Live updates: Blizzard warning takes effect on Long Island

Suffolk County Transit bus service stops at 4 p.m. Sunday

Suffolk County Transit service is scheduled to shut down at 4 p.m. on Sunday and remain suspended Monday, according to a statement from the office of County Executive Ed Romaine.

Service is scheduled to resume Tuesday with an expected delayed start at 10 a.m.

Updates can be found on the Suffolk County Transit website or @sctbusinfo on X.

Mineola bar staying open during storm

The Recovery Room Bar & Grill in Mineola will more than live up to its name during the snowstorm.

Joa Zee, a bartender at the establishment, said they will stay open all day and into the evening for those in need of a break from the expect blizzard — and she predicted there will be plenty of customers.

She said the bar had been full of people during January’s storm.

"People don’t want to be locked in at home while things are going down," she said. "They want to be a part of something."

By 11:30 a.m. Sunday, as the U.S. men’s hockey team celebrated its Olympics victory, there was already one patron sitting at the bar watching on a television.

Mamdani: New York City school closed Monday

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a blizzard in the forecast means the "first old school snow day since 2019." Translation for children across all five boroughs? No school on Monday, which also applies to remote learning.

As for Tuesday, no decision had been made, Mamdani said.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it," the mayor said with tongue planted firmly in cheek, "is to stay cozy."

Mamdani also announced a travel ban in the city from 9 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday, closing streets, highways and bridges.

The ban applies to "all traffic, cars, trucks, scooters and e-bikes, with some specific exemptions for essential and emergency movement," he said at a news conference Sunday.

King Kullen, Wild by Nature stores closing early

King Kullen and Wild by Nature grocery stores will close early Sunday at 7 p.m., the chain’s senior vice president, Lloyd Singer, announced Sunday morning. The stores are expected to open late on Monday morning.

"This temporary closure allows us to help ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and customers," Singer said in a statement.

Suffolk issues travel ban beginning at 9 p.m.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine on Sunday issued a travel ban for Suffolk County beginning at 9 p.m. Sunday through 9 a.m. Monday, his office announced.

The ban does not apply to essential workers and plow operators, the statement said.

Romaine's office had earlier said that the ban would apply to 9 p.m. on Monday.

School closures on Monday

Many school districts and other educational programs on Long Island have announced closures for Monday.

You can find your district or program here.

Mass transit impacts expected

The MTA is warning that the storm may have severe impacts on the Long Island Rail Road.

But before the snow began, on Sunday morning, the LIRR was operating mostly on or close to schedule.

Many flights arriving at the airports on Sunday were canceled.

At Kennedy Airport, 63% of arrivals and 42% of departing flights were canceled as of 10 a.m., according to the website FlightAware.

At LaGuardia, 62% of arrivals and 46% of departures were canceled.

Fifteen inbound and outbound flights at Long Island MacArthur Airport were canceled Sunday as of about 11 a.m. Another seven were delayed, according to the Ronkonkoma airport's website.

Blizzard warning takes effect at 1 p.m.

A blizzard warning will be in effect beginning Sunday at 1 p.m. and continuing into Monday afternoon across the tristate area, with snowfall and road conditions that could greatly limit travel and disrupt normal life well into Tuesday, forecasters said.

The blizzard conditions will bring heavy snow, with accumulations of up to two feet expected, along with high winds and whiteout conditions that are expected to cause "dangerous to impossible travel" from Sunday night through Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. 

Forecasters expect strong-to-damaging wind gusts Sunday night into Monday afternoon.

The blizzard "will be a rapidly strengthening storm," said Brian Frugis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Albany.