Long Island hit hardest by snowstorm; Schools closed, dozens of crashes
LINDENHURST, Long Island (WABC) -- The snowstorm that hit the New York area Friday had the greatest impact on Long Island, where schools were closed and multiple car wrecks and power outages were reported.
Cars ended up where cars didn't belong, and taxis were spinning their wheels in Ronkonkoma as the storm covered the morning rush hour in a slushy mess.
Virtually every road was snow-covered at one point, and beneath was a thin, dangerous coating of ice from wet pavement that froze over after the temperature dropped overnight.
A tree limb fell across Route 108 in Cold Spring Harbor, while on the Long Island Expressway, cars and trucks struggled through the storm -- crawling in some places -- as the visibility dropped and the snow continued to pile up.
More than 100 accidents, mostly fender benders, were reported across Nassau and Suffolk counties since midnight Thursday, including a car that crashed into a tanning salon in Lindenhurst during the heavy snow. Authorities say the driver lost control and crashed into Glow Salon on Route 109 just before 6:30 a.m. There were no serious injuries, but the building was damaged.
The storm also downed some power lines, leaving more than 16,000 without power at the height of the outages.
The thick, wet snow limited visibility and mobility as people trudged around trying to work or get to work, while parents had to cope with another snow day.
The storm had moved on by midday, leaving the North Shore looking like a village in Switzerland.
Thankfully, the cleanup was a lot less than last time. And through it all, the LIRR ran a normal weekday schedule with delays averaging just 15 minutes.
Elsewhere in New Jersey, there were 3 to 5 inches of snow in eastern Passaic, Hudson, Bergen, Essex and Union counties. Monmouth, Ocean, Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May counties had 2 to 4 inches, while Mercer, Salem, Gloucester, Camden and northwest Burlington counties got 1 to 3 inches.
The precipitation arrived as rain Thursday night, and changed over to snow early in Friday morning. It was at its heaviest from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. The forecast Saturday and Sunday is for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-40s.
By Friday afternoon, there were airport delays at all three of the major Tri-State area airports, and flyers were advised to check their flights ahead of time.
New York City was under a travel advisory Friday, with residents asked to exercise caution and be prepared for limited visibility and slippery road conditions.
More snow could be on the way for next week according to Meteorologist Lee Goldberg.
