to intersections along busy highways where plows have created towering snow mounds.

Drivers should pull out into intersections "gingerly," he said.

Mounds along roadways also can cause black ice because of melting during the day and freezing at night, Sinclair said.