Residents of Bellmore and Merrick spent Monday night and Tuesday digging out after a late-winter blizzard dropped more than a foot of snow across the South Shore, blanketing roads, forcing school closings and keeping municipal crews working around the clock.
Reports from local officials and weather observers placed snowfall totals between 15 and 17 inches in both communities, with higher drifts in open areas, driven by strong winds. Snow tapered off on Monday night, allowing highway and sanitation crews to shift from plowing to widening travel lanes and clearing intersections.
Nassau County officials issued travel advisories at the height of the storm, urging residents to stay off the roads so plows could operate safely. County Executive Bruce Blakeman described conditions as hazardous, particularly overnight on Sunday, as snowfall rates intensified and visibility dropped.
Major thoroughfares — including Merrick Road, Sunrise Highway and Bellmore Avenue — were among the first to be cleared, with neighborhood streets addressed as conditions improved. By Monday afternoon, most main roads were passable, though high snowbanks narrowed lanes and reduced available parking on residential blocks.
Sanitation and highway crews continued salting operations Monday to prevent refreezing, as temperatures remained below freezing. Officials said that extended shifts would continue to address icy patches and clear catch basins ahead of a potential midweek melt.
Utility companies such as PSEG reported only scattered outages in the Bellmore-Merrick area, largely caused by snow-laden branches brushing power lines. Service was restored quickly in most cases, and no widespread disruptions were reported.
School districts and libraries across the area closed Monday because of hazardous travel conditions. Late on Monday, after consultations with area school leaders, Blakeman announced that most schools in the county would remain closed on Tuesday, saying, “Putting students, parents and teachers in jeopardy would not be advisable.”
“Allowing additional time will enable plowing operations to continue and provide families the opportunity to safely clear driveways, sidewalks, and bus stops,” Blakeman added in a news release.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, enabling state and local agencies to coordinate resources. Despite periods of blizzard conditions overnight on Sunday, however, the South Shore avoided the coastal flooding that often accompanies major winter storms.
For residents, the aftermath was equal parts routine and relief. “It’s a lot of work, but the neighborhood really comes together after a storm like this,” said Bellmore homeowner Lisa Martinez, who spent Monday morning wanting to get a head start of the shoveling, shoveled her driveway with neighbors.
In Merrick, resident David Figueroa said the storm was disruptive but manageable. “The roads looked rough early on, but the plows were out nonstop,” he said of Monday’s conditions. “By the afternoon you could see things getting back to normal.”
