"It's not a simple decision, but one that has to be made."

PATCHOGUE, NY — After Mother Nature dumped up to 9.7 inches in some parts of the greater Patchogue area, officials are now tasked with deciding where to place the piles of snow along Main Street in Patchogue Village, given freezing temps will continue, and another storm is expected to hammer the region this coming weekend.

The village's Department of Public Works had workers distributing salt on Saturday night, and then they came in early Sunday morning and worked until 10 p.m. Workers then resumed operations at 5 a.m., salting roads and pushing snow, but the cleanup was complicated by the rain and sleet at the end of the day.

"Nature does what nature wants to do, and we have to do what we have to do," Mayor Paul Pontieri said.

On Monday afternoon, workers were still out cleaning up.

"One of the big problems that we have is people who clean their sidewalks, and the driveways into the streets," Pontieri said. "So we got to keep picking stuff up."

"It was a big storm, and what my understanding is that they're telling us there's another one next weekend," he added.

Officials must decide within the next few days what to do with all the snow that's been piled up, and that depends on the weather moving forward, he said, adding, that the village could move the piles somewhere else or leave the snow where it is.

It was a easier "back in the day" when Main Street was more of a commercial district, and the village could shut it down from midnight to 6 a.m., but it's hard now with all of the restaurants and bars, Pontieri explained.

Either way, Main Street has to be accessible.

"It's not a simple decision, but one that has to be made," he said. "It's something that depends upon what we see in future storms. If there's a big storm coming again next weekend, we got to do something over the next three or four days."

NEW YORK — As residents prepare for Sunday's major snowstorm, Gov. Kathy Hochul has sent out an update that includes new travel restrictions during the storm.

According to Hochul, beginning at 12 a.m. Sunday, all commercial vehicles are required to travel exclusively in the right travel lane on all state roads.

That includes the New York State Thruway, she said. In addition, a travel ban for long combination tandem vehicles will be in place on the Thruway beginning at 6 a.m. Sunday.

Hochul declared a statewide state of emergency Friday — and also activated 100 members of the National Guard with 24 vehicles to help the downstate areas, including Long Island, the lower Hudson Valley, and New York City.`

The storm system, Hochul said, has already brought bitterly cold temperatures to the entire state and is expected to bring at least a foot of snow to the majority of the region.

"New Yorkers know how to handle winter, but it’s critical everyone treat this weather like the dangerous situation it is," Hochul said. "From bitterly cold temperatures to heavy snowfall that will create treacherous travel 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 storm is expected to begin impacting the southernmost portions of the state in the early morning hours and then progressively move north to cover the entire state by late morning and early afternoon hours.

The storm is expected to continue until Monday afternoon, with about a foot expected on Long Island, the National Weather Service said.

Beginning on Sunday evening, there is a chance that snow may transition into sleet on Long Island and in New York City, which has slightly decreased the projected snow totals in those areas to the 8-to-12-inch range, Hochul said.

Peak wind gusts could reach 35+miles per hour in those areas as well, which will increase the potential for some blowing snow and whiteout conditions, adding to the already treacherous travel conditions expected throughout the duration of the storm.

In addition to preparing for snow and wind, New Yorkers should also prepare to protect against the dangers that can result from colder weather and winter activities, Hochul said.

Uder state regulation, a Code Blue is automatically in effect whenever the temperature and wind chill equal less than 32 degrees. Local social services districts are legally required to take necessary steps to ensure those experiencing homelessness have access to shelter and that shelter hours are extended.

The New York State Department of Labor advised workers and employers to engage in extreme cold weather best practices such as:

Crews have been sent out statewide, Hochul said.

Long Island

-Receiving 8 operators, 1 service technician, and 1 snow blower from the Capital Region-Receiving 14 operators, 1 service technician, and 1 snow blower from the Mohawk Valley-Receiving 8 operators, 1 supervisor, and 2 service technicians from Central NY-Receiving 6 operators from the Finger Lakes-Receiving 10 operators and 2 supervisors from the North Country-Receiving 6 operators, 1 supervisor, and 2 service technicians from the Eastern So. Tier

All staff are currently in travel mode and will be in place by Saturday evening. The need for additional resources (operators, trucks, mechanics, equipment operator instructors) will be constantly re-evaluated as conditions warrant throughout the event.

All available snow and ice equipment is ready to deploy. Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:

Adequate salt is on hand, Hochul said. Parks and DEC have identified a total of 10 crews to be available for cut and toss missions, if needed. Two Crews will be available in each of the following locations: Long Island, Southern Tier, Central NY, Capital District, Mid-Hudson. All crews will be on standby starting at noon on Sunday and will remain on standby through close of business Tuesday.

Generator stockpiles are being readied to support dark signals. An additional 40 generators are available to support possible needs on Long Island.

Tow services will be provided in the following locations: I-495 (Nassau – multiple), and I-495 (Suffolk – multiple). The need for additional tow trucks will be evaluated as the event develops. Additionally, HELP truck beats will be extended in impacted areas.

Department staff is available to support County EOCs as needed for Incident Command System support.

Hochul also offered Winter Driving Safety Tips:

Power Outage Safety Tips

To report an electric outage, call:

PSEG-LI: 800-490-0075

"I don't think people understand the financial impact, because that's time-and-a-half for your municipal workers."

PATCHOGUE, NY — Similar to the last three snowstorms, Patchogue officials are expecting to declare a state of emergency on Saturday ahead of the storm to ensure vehicles are parked off the roads as plows remove snow.

But while the snow is falling on a weekend, again, this time, it might be easier for commuters who will be home making snowmen and drinking hot cocoa, but no so relaxing for the government's coffers.

It will be more of one, the village Mayor Paul Pontieri says.

"I don't think people understand the financial impact, because that's all time-and-a-half for all your municipal workers," he said. "So it is a very expensive storm, not only based upon the amount of snow we're getting, but the day it falls."

The last three snowstorms also fell on Sundays.

One of them in December dumped over a foot in some areas of the region.

"Just from a municipal financial point; it's very difficult on Sundays, because the guys have to work at 12 to 13, hours; 20 hours, and you're getting double time and a half," Pontieri said, adding that there will be around 25 workers on duty.

"That's a lot of money," he said.

He did not immediately have the cost of the last two snow emergencies.

The amount of snow this time around could present more of a strain on the village.

"I think the fact that it could be with an eight to 12 inches, it could be an issue," Pontieri said. "It could be 20 inches. "Any place within the middle of that, it's a lot of snow, but, that means it's a lot of hours of work, and that means it's a lot of expense to get it done."

"You have the Town of Brookhaven, which has around 3,500 miles of roads, they have their vehicles, and then they have contract vehicles," he said. "I can't imagine what they paid."

Patch has reached out to Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Losquadro for a storm preparation update.

Pontieri explained that the village has used up its snow overtime already, so the board will have to dip into its reserves, "but it's a job that's got to get done."

Workers will start spreading salt on Saturday, "which is time-and-a-half," Pontieri said, adding, "I keep coming back to the dollars.

The first layer of salt will keep the snow and the wetness from adhering and turning into ice, and make it easier to move around.

He expects to make an emergency declaration around noon on Saturday, says Pontieri, adding, "it works pretty well most of the time."

Any vehicles left parked in the street, will have to be towed to one of the village's municipal parking lots, and the tow fee, which usually runs around $125, will be charged back to the owner.

Residents should know they need to stay off the roads, as much as possible.

"Here in the village, we will get it cleaned up pretty good, but we can't do it without the help of the residents," Pontieri said.

In the meantime, in preparation for the storm's cleanup, officials have rescheduled the Planning Board's meeting from Tuesday to Wednesday. Pontieri urged residents to check for updates on the village's website and Facebook page.

This story will be updated. Check back later.

See what the snowfall totals have been so far in your area.

LONG ISLAND, NY — When all was said and done, Friday's winter storm brought less of an accumulation of snow than expected, according to the National Weather Service.

According to Brian Ciemnecki, meteorologist with the NWS office in Upton, the snow is winding down, with a winter storm warning only remaining up for Suffolk County through 10 a.m.

"Otherwise, the snow is pretty much coming to an end here," he said. "The snow came in last evening really hard and heavy for much of the island and then, became a lighter snowfall from 10 or 11 p.m. on — most places saw good front-end dumping," he said.

Snowfall totals were a bit lower than expected because of q minor shift in the track and some warm air that changed some snow to sleet, bringing the totals down a bit, he said.

Although the snow will come to an end Saturday morning, the day will remain cloudy with temperatures in the low to mid 30s. "We won't see a lot of melting today," Ciemnecki said. "Anything that does melt should freeze quickly tonight."

Temperatures Saturday night should hover in the teens, he said.

Sunday will bring a slight warmup, with temperatures in the low 40s — on Monday those temps will rise to the lower 50s with rain expected to wash away some of the snow, he said.

Here are snowfall totals for Long Island as of about 1:41 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Suffolk County

North Patchogue: 6.8 inches

Hampton Bays: 6.5 inches

Sag Harbor: 6.0 inches

Orient: 6.0 inches

Babylon: 5.8 inches

Flanders: 5.8 inches

Islip Airport: 5.6 inches

Ridge: 5.6 inches

Upton (NWS Office) 5.5 inches

Nesconset: 5.1 inches

Shirley Airport: 5.1 inches

Bohemia: 4.7 inches

Stony Brook: 4.3 inches

Smithtown: 4.3 inches

Center Moriches: 4.2 inches

East Patchogue: 4.0 inches

Commack: 4.0 inches

Sunken Meadow Park: 3.9 inches

Islip: 3.8 inches

Centereach: 3.8 inches

Kings Park: 3.6 inches

Medford: 3.6 inches

Smithtown: 3.5 inches

Commack: 3.5 inches

Deer Park: 3.3 inches

Deer Park: 3.3 inches

Bellport: 3.3 inches

Ridge: 3.3 inches

Miller Place: 3.0 inches

Patchogue: 2.5 inches

Poquott: 2.0 inches

Nassau County

Oceanside: 4.0 inches

Bethpage: 3.5 inches

Syosset: 3.1 inches

East Massapequa: 2.4 inches

Elmont: 2.0 inches

Bellmore: 2.0 inches

Plainedge: 1.7 inches

Manhasset Hills: 1.6 inches

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

School Parade Honors Those Who Served

The families of veterans and service members walk in the parade.

The Patchogue-Medford High School ROTC and color guard participate in the River Elementary School Veterans Day celebration.

River Elementary School students lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

The River Elementary School fifth-grade band performs.

Local veterans are honored by River Elementary School.

PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK—River Elementary School held its second annual Veterans Day celebration to honor courageous service members and veterans, as well as their families, for their selfless service and defense of our nation, democracy, and freedoms. A schoolwide parade was held on the back field, an expression of gratitude for current and former service members that connected students with the heroes in their community.

“It was a truly special morning for our school community, staff, and honored guests,” said River Elementary School math AIS specialist and building liaison Melissa O’Brien.

The parade path was lined with students donning red, white, and blue and holding celebratory flags and signs. Students excitedly cheered on veterans while the River Elementary School fifth-grade band played. The procession was led by the Patchogue-Medford High School ROTC and color guard.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by students in English and Spanish, followed by a signing of the Pledge by River Elementary School’s American Sign Language club. Following remarks by the acting principal, Louis Stellato, the festivities continued in the library with refreshments and meaningful connections being made between students and veterans.

For more information about the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pmschools.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PatMedSchools/. #PatMedPride

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?