On Monday, Feb. 23, a winter snowstorm brought over 30 inches of snow to some parts of Suffolk County. Locally, the following snow totals were:
The Long Island Rail Road suspended travel on all lines and both directions at 1 a.m. on Monday, eventually opening on a limited schedule with regular service beginning at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, on the Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Montauk and Port Washington branches.
Patchogue-Medford, South Country Central, and William Floyd school districts all closed on Monday and Tuesday.
A state of emergency and travel ban was declared for the Town of Brookhaven, effective 12 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, due to “blizzard conditions and significant snow accumulation,” according to the statement issued on the town’s official social media page.
All non-essential vehicle traffic was prohibited on town roads to allow for emergency, medical, and snow removal operations.
Garbage collection in Brookhaven was suspended and all town recreation centers and the Brookhaven Aquatic Center (BAC) were shut down.
Suffolk County executive Ed Romain’s office urged residents to “please stay home, unless you are an essential worker and/or must travel. Plows from every level of government have been working through the night and will continue for days. The roads are extremely easy to get stuck on, even with four-wheel drive.”
The state of emergency announcement also warned that the “absolute worst areas” to be for the storm were roads adjacent to farm fields and open spaces.
“We just had to send a payloader to areas in Yaphank where the drifts were close to five feet. However, you can very easily get stuck at an intersection or end up off the road trying to navigate with extremely limited visibility and be stuck in your car for hours,” said the statement.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for all 62 counties in New York on Saturday, Feb. 21, with Executive Order 58.
“New Yorkers are no strangers to snow and cold weather, but these blizzard-like conditions approaching New York City, Long Island and the lower Mid-Hudson will bring heavy snow and strong winds, with the storm forecasted to impact much of our state,” Gov. Hochul said in her statement. “As with every weather event, our state agencies are equipped with the resources they need to respond to the developing storm and keep everyone informed. I encourage everyone to take action, stay vigilant and always monitor your local forecast for real-time updates.”
The executive order stated it had anticipated the nor’easter “to cause hazardous conditions posing an imminent danger to public transportation, utility service, public health, and public safety systems.”
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