A record-setting blizzard forced Suffolk County Community College to suspend all operations for more than three days late last month as the region was blasted with more than 30 inches of snow in some areas.
Scott A. Mandia, a physical sciences professor who teaches meteorology and has been with SCCC for 34 years, said the Ammerman campus received about 24 inches of snow. He did not recall any previous occasion when a snowstorm shut down the campus for as long as three days.
However, it’s not a weather-related record. Communication professor Dante Morelli said the college was closed an entire week as a result of Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The blizzard of 2026 shutdown, which began the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 22, and lasted through Wednesday, Feb. 25, included the cancellation of all in-person classes, online courses, and campus events.
The bulk of the storm’s impact swept into the region starting Sunday evening through Monday afternoon. Wind gusts reached over 60 mph. The conditions significantly reduced visibility and made travel nearly impossible, according to the National Weather Service.
Despite the dangerous conditions, some students still had to go to work. Marilee Montoya, an 18-year-old general studies major, traveled on foot to her job as a private home aide in Holbrook on Feb. 24, the day after the storm.
“It would go up to my thighs,” said Montoya, who is 4-foot-11. Fortunately, she lives in the same neighborhood as the person she cares for. Nonetheless, 29 inches of snow fell in her area. “We had to make the path before I went and it was pretty early in the morning, so they were struggling—my dad and my cousins—they all had to do it,” she said.
Elsewhere in the county, Central Islip recorded a record-breaking 31 inches.
The Big Dig-Out
The massive snowfall required a major dig-out effort by plant operations crews on all three Suffolk campuses, forcing the school to remain closed through Wednesday. In an announcement to the college community, President Edward T. Bonahue stated that the school would finally reopen on Thursday, Feb. 26.
In his message, Bonahue praised the “plant operations, maintenance, grounds, and custodial teams for all of their work over the last four days.” He also thanked public safety officers who remained on campus during the storm to monitor conditions and provide support.
While the college reopened, the transition back wasn’t seamless. Bonahue cautioned that some intersections and turning lanes would not be completely clear, and campus parking was tighter than usual due to the mounded snow. He noted that larger lots would have more availability while crews continued to clear remaining sidewalks and pathways.
Kudos and Complaints
Some students and faculty expressed frustration with the post-storm conditions.
“It could be better,” Montoya said, pointing out a staircase leading to the Babylon Student Center that remained buried in snow a week after the storm ended. “But it’s not horrible.”
Matthew Picciotto, a 24-year-old radio and television major, said, “They did fine enough for clearing the path from all the snow,” he said. “It was as fine as it could be within that quick amount of time, but there was still a bunch of snow on the side of the road.”
Beyond the physical conditions on the Ammerman campus, the academic impact was significant. Because even online classes were canceled, faculty members were tasked with communicating specific make-up plans and adjusted deadlines to their students.
Picciotto said he found himself falling behind after the multi-day hiatus. “It delayed a week’s worth of lessons for me and every one of the students I attend classes with,” he said. However, he remained confident he could catch up. “Hopefully we don’t have any more snow at this point.”
