Winter Storm To Hit Suffolk, Bellone Urges Caution On Roads

COMMACK, NY — The first winter storm of 2022 is set to hit Suffolk County on Monday. With icy and slick conditions expected, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone urged drivers to be careful on the roads.

"We are prepared for whatever will hit us where," Bellone said.

The storm is expected to be mild, with 1 inch of snow forecast to fall on Western Suffolk and 4 inches slated to hit the South Fork of the county's East End, Bellone said. The county has at least 19,000 tons of salt waiting to be used if necessary, and Suffolk Transit is scheduled to run on time.

Employees catching the omicron variant of the coronavirus could be an issue for longer storms that could potentially hit the county, Bellone said.

"As storms approach, storms of greater length, COVID does become an issue if this surge continues, this wave continues," he stated. "It's something we are keeping track of and we will be monitoring closely because staffing with this omicron wave is going to be a concern until we get past this."

The snowfall is slated to begin around noon and could impact the evening commute.