From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
January 26, 2016
Travel was strictly for the birds last weekend, when Winter Storm Jonas brought so much gusting snow that Governor Cuomo declared a State of Emergency and later banned travel.

Merrick, New York, USA. January 23, 2016. As Winter Storm Jonas brings dangerous snow and winds to Long Island, a red male cardinal and several wrens eat seeds from bird feeders. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
As the storm was at its strongest mid-Saturday, I captured photos of wrens, robin red crests, cardinals, and pigeons at our bird feeders. Since I was aiming my Nikon through our open dining room window, I first put our two cats safely behind a shut door of another room.

Merrick, New York, USA. 24rd January 2016. Two Town of Hempstead snowplows are clearing roads early Sunday morning, while Blizzard Jonas continues to bring dangerous snow and gusting winds to Long Island. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Town of Hempstead Highway Department crews were working around the clock that weekend, and their long hard work showed. In fact, I saw a cul de sac near Park Avenue School cleared of snow before breakfast time Sunday.

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2016. Town of Hempstead Highway Dept. employees work long hours plowing 25 inches of snow blanketing downtown streets and parking lots. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Sunday afternoon, I took my all-wheel drive for a quick visit to downtown Merrick, where Town of Hempstead crews were plowing over two-feet of snow from the parking lots for the Merrick Long Island Rail Road Station and Merrick United States Post Office.
And I was absolutely thrilled I charged extra batteries and picked up extra bottles of water on Friday for nothing, since we didn’t lose electricity.
Winter Storm 2016: GALLERY