East End melts under holiday heat wave

The East End was melting Thursday — and so were the ice cream cones.

At Magic Fountain in Mattituck, the shop was scrambling to make more ice cream as customers lined up for a cold break from the sweltering weather.

Over in Riverhead, Dari-Land owner Lisa Kwasna rushed to add another air-conditioning unit to keep up with demand, while nearby Snowflake customers waited in the scorching sun to squeeze into the tiny shop.

Residents sought relief from scorching temperatures not only at ice cream stands but at beaches, marinas and designated cooling centers as a dangerous heat wave settled over Long Island ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

The National Weather Service extended an Extreme Heat Warning through Saturday evening, warning that heat index values could reach 105 to 110 degrees.

New York State also issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Suffolk County because of elevated ozone levels, urging children, older adults and people with respiratory or heart conditions to limit strenuous outdoor activity.

The Magic Fountain shop, which is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, opened Thursday to pent-up demand.

“This is the hottest since 2012 or 2013,” owner Chaudry Ali said. “There was a line of people standing outside at 10 o’clock. We weren’t even open and they were waiting for their order.”

By 1 p.m. Thursday, temperatures had already topped 90 degrees outside the shop, with stifling humidity making it feel like triple digits. Mr. Ali paused only briefly from making another batch of chocolate ice cream before it sold out.

In Riverhead, the heat sent customers crowding into Snowflake Ice Cream Shoppe on West Main Street and Dari-Land off County Road 58 for the same kind of relief.

Dominique Prevette, a Riverhead Town worker, carried nearly $60 worth of Dari-Land milkshakes and ice cream in a box to her truck, making a dessert run for colleagues trying to get through the afternoon heat.

“Honestly, I’ve been lucky to be inside the office because the AC’s great,” she said. “But as soon as we step out, we feel like we’re already drenched — even in the shade.”

Ms. Kwasna said the heat had turned a busy holiday week into something even bigger.

“Crazy — but a good crazy,” she said. “A lot of people are out. We’re busier than normal because of the heat.”

The demand was heavy enough that she had to add an extra air-conditioning unit.

“We had to put a splitter in just to handle the flow and the volume,” she said.

Businesses tied to summer recreation also saw the heat drive demand. At Long Island Ice & Fuel in Greenport, office manager Megan Conklin said phones were “off the hook” as customers prepared for the holiday weekend.

“Our dock is definitely more popular,” she said, adding that the Fourth of July is the company’s busiest day of the year.

The heat was not a boost for every business. Heavy-duty fans blew around Elaine Domaleski as she worked the stand at Patty’s Berries and Bunches in Mattituck, where visitors stopped throughout the day for frozen treats and cold lemonade from the Ice Cream Patch. The morning was busier than expected, she said, before slowing as the afternoon heat peaked.

“Everybody that came today has been happy or pleasant, the heat didn’t get to them yet,” Ms. Domaleski said. “And I’m not crabby.”

Farther west on Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow, Rottkamp’s Fox Hollow Farm had a slower day as customers stayed away from the heat. Not even the farm stand’s Peaches N’ Cream sundae could draw many people outside.

“I don’t think people wanted to leave the house,” owner Jeff Rottkamp said. “They don’t want to leave the air conditioning, and I can’t blame them.”

Many who did leave their homes headed straight for the cool waters around the North Fork. At Goose Creek Beach in Southold, umbrellas dotted the shoreline as families spread out along the sand while boats filled the surrounding waters. Even near the end of the day, with temperatures still in the high 90s, swimmers at Iron Pier in Jamesport showed little interest in leaving.

Meanwhile, the Southold Free Library served as both one of the town’s official cooling centers and, as library director Caroline MacArthur joked, an unofficial “cool place to be.”

“I think it’s a good alternative space for them to come on a very, very hot day,” Ms. MacArthur said. “There’s lots and lots of families here all day today. There’s a lot of traffic, so I’m assuming people are enjoying the air conditioning.”

While Thursday brought highs into the mid-90s, forecasters said Friday could be even hotter. News 12 forecast a high of 100 degrees at Islip MacArthur Airport, which would tie one of the rarest temperatures on Long Island — reached only eight previous times since 1963. 

Riverhead officials canceled outdoor recreation programs Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, moved summer camp activities indoors and opened the Senior Center as the town’s designated cooling center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Town beaches remained open until 9 p.m., with lifeguards on duty from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Senior Citizens Program director Kelly Tocci said she reminded older residents to turn on their air conditioners ahead of the heat wave. Although the senior center is typically closed for the July 3 holiday, Ms. Tocci said at least one staff member would be there Friday to keep the cooling center open during the continuing scorcher.

The prolonged heat also prompted utility officials to urge conservation ahead of one of the busiest weekends of the summer. PSEG Long Island asked customers to reduce electricity use during peak afternoon hours, while the Suffolk County Water Authority urged East End residents to curb unnecessary water use as drought conditions and heavy demand strained the system.

PSEG Long Island’s outage map showed a few scattered outages across the Riverhead and North Fork area Thursday afternoon.

Among those dealing with an outage was John Krepon of Nassau Point, who found himself with an unexpected errand after his neighborhood lost power.

“I was tasked with getting some ice cream,” he said as he picked up two vanilla-chocolate Top Hats — one of Magic Fountain’s signature treats — for his daughters, ages 12 and 15.

Not everyone, however, minded the soaring temperatures.

At the Meetinghouse Deli in Aquebogue, one worker was taking the hot spell in stride.

“I actually don’t mind the heat, especially after the winter we just had,” she said.