Snow accumulates on Long Island ahead of deep freeze

The first snow of 2025 fell on Long Island Sunday night, bringing an estimated 3 to 5 inches ahead of a brutal Monday freeze, forecasters said.

On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the weather is expected to be sunny and chilly, with a high around 27 degrees. Winds up to 15 mph will bring wind chill values between 10 and 15 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Monday night will be colder still: the low will be around 10 degrees with a wind chill between zero and 5.

Tuesday and Wednesday will bring more cold weather, with highs around 20 degrees and lows around 10 under partly or mostly sunny skies. There is a 30% chance of snow early Wednesday morning.

During the snowfall on Sunday, the highest accumulations were expected closer to New York City, said the weather service, which issued a winter weather advisory until 4 a.m. Monday.

The precipitation began as a mix of rain and snow across Long Island, falling first in Nassau County and then in Suffolk County.

Around 3 inches of snow was expected on the East End and closer to 5 inches by the Nassau-Queens border, according to Jay Engle, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Across the region, preparations were underway Sunday.

Snow plows in Hempstead were ready for deployment Sunday morning, Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. said.

"We want to get as much off the roads as we can, because it’s not going to melt any time quick," he said.

At East Moriches Hardware, snow removal equipment was in demand late Sunday morning.

“There’s a good amount of people coming in for salt and shovels," Brenden Hayes, a store associate, said.

The snow will be followed by a deep freeze beginning Monday, as arctic air descends on the region, Engle said.

On Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office advised New Yorkers to avoid "unnecessary travel" and for those who must be on the roads, "be extra alert and remember that snowdrifts can hide smaller children."

"Added MTA crews will be deployed to inspect tracks and switches throughout the network" to reduce disruptions, according to the statement from Hochul's office.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in anticipation of the snow Sunday night, its employees would spread salt, clear surfaces of snow, keep train operations running smoothly and respond "to any weather-related challenges" throughout the region.

The authority urged travelers to plan for extra travel time and to take care not to slip at stations. 

Snow and icy roads could cause delays in bus service, the Nassau Inter-County Express bus advised Sunday.

At 7 p.m. Sunday, flight-tracking site FlightAware's "MiseryMap" had LaGuardia Airport as the most suffering U.S. airport for the day with 35 delayed flights and 69 canceled flights. Kennedy Airport had 40 delayed flights and 38 canceled flights.

No flights to or from Long Island MacArthur Airport had been canceled.

The weather service issued a small boat craft advisory until 6 p.m. Monday