Suffolk County Extends Blizzard Travel Ban Until 3:30 PM

Suffolk County officials extended a countywide travel ban until 3:30 p.m. Monday, according to reporting by the Suffolk Times and PIX11, and declared a state of emergency as blizzard conditions and 60 mph gusts battered the North Fork and the rest of Long Island. The Blizzard Warning remained in effect until 6 p.m., and county officials instructed residents to stay off roadways so plow crews and emergency responders can work, News12 reported.

Rail and bus service across the region were hit immediately. The Long Island Rail Road was completely suspended around 1 a.m. Monday, and MTA Chair Janno Lieber warned the suspension "could last through Tuesday," PIX11 reported. PIX11 also noted Metro-North lines and the MTA subways remained operating, while Suffolk County public transit was suspended, the East End Beacon reported. All Cross Sound Ferry crossings were cancelled and Hampton Jitney service was limited, the East End Beacon said; Suffolk County Department of Social Services offices were scheduled to open at 1 p.m.

Power companies and highway crews reported large-scale impacts. PSEG Long Island told the Suffolk Times the storm had downed trees, branches and wires and was affecting 15,118 customers out of 1.2 million across Long Island and the Rockaways, with over 5,000 customers restored at the time of the report. Suffolk Times identified localized outages on the North Fork: Greenport had two outages affecting 55 customers, Southold had three outages affecting 25 customers, and Mattituck had three outages affecting 41 customers. A separate Suffolk Times North Fork dispatch noted "more than 100" residents without power and near two feet of snow in places such as Greenport and Orient.

Snow totals across Suffolk varied widely. The National Weather Service reported 22 inches in Orient, the Suffolk Times said, while ABC7 listed Islip Airport at 20.0 inches, Center Moriches and North Center Moriches at 19.8 inches, and Brightwaters at 18.0 inches. East End Beacon recorded earlier local reports of Quogue at 10.0 inches, East Hampton at 9.5 inches, Jamesport at 7.3 inches and Islip-McArthur at 6.9 inches, and noted the NWS had expected an additional 10 to 13 inches in some spots before the Blizzard Warning statement.

The travel-ban timeline unfolded through the morning. News12 first reported a Suffolk County travel ban from 9 p.m. Sunday to 9 a.m. Monday, then an extension to noon, and News12 said officials left open the possibility of further extensions depending on storm conditions. PIX11 and the Suffolk Times later reported the ban was extended to 3:30 p.m. Monday. Nassau County end times varied between reports; PIX11 said Nassau's ban ran until 11 a.m., while ABC7 and News12 reported Nassau extended its ban until noon.

Local crews described the operational challenges clearing roads. Suffolk Times reported highway crews working nonstop, and News12 quoted Nassau County equipment operator Matthew Waugh saying, "That’s a big obstacle. If everyone gets their cars off the road it helps us tremendously," and urging parked cars be moved off roadways. News12 crews reported getting stuck in the snow in Ronkonkoma, and the Medford Fire Department was listed as on standby for station responses.

Air travel also faced disruption: ABC7 reported more than 10,000 flights cancelled through Tuesday, with airports in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia among the hardest hit. County officials told News12 they would continue to monitor conditions and could extend travel restrictions further as the storm evolves, stressing that keeping roadways clear is critical for plow operators and emergency services.