February 27, 2026
Long Island is shoveling its way back to normal after the Blizzard of 2026 dumped a record-breaking 31 inches in Central Islip. From power outages to heroic plow crews, here's how our communities are bouncing back stronger than ever.
The 2026 Blizzard hammered Long Island with up to 31 inches of snow, turning familiar neighborhoods into winter wonderlands overnight. Suffolk County bore the brunt, while Nassau saw hefty totals too. Residents like Joseph Laura in Islip are still digging out after days of relentless snowfall.
Central Islip in Suffolk County set a record with 31 inches from the February 22-23 storm, the highest on Long Island according to the National Weather Service. Remsenburg-Speonk clocked 27.5 inches, Central Islip 27 inches initially reported rising to 31, and Islip Airport at 22.5 inches. Southampton, Bay Shore, and Riverhead hovered in the low- to mid-20s, with Orient on the North Fork reporting 22 inches.
Nassau County totals were slightly lower but still buried roads and homes. North Merrick hit 25.4 inches, the highest there, while Bellmore and Bethpage each saw 21 inches. East Meadow measured 20.8 inches, Glen Cove 18 inches, and central Nassau areas ranged 15 to 17 inches. Wind gusts topped 55 mph, creating massive drifts and downing branches across the Island.
These totals outpaced much of the Tri-State, with Long Island taking the biggest hit. Plows battled through the night as folks paced themselves shoveling driveways. Cleanup ramps up with sunny skies and temps climbing to 40 degrees, but melting snow adds weight to the challenge. Stay tuned for more on recovery efforts—check our Explore long island winter weather updates for the latest.
The 2026 Blizzard produced widespread power outages and severe infrastructure damage across Long Island and the broader Northeast. More than 600,000 customers lost power at the storm's peak intensity Monday morning as the system "bombed out" offshore, driving hurricane-force wind gusts along the coastline. While the lion's share of regional power outages remained concentrated in Massachusetts with more than 250,000 customers still without electricity early Tuesday, Long Island experienced scattered but significant disruptions due to the combination of heavy snow accumulation and fierce winds exceeding 80 miles per hour in some locations.
Downed tree branches clogged roads from Stony Brook to Port Jefferson, with photos showing epic drifts blocking everything in sight. The Long Island Rail Road suspended all service at 1 a.m. Monday until weather eased, stranding commuters and disrupting the daily routines of thousands of riders. A travel ban was in place across Suffolk County through Monday afternoon, and county buses were scheduled to resume operation at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. In Suffolk, towns like Islip faced the enormity of the storm's height and weight, as Deputy Supervisor Thomas Owens noted that crews worked around the clock to clear roads and restore services. Residents reported mountains of snow piled high, with some like Joseph Laura breaking it up in stages after shoveling five inches Sunday night then a foot and a half more. LIRR workers de-iced trains and cleared fallen trees, aiming for regular service by midnight Tuesday.
Nassau plows kept at it too, though lighter totals helped accelerate recovery efforts. No service Monday meant snow days stretched into day two, wearing thin on parents eager to return to normal routines. Officials warned of quick weather shifts—sunny one minute, snowing the next—highlighting the unpredictability of Long Island's winter climate. As winds eased and temperatures moderated, power crews prioritized hot spots to restore electricity to affected residents. For community prep tips, see our Explore long island emergency services guide.
Long Island communities are uniting in recovery from the 2026 Blizzard, with plow teams and neighbors pitching in from Islip to North Merrick. Town of Islip crews fought non-stop, some sleeping overnight amid the deluge. "We're still fighting this storm," Owens said, highlighting the ongoing melt battle. More than 300 pieces of equipment were deployed across area roads, covering roughly 1,200 miles of Long Island streets and highways. The scale of the cleanup operation underscored the historic nature of the storm and the determination of local officials to restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
Residents paced their digs, with Laura noting he stayed ahead to avoid worse buildup. Photos from Andrew Theodorakis capture Stony Brook and Port Jefferson blanketed deep, plows pushing through mountains of snow. LIRR partial service hit Nassau and Suffolk, restoring commutes by Tuesday morning as crews worked tirelessly to clear tracks and restore rail infrastructure. Forecasts called for sun Tuesday at 31 degrees, then rain and warmer air Wednesday-Thursday, which would accelerate the melting process but also create additional challenges for drainage and flooding management.
Parents cheered crews ending snow days, while workers returned amid cleared tracks and reopened roads. Officials stressed preparedness for Long Island's fickle weather, noting that the region could experience dramatic shifts within minutes. "On Long Island, in 15 minutes it could be sunny, and then it could be snowing 15 minutes later," Owens explained. "So it's not a matter of if it happens, but of when it happens. And we're always prepared for that." From Suffolk's record snow to Nassau's resilience, Long Islanders demonstrated the community spirit and determination needed to dig out together. Explore local stories in our Explore suffolk county community news.
