A winter storm warning has been issued by the National Weather Service from 7 p.m. Friday evening until 7 p.m. Saturday for portions of southern Connecticut and southeast New York. The service said heavy snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 9 to 14 inches. Winds gusts could be as high as 50 mph. 

In a statement PSEG Long Island said they are prepared for the strong winds and heavy snow. 

“PSEG Long Island continues to monitor this nor’easter, and we are prepared to respond,” said Michael Sullivan, vice president of Transmission & Distribution at PSEG Long Island. “We have performed system and logistic checks, and have additional personnel at the ready. However the storm tracks, our crews will safely restore any outages as quickly as these wintry conditions allow.”

More than 900 line workers, tree trimmers, surveyors and other utility personnel will be dedicated to the restoration on Saturday, PSEG said. 

During this storm, PSEG Long Island may use an enhancement to its outage communications process to increase the accuracy of estimated times of restoration (ETRs). With this enhancement, customers contacting the Call Center early in the storm may receive an “Assessing Conditions” message rather than an ETR message. This will allow crews to assess storm impact first to provide more precise ETRs. For more information about this new process, visit https://www.psegliny.com/outages/estimatedrestorationtimes

Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter and members of the Islip Town Board are urging residents to remove their cars from the road ahead of a the storm, the town said in a statement. 

Residents are advised to move their cars into their driveway or onto their lawn if necessary, so that plows can clear the roads safely and efficiently. Should this storm require Town officials to declare a state of emergency, residents are reminded that it is a violation of Town Code to leave a vehicle on the road while the state of emergency is in effect. Leaving a car on the road is dangerous to plow operators and can result in damage to vehicles.

In addition to the winter storm warning a gale warning and a small craft advisory has also been issued by the National Weather Service.

Safety Reminders

• Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Please stay away from them, and do not drive over or stand near them. It is best to maintain a distance of at least 30 feet from a downed power line. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour electric service number at 800-490-0075 or call 911.
• Electric current passes easily through water. If you encounter a pool of slush or standing water, stop, back up and choose another path. And remember, downed lines are not easy to see in snow.
• Never use a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement, or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance.