Long Island winter storm: Latest updates

Long Beach Tennis Center's bubble deflates

The bubble that houses the Long Beach Tennis Center appears to have collapsed during the snowstorm.

The tennis club is located at 899 Monroe Blvd. Photographer Jim Staubitser captured the deflated bubble on Sunday night.

No further information was immediately available.

Forecast: Snow tapers off and cold sets in

Long Island roads will remain hazardous on Monday

A massive winter storm blanketed parts of Long Island in more than a foot of snow Sunday, with freezing rain and overall hazardous conditions by the early evening prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau and Suffolk leaders to urge residents to stay off the roads Monday until crews can make them safe for travel.

The snow and sleet was forecast to taper off by noon Monday. However, as the skies clear, the temperatures will remain below freezing, and will stay stubbornly so for the rest of the week. The wind chill Monday will make it feel closer to between 15 and 20 on Monday despite the return of sunshine. In Nassau, Locust Valley had reported the most snow, with 11.5 inches by Sunday evening. Poquott, on Suffolk's North Shore had notched the most snow in the county, with 10.1 inches reported.

During the week, high temperatures will be from the low 30s to mid-20s, with lows dropping to as low as minus 5 degrees in some places on the Island, Cristantello said.

Read more here

Traffic moving well as LIers stay home

State traffic maps show that the roads remain open and cars are moving freely on the highways on Long Island. Traffic appears light as Long Islanders have heeded the warnings of public officials to stay home during the storm and not to drive unless it it absolutely necessary.

Nassau and Suffolk county police have not reported any weather-related deaths or injuries.

Boy, father rescued from Gibbs Pond ice

A 12-year-old boy and his father were rescued from frozen Gibbs Pond in Nesconset Sunday afternoon after falling through the ice, according to the Smithtown Department of Public Safety.

Smithtown Park Ranger Leyland Crocilla removed the boy from the water along with "a nearby Good Samaritan," the department said. The Nesconset Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and pulled the boy's father to safety. Both were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for further evaluation.

Sgt. Brendan Dennihy told Newsday the patients were going to be OK.

"They're lucky that a woman behind them actually heard them yelling for help," Dennihy said.

His advice: "Just stay off the ice. Even if it seems to be iced over, the ice really isn't safe to be on — especially, on a pond like that. You can't judge it."

LIRR suspensions and delays on Sunday night

Long Island Rail Road service on the West Hempstead branch has been suspended, according to the MTA’s website.

There are also delays on the Babylon, Oyster Bay and Ronkonkoma branches, some delays on the Far Rockaway and Hempstead branches and delays and cancellations on the Montauk branch. There are cancellations on the Port Jefferson and Port Washington branches.

On Monday, the LIRR will be running on a Sunday schedule. Read more about the LIRR’s plans here.

Long Island towns suspend trash collection because of snowstorm

Officials in the Town of Hempstead, the Town of Huntington, the Town of North Hempstead, the Town of Babylon, the Town of Brookhaven, the Town of Riverhead, the Town of Islip and the Town of Oyster Bay suspended garbage and recycling collection on Monday. Pickups will resume later in the week.

The cities of Glen Cove and Long Beach also canceled trash pickups on Monday, according to their websites.

Read more here

Hochul talks storm's impact on LIRR

Gov. Kathy Hochul said late Sunday afternoon that Long Islanders who need to commute to New York City on Monday should keep an eye out for LIRR for updates and road alerts.

"We're going to keep [the LIRR] going as best we can," Hochul said in an interview with News12 Long Island.

"We know what a lifeline this is for Long Islanders to get into the city.

"The governor added: "We're encouraging employers ... if you're able to, please have your workforce work remotely, just to keep those who drive off the road so the plows can do their jobs. They need to continue salting the roads, to deal with the ice and the sleet that is now just hitting."

LI cafe serves customers 'no matter the weather'

Although many Long Island businesses normally open on Sundays were closed because of the winter storm, one that remained open was Delicias Café, a Latin American deli at Hempstead Avenue and Fairway Drive in West Hempstead.

Dilan DeJesus, the manager of the deli, said the two-year-old family business is usually open from about 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“We’re very dedicated with our job,” he said. “We’re going to serve people no matter the weather.”

DeJesus said he drove from his home in Bellmore to the deli, but he had not seen many customers.

“We’re trying to stay open as best as we can, because you never know,” he said. “We have faith or hope that if people do step out, they’ll come to the store and check it out for food, for anything.”

Travelers at Penn Station stranded due to cancellations

Some dined in the several eateries at Penn Station on Sunday afternoon, while others waited for Long Island Rail Road trains or other transportation.

But behind the movement of people, cancellations still left some stranded. Rochester resident Anthony McMillian came to New York City to eat, get away, and get "peace of mind."

"It was good until the snow came," he said.

The Amtrak train that he and his travel companion were set to take back to western New York was canceled twice, leaving them stuck. They are currently set to leave on Tuesday.

But they don't have money to get a hotel room until one of the two of them gets paid tomorrow. So what will they do in until then? Just have to figure it out, they said.

A few feet away, Salomey Nsowah sat with a few bags, her phone plugged into a nearby power outlet.

Nsowah, a home health aide who lives in New Jersey, headed to work in Staten Island despite the storm because of scheduling issues at her agency.

But getting back home was proving difficult because her transportation to New Jersey had been suspended due to the weather, and an Uber home costs too much.

Nsowah said she is planning on sleeping at the station until she can get back home.

"I'd rather wait because I can't afford it, honestly," she said of other travel options. "It's too much."

Eerie scene on the LIRR

It was an almost otherworldly scene Sunday afternoon on a LIRR train heading to Manhattan on the Ronkonkoma line. The doors between train cars were stuck open — letting in piles of snow and biting winds.

One MTA employee shouted to another, “All the doors are like that!” It was unclear if the malfunction was weather related. Meanwhile, a cloud-like freezing mix billowed through one of the cars, which appeared devoid of passengers.

Snow transitions into sleet across LI

Snow had transitioned into sleet across parts of Long Island by Sunday afternoon. In Ronkonkoma, for instance, sometimes blinding snow had been replaced by ice pellets.

Newsday meteorologist Bill Korbel says Long Islanders should still expect a total of 8 to 12 inches of accumulation by the time the storm leaves, with the lower totals on the South Shore.

Temperatures will remain below freezing Sunday, with the possibility of a glaze of freezing rain. The heaviest precipitation tapers off after 9 p.m., but some snow showers may pop up in the morning, Korbel says.

And it’s not going to melt quickly once we’re done. High temperatures on Long Island will stay below freezing right into February, Korbel says.

Stranded at the bus stop near the mall

Penn Collins, of the Upper East Side, and Eric Coutain, of Jamaica Hills, were waiting at a bus stop at Roosevelt Field Mall for the N22 or N24 buses to take them home at about 2:45 p.m. when they learned that NICE buses would be shutting down, leaving them stranded.

Coutain had been shopping at a nearby store while Collins had made an unsuccessful shopping trip to Roosevelt Field for a winter jacket, only to learn the mall was closed upon arrival.

“My wife encouraged me not to come long, because I might see trouble coming back. I should be listening to her. Don't come to Long Island, she said,” said Coutain, 70.

The men, who met at the bus stop, were discussing possibly sharing an Uber or other taxi to get to the LIRR station in Mineola, though they weren’t sure if any would be available.

Blakeman, Saladino discuss the ongoing storm

The latest on the storm from the NewsdayTV team

Riding out the storm in an outdoor jacuzzi

Snow? What snow? If there was a better way to ride out Sunday's storm than taking a dip in the Hilton Garden Inn Riverhead's outdoor jacuzzi, a group friends soaking up the bubbling hot water hadn't found it.

“We can have fun right here at home on our sweet island!” said one of the five who sought relief from the cold in the hot tub.

As the storm continued to dump snow on Riverhead Sunday afternoon, with little sign of activity on Old Country Road, the group decided to book adjoining rooms at the hotel.

Bus system updates across LI

There are some key bus system updates across the Island.

The NICE Bus system is suspended. NICE officials will determine when to restart service on Monday based on conditions.

The Suffolk County Transit bus system is suspended today and expected to resume at 10 a.m. on Monday, if conditions permit it.

The city of Long Beach says its buses will operate on schedule as long as the LIRR keeps running.

The Town of Huntington says HART buses will have a delayed start on Monday at 10 a.m.

Checking in on Huntington King Kullen and CVS

An announcement was made at 12:45 p.m. in King Kullen on New York Avenue in Huntington that the store would be closing in 15 minutes and reopening Monday at 9 a.m. A manager said he saw a typical number of customers today, likely people who live in the surrounding residential area.

The shelves were still stocked with plenty of meats, dry goods like pasta, snacks, paper products and eggs minutes before closing time. Wet floor signs surrounded the entrance inside, warning shoppers of slippery surfaces from snowy shoes. There were still customers entering 10 minutes before closing time.

CVS on New York Avenue in Huntington was empty besides a couple of shoppers on Sunday afternoon. A pharmacist and a store manager both said they expected the store to close at 3 p.m., but the manager was still awaiting official word.

Cars moved slowly through New York Avenue Sunday afternoon amid about 7 inches of snow, rounding the traffic circles and steadily heading up and down slopes in a hilly part of Huntington. The wind started to pick up close to 1:30 p.m. as the snow continued to fall.

Snow totals so far, as sleeting begins

The latest snow totals show Nassau communities getting the most snow so far as of Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

At the same time, sleeting has begun in many areas, with ice pellets seen in places such as Elwood and Coram. 

As far as snow totals: Matinecock checked in with 9.2 inches; East Williston, with 9.1; and Syosset with 8.6

East Meadow has seen about 8 inches of snow.

In Suffolk, Nesconset leads the way with 7.9 inches of snow, followed by Setauket-East Setauket with 7.3, and Copiague, East Northport and Huntington Station all reporting 7.0 inches.

Stranded travelers at Kennedy Airport's TWA Hotel

With the snow-swept landscape in view from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the TWA Hotel at Kennedy Airport on Sunday morning, a handful of people strolled around, some carrying their luggage.

Several travelers said the retro-designed 1960s hotel is where they are staying until they can depart — some for distant destinations such as Kenya and Vietnam, others for American cities like Dallas.

Dallas residents Brice Tsao and Kaylee Arakaki came to New York City with a group of friends for a fun weekend.

"We were ... expecting the worst but hoping for the best," Araki said.

Asked what its been like thus far, she said: "The worst."

Tsao pointed to one bright spot: "Dallas also has a snowstorm, so no work on Monday."

Bermuda resident Sandra Stephens and a group traveling to Kenya arrived in New York a day early due to the weather.

They are staying at the hotel before hopefully continuing their trip to Africa. As for the storm, it has become part of the journey.

"It's making for a more exciting trip than we planned," Stephens said.

The JFK AirTrain had some troubles on Sunday afternoon. One car on the journey back to Jamaica stationfrom the airport with about 100 passengers on it did not open correctly. The passengers were eventually able to get out, with some pulling the doors open. A worker said the impacts were due to the weather

Dogs' dilemma in Ronkonkoma

Just before 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station was almost empty, with only a few travelers lugging suitcases, eager to make it home.

The surrounding area was deserted, aside from snow shovelers. Businesses nearby were closed.

At a Ronkonkoma apartment complex, Dustin Wessells and Kassie Krivo grappled with a dilemma: Their dogs, Fidi and Sutton, wouldn't "go" outside.

"We might have to clean up some accidents," Krivo said with a laugh.

NICE Bus suspending service as of 3 p.m.

Dangerous road conditions have led NICE Bus to suspend service on all routes as of 3 p.m. Sunday, according to an agency alert.

The bus company "will continue to assess road conditions overnight and into Monday morning to decide when it is safe to resume service," the alert says. "Even when service is resumed, passengers should expect delays and detours especially on the North Shore for Monday’s morning commute."

Riders are asked to use the NICE Go Mobile app to check for service updates or use the “Where’s My Bus” feature found under ‘Rider Tools” on the main NICE Bus webpage (www.nicebus.com) or the Service Alerts page for updates.

Neighboring Halesite eateries are open for business

Despite steady snowfall Sunday morning, two Halesite eateries remained open and ready to welcome hungry customers: Junior's Pizza and TK's Galley, both on New York Avenue, in the same shopping center.

Anthony Rombaldi, of Huntington, has been the manager of Junior's since 1997. The pizzeria was set to open at 11 a.m., and he was expecting snowplow operators and "anyone who wants to get out of the house" to stop by, he said. "We'll have the football games on," he added.

Junior's has been in business since 1982. Albert Salese, who is the owner, and Rombaldi are running the store together today, ensuring that the rest of their employees are "home safe," Rombaldi said. The pizzeria will offer pickup but no delivery.

"We try to do the right thing for the community, whoever wants to come out of the house," Rombaldi said.

TK's Galley, a nautical-themed breakfast and lunch eatery, had customers seated along the bar and across several tables, ordering breakfast and drinking coffee just before 10 a.m.

The sleigh used in the 2003 Christmas movie "Elf" is stationed in front of the Halesite Fire Department — a seasonal staple for those who live in the area. By 10 a.m., it was covered by a black tarp, with a thick layer of snow on top.

Travel hazardous; roads remain open

Roads across Long Island were snow covered and treacherous.

A new crash was reported just after 11 a.m. on the westbound Long Island Expressway at Exit 39 (Glen Cove Road) that closed the two left lanes of the roadway. This crash was in the vicinity of an earlier collision that had been cleared, according to 511NY.

Despite the conditions, there were no major road closures, according to spokespersons from the Nassau and Suffolk police departments.

According to 511, there were many roadways where traffic was moving slowly. They included the Cross Island Parkway in Bellerose Terrace, on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in Carle Place, the Southern State Parkway in North Bay Shore and much of the Northern State Parkway in both directions through Nassau.

Further east, there were near-whiteout conditions on the LIE at Exit 60. Traffic in the vicinity was extremely light.

LI school districts announcing Monday closures

Long Island school districts are announcing closures for Monday.

Huntington, South Huntington, Rockville Centre, Syosset and Port Jefferson are among those that have already made the decision.

Get an updating list of school and other closings here and read about how districts make snow day decisions here.

King Kullen, Wild By Nature stores closing at 1 p.m.

King Kullen supermarkets and Wild By Nature natural food stores are closing at 1 p.m. due to the snow, management said.

They are reopening at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Checking in on local businesses

Some businesses were sticking to their normal operating hours, while others were expecting to shut early.

The 7-Eleven in Halesite on New York Avenue has normal business hours Sunday, an employee said, adding that one of the only customers as of 9:30 a.m. was a man operating the snowplow throughout the area.

The Shop Rite in New Hyde Park planned to remain open 24 hours, as usual. The Trader Joe’s in Lake Grove was also keeping to its usual hours, closing at 9 p.m., according to an employee.

Brinkmann’s Hardware in Montauk Highway in Blue Point was open Sunday and planned to stay open until its customary closing time at 6 p.m. Customers looking for salt will be disappointed, as the store was sold out by Sunday morning, an employee said.

The Starbucks on Broadhollow Road in Farmingdale was open Sunday morning but planned to close early, by noon, according to an employee.

Almost all flights canceled at MacArthur Airport

The vast majority of flights were canceled at Long Island MacArthur Airport on Sunday.

The only flights that were still proceeding as scheduled as of about 11 a.m. were two evening Southwest Airlines flights arriving from Florida and a scheduled 5:15 p.m. departure to Orlando.
At Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports, nearly all flights have been canceled. 

For Kennedy, the numbers according to Flight Aware: 75% of departing flights have been canceled, as well as 84% of arriving flights.

For LaGuardia, those numbers are 91% and 97%, respectively.

Remote learning confirmed for NYC schools on Monday

All New York City public schools will be closed for in-person learning on Monday, and students who were scheduled to be in class will pivot to remote learning, the mayor’s office announced Sunday morning.

Long Island school districts are expected to start making decisions on Sunday about Monday’s classes, Newsday has reported. Long Island districts could close for the day or have delayed openings; officials said last week that remote learning is unlikely for Long Island districts unless one has already used up the snow days built into its schedule. Check snow closings here.

City schools worked to confirm students have the tools they need to take part in remote learning and stress-tested logins and different scenarios, the mayor’s office said on its website. Students who need technical support can visit selfservice.schools.nyc or contact their school directly. Many New York City public school students were already off for a professional development day.

Scenes from eastern LI

Things were quiet in eastern Long Island as the snow set in.

The streets of Westhampton Beach were deserted, and even a popular bagel shop was closed for the weather.

But there were signs of life.

Emily Tobin, a cook at the Eastport Luncheonette, said business has been steady Sunday. The place will close a couple of hours early today as the snow worsens, she said.

The goats at Olish's Farm in Eastport were out and about, greeting a visitor. But they, too, wanted some shelter, and crowded into their hut.

Hochul, Blakeman spar over response to federal snowstorm offer

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman criticized Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul for turning down the federal government’s help in managing the snowstorm.

Blakeman — a Republican running to replace Hochul as governor — issued a statement shortly after Hochul revealed she declined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s offer for assistance. Hochul posted on X that “the fast way to help is for [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to back off so people feel safe accessing warming centers, shelters, hospitals and houses of worship."

Her remarks came the same day as federal agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, which has become the epicenter of intense standoffs between protesters and federal agents over immigration enforcement.

“When a life-threatening winter storm is on the way, you don’t turn down help — you take every truck, every resource, and every extra set of hands you can get," Blakeman said. “Governor Hochul had a chance to put New Yorkers first. Instead, she chose politics."

Problems mount on LIRR

There were new issues reported on the LIRR just before 9 a.m.

Service on the Port Jefferson Branch west of Huntington was reduced to hourly starting at 9 a.m. due to winter-weather conditions, the railroad announced.

Meanwhile, the 7:38 a.m. from Long Beach to Penn Station was operating 10-15 minutes late following earlier switch trouble west of Jamaica, the railroad reported.

The 8:14 a.m. train from Jamaica to Montauk was operating 20-25 minutes late following earlier switch trouble at Jamaica.

Earlier, some trains were canceled on the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch.

The Ronkonkoma Branch, along with several others, remained on or close to schedule at 9 a.m.

Snow doesn't faze Hempstead community nonprofit

Community Solidarity, a nonprofit organization that distributes fresh groceries to people in need across Long Island, is hosting its weekly outdoor Food Share in Hempstead Village, despite the snowstorm.

Jon Stepanian, the chief executive officer of the organization, and other volunteers have been out in a parking lot at the intersection of Cooper Square North and Washington Avenue since around 8 a.m., unloading a van full of cardboard boxes of produce donated by local grocery stores for anyone to take if they need food, no questions asked.

Stepanian said they plan to be there until late in the afternoon. He added that his organization has been hosting the Hempstead Food Share for over 19 years and that they have never skipped a Sunday, although they usually start at 3:30 p.m.

"Most people who come here come word-of-mouth," Stepanian said. "So, when we put out the call that we were setting up at 8 a.m., going out on Friday, the truth is most people probably didn’t get that call. So we’re available here. People can come earlier to get groceries earlier so they can get home safer. Or if they didn’t get that message and someone shows up late, we’ll be there for them. And if they don’t show up, they don’t show up. We’ll still be here."

Newsday meteorologist's updated forecast

Newsday meteorologist Geoff Bansen issued an updated forecast Sunday morning.

He says that communities south of the Long Island Expressway should expect 8 to 10 inches of snow, while those north of the LIE can expect 10 to 12.

Temperatures will rise from the teens this morning to 32 degrees by 10 p.m., he predicts. Snow is expected to shift to a wintry mix by around 3 p.m.

The exercise must go on

A little snow, or possibly 10 inches of it, wasn’t going to stop Donnie Bar-Kocha from his morning exercise.

The 74-year-old East Meadow resident was unfazed as he did his workout on a snowy bench in Eisenhower Park on Sunday morning. Newsday photographer Neil Miller captured him in action.

Area temperatures were reported at around 12 degrees with northeast winds at about 8 mph.

LIE crash reported

A crash was reported in the HOV lane on the westbound Long Island Expressway, where two of four lanes were closed between Exit 40W (Jericho Turnpike) and Exit 39 (Glen Cove Road), according to 511 NY.

While plows were seen operating, including one image where four were working abreast, they had difficulty keeping up with the pace of the snow.

Images from the Islandia area, such as the picture above, show slushy lanes on the LIE and very light traffic.

The North Amityville fire department also responded to a crash on the Southern State on Sunday morning.

Disruptions on LIRR Port Washington Branch

New problems were being reported on the Long Island Rail Road.

Four trains were canceled on the Port Washington Branch due to ongoing equipment issues, the railroad said.

The eastbound 7:03 a.m. and 10:03 a.m. trains from Grand Central to Port Washington were canceled. The 8:03 a.m. and 11:03 a.m. trains from Grand Central were still scheduled on time.

Meanwhile, the westbound 8:53 a.m., 11:27 a.m. and 12:26 p.m. trains from Port Washington to Grand Central were canceled. The 9:53 a.m. train from Port Washington to Grand Central was listed as on time.

Reduced service remained on the Babylon Branch, where trains that normally run between Grand Central and Massapequa will not run.

Greenport service will not operate on Sunday because of the storm, the LIRR reported.

No major power outages reported

Electrical power was functioning largely normally on Sunday morning. An outage was reported in Massapequa, affecting 37 customers. Power was expected to be restored by 10 a.m., according to the PSEG outage map. There were 62 outages total across the Island as of about 7:30 a.m.

Major disruptions at airports

At LaGuardia’ Airport, 90% of outgoing flights and 96% of incoming flights were canceled as of 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the website FlightAware.

At JFK Airport, 73% of outgoing flights and 83% of incoming flights were canceled; Newark’s totals were 83% of outgoing flights and 89% of incoming flights were canceled.

The disruptions were only slightly larger than those reported late Saturday.

More than 9,600 flights into, within, and out of the United States on Sunday had been canceled by Sunday morning, with hundreds more delayed.

Long Island MacArthur Airport's website gave no indication of flight disruptions. A spokesperson for the airport in Islip could not be immediately reached for comment.

Problems on the LIRR

The Long Island Rail Road was experiencing problems on several of its branches early Sunday.

The 5:44 a.m. train from Port Washington to Penn Station was canceled due to equipment trouble, the LIRR reported on its website.

Reduced service was reported on the Babylon Branch, where trains that normally run between Grand Central and Massapequa will not run.

Greenport service will not operate on Sunday because of the storm, the LIRR reported.

Multiple LI libraries, houses of worship closed

Dozens of libraries and houses of worship announced closures Sunday, ahead of the storm that was forecast to drop 6 inches or more on Long Island.

For a full list of closures, click here.

East End awaits storm

At 6:30 a.m., snow had yet to arrive on the East End.

PSEG Long Island reported only 11 customers impacted by three outages this morning.

Heavy snow was falling across western Suffolk County.

Forecasters lower snow and sleet totals

The National Weather Service issued an alert just before 4 a.m. saying a major winter storm will impact the region into Monday and lowering estimated snow and sleet totals down slightly for Long Island and New York City.

In the alert, forecasters said 6 to 10 inches were expected to fall across Long Island, heavily at times, due to “anticipated mixing with and changing to sleet late Sunday afternoon and evening.

The winter storm warning expiration time was updated to 1 p.m. Monday, forecasters said.

The storm will bring a “major disruption to transportation and daily life” with heavy snowfall, a wintry mix, and near whiteout conditions, forecasters said.

Storm begins with flurries

The storm's first appearance was as snow flurries that began in Nassau County just after 5:30 a.m., with Republic Airport in East Farmingdale reporting 14 degrees and northeast winds of 7 mph.

Long Island MacArthur Airport reported overcast skies at 13 degrees and northeast winds of 6 mph.

Main roads clear prior to storm

Prior to the snow’s arrival Sunday morning, Long Island’s main thoroughfares, including the Long Island Expressway and the Northern and Southern state parkways were moving at speed with light traffic, according to 511NY.

A crash on Route 25 in Huntington closed all lanes between Round Swamp Road and Sheppard Lane, 511NY reported. Details of the crash were unavailable.

Forecasters said heavy snow was expected Sunday morning into the afternoon, transitioning to a heavy wintry mix that could bring whiteout conditions across the region. Forecasters said “lingering significant travel impacts” were likely into Monday.

'All in all, it's going to be a mess out there'

NewsdayTV meteorologist Geoff Bansen gave this updated forecast Saturday night, saying the snow will arrive after sunrise and dump 6 to 8 inches on the Island before it begins to mix with sleet.

Sleet to cause 'quite a mess,' NWS says, but PSEG prepared for ice

Long Island is bracing for up to a foot of snow Sunday, although a switchover to sleet and freezing rain could reduce totals, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service is predicting 8 to 12 inches of snowfall for Long Island, with the lowest accumulation on the South Shore.

"When the sleet takes over, accumulations won't be as high, but sleet is going to be quite a mess," said Bryan Ramsey, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Upton.

Freezing rain could result into up to 1/10th of an inch of ice Sunday night into Monday morning, which Ramsey said could lead to scattered downed tree branches and power outages.

Elizabeth Flagler, a spokeswoman for PSEG Long Island, said the amount of potential ice buildup is not a concern for the utility.

"We will continue to monitor the weather and adjust resources if needed," Flagler wrote in an email Saturday. "We have personnel ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible."

Read the full forecast here.

73% of JFK flights, 89% of LaGuardia flights canceled

As of around 10 p.m. Saturday, 89% of airline flights out of LaGuardia airport and 73% of flights out of Kennedy Airport scheduled for Sunday are cancelled, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

In total, 9,402 flights within, into or out of the country Sunday have been canceled; 2,175 flights have been delayed.

More than 4,000 flights across the country Saturday are canceled, and roughly 4,000 more are delayed.

The Port Authority, which manages Kennedy and LaGuardia, said in a Friday news release it had activated a "comprehensive package of storm preparedness protocols" by putting in place snow removal equipment, airport staff and a centralized emergency operations center to coordinate "real-time operations" at each airport. The Port Authority urges travelers to check with airlines for updated information on flights.

Travel restrictions on NY roads ahead of 'treacherous' conditions

New York State is implementing new travel restrictions ahead of the storm.

Effective at 12 a.m., commercial vehicles will be restricted to only traveling in the right lane on all state roads, according to a press release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.

Gov. Hochul activated the New York National Guard to assist on Long Island, New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. State DOT crews and additional equipment, including service technicians, operators and snow blowers, are also being deployed on Long Island from upstate regions, the release said.

Early voting for the Feb. 3 special elections in New York City is suspended on Sunday and Monday, state officials announced.

In a statement, Hochul said bitter cold and heavy snow can create "treacherous" conditions.

"There is no shortage of risks to being outside or traveling during the next few days, so I am urging everyone to be smart and stay home, stay warm, and stay safe," the governor said in the statement.

Long Island school closings and delays

Explore our listings of delays and closures to see what places of learning or programs are affected.

Click here to see the latest closings and delays.

'We are ready,' say LI and state officials as region braces for 'significant' winter storm

Long Island officials insist they're ready for the "significant" storm — scheduled to wallop the region beginning Sunday morning — that could drop about a foot of snow, create near-whiteout conditions on roadways and potentially leave some residents without power or heat.

Read more here.

Tips for drivers to prep for winter storm

Public safety officials and auto safety experts warned Long Island motorists to prepare ahead of a weekend snowstorm.

Here’s what Long Island drivers need to know to stay safe before, during and after the storm.

Storm preparedness: Phone numbers you need to know in an emergency

Here are some important phone numbers to keep you updated during the storm on everything from transit delays to power outages.

Read more here.