Islanders make the most of the heaviest snow in years.

A large winter storm dumped deep snow across Martha's Vineyard, causing downed trees and power outages while residents sledded, neighbors helped one another, volunteers ran warming centers, and crews worked to clear roads and haul snow.

Snow piled high across the Island this week, creating deep drifts and blocking roads while many residents coped with power outages. The storm coincided with school winter break, so children took advantage of sledding hills while municipal crews and private contractors worked long hours to clear public sites. Some businesses and services operated with limited capacity or no refrigeration until power returned. Local organizations opened warming centers and coordinated shelter when other overnight facilities lost power. Key details: - Deep snow covered much of Martha's Vineyard, with some drifts reaching shoulder height for young children and trees downed across roads. - Children were observed sledding on a longtime community hill during winter break, inventing games and playing in the snow. - Municipal crews and contractor teams began continuous snow removal, with workers saying they would be hauling snow and clearing roads through the week. - Several businesses operated in limited ways during the outage period; some grocery locations had no power or refrigeration issues while others remained open. - The West Tisbury library and Martha's Vineyard Museum served as warming centers; one shelter reported more than 50 clients and about a dozen volunteers during an extended overnight operation. Summary: The storm brought heavy snow and outages that affected daily life, led to coordinated response by public works and contractors, and prompted local nonprofits and municipal sites to open warming centers. Officials and crews continued restoring services and clearing roads, and snow removal work was expected to continue through the week.