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Community Corner

First Snow of 2012 Hits Syosset

Five things to remember between snowball fights.


The first snow of 2012 is here! Okay, so Syosset isn't due for quite the "snowpocalypse" we had last year. However, this will be the first time you have to break out the shovels and sidewalk salt. Hopefully you read our  so you're prepared to handle it now.

Snow began falling at around 4 a.m. Saturday morning and will continue through the afternoon. Here are five things you should know.

1. The majority of snowfall should finish by 2 p.m., which leaves a critical three-hour shoveling window before sunset. Be sure to do most shoveling before sundown, as over night temperatures will drop to 19 degrees. When you finish shoveling, sprinkle kitty litter, sidewalk salt, or sand on the ground to absorb moisture and prevent an ice layer from forming.

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2. Important phone numbers:
Syosset Police Department: (516) 573 - 6200
: (516) 921 - 0000
Reporting an outage to LIPA: 800-490-0075 or 631-755-6900

3. The should be running on schedule this weekend (they shut down when snow accumulates past 10 inches).

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4. If you must drive, make sure the tailpipe of your car is clear of snow, fill up on washer fluid, and check the Traffic & Gas tool to plan your route. Also, be sure to clear ALL snow from your car. "Peephole driving," which is usually what you resort to when you're late for work and you have to scrape ice off the car, "significantly reduces a driver’s field of vision and increases the risk that snow or ice can become dislodged and fly off, causing injury or an accident," according to ConsumerReports.org.

5. Although today's storm will be relatively light, temperatures will be below freezing. Fill a few plastic freezer bags with ice and place them in the freezer. Food will stay fresh and you will have water should an emergency occur, like frozen pipes or outages. (One way to prevent pipes from freezing is to allow a faucet to drip, keeping water flowing in pipes).


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