as the country digs itself out of this weekend's winter storms, nearly 90 million brace for brutal cold this morning. meteorologist michelle grossman is here tracking those temps.

and in the midst of that winter blast, iowa gets ready to vote. we're counting down the first vote to the 2024 election season. but will anyone come close to former president trump? a powerful volcano in iceland erupts, sending lava up into the sky and down toward a nearby town. thousands there now racing to evacuate. we'll have the latest. wild card weekend ends with history made in detroit. the lionn their first nfl play-off game in 32 years. we break down the biggest plays of the weekend. and we look back on the life and legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. hear how the younger generations are honoring that dream, standing in mlk jr.'s footsteps. it's january 15th. "early today" starts right now. thanks for starting your week with us. i'm frances rivera. we begin the morning with an arctic blast, sending much of the country into a dangerous deep freeze. at least four people have been

killed due to the winter storms. tens of millions are under windchill and winter weather advisories, and there could be as many as 40 record lows in the next three days. and today's high temperatures will range from 20 to 45 degrees below zero. more than 15,000 flights were delayed over the weekend, and nearly 5,000 were canceled. and there has already been over 2,000 canceled so far today. on sunday, near blinding conditions causing the buffalo bills play-off game against the steelers to be postponed to today. fans helped dig out the stadium. even daring to go shirtless. and in iowa, a sheriff's deputy walked half a mile to get to a woman in labor after unrelenting snow made it impossible to get to her by car. and the south isn't being spared from the bitter conditions. texans are being asked to conserve electricity this morning as temperatures put pressure on the state's grid. let's bring in nbc meteorologist michelle grossman for the latest on this coast-to-coast cold. good morning, michelle. >> good morning, frances.

great to see you. we're looking at dangerous cold. we're looking at life-threatening cold weather as well. some of the temperatures it only takes five minutes to be outdoors to get frostbite. 92 million americans under winter alerts or windchill alerts. we're talking the northern plains into the ohio valley, down to the south central states. and temperatures are going to feel well below normal for this time of year. and some spots feeling like 40 below zero once you factor in the winds. take a look at the temperatures. looking at 13 in little rock. it's going the feel like zero degrees. the northern plains feeling like negative 32 in duluth. even down to texas, houston will feel like 24 degrees. just feeling like 8 below zero in fort worth. so those are dangerous temperatures. also looking at wintry weather. 59 million people impacted. we have winter alerts for intermountain west, the pacific northwest, into portions of the south central states, also the midatlantic. we could see 1 to 3 inches in portions of the northeast by tomorrow. back to you. >> we'll check with you in a bit, thanks, michelle. voters in iowa are being

asked to show up in the dangerous cold today for the first in the nation caucus. we're only hours away from getting the first results in for the 2024 election. former president trump continues to dominate in a new poll, but there is a surprise in the race for second. nbc's garrett haake is in iowa. >> usa, usa! usa! >> hello, iowa. one day from now, we're going to win. >> reporter: donald trump closing out his iowa campaign with one final rally, urging supporters not to let cold or complacency keep them from caucusing. >> so brave the weather and go out and save america, because that's what you're doing. this is really about saving our country. >> reporter: the former president enjoying a historic lead in the final poll with 48% of likely caucusgoers saying they'll support trump, more than double the backing of second place candidate nikki haley, a top target. >> she not up to the job, okay? i can tell you. i don't want to be mean. >> reporter: trump supporters

also the most likely to say their minds are made up, and describe themselves as extremely enthusiastic about their candidate. excited to caucus, despite the cold. how cold would it have to be for you to not go caucus on monday night? >> an astronomical probably 80 below. >> how concerned are you that the weather might be a factor tomorrow night? >> not concern at all after being here in iowa for the last 20 some years. the blizzard slows us down, but the cold weather won't stop us at all. >> reporter: mr. trump's rally briefly interrupted by climate protesters. >> climate criminal! >> reporter: including during a trump endorsement by north dakota governor doug burgum. >> our homes are flooding! >> reporter: the first former candidate to back the former president. >> under trump america was safe and prosperous. >> and our thanks to garrett for that report. new this morning, leaders in the house and the senate have agreed to a short-term spending bill that would postpone any

government shutdown until march. that's what three sources familiar with the matter told nbc news. the continuing resolution would need to be passed by midnight friday to avoid a crippling government shutdown. also new overnight, north korea says it's tested a new more powerful missile that's harder to detect than other projectiles. you can see the launch here. it's described as a solid fuel missile tipped with a hypersonic weapon designed to avoid radar detection. north korean state media describe the tests as a success, but didn't provide any flight details. both japan and south korea say they detected the launch. it has been 101 days since hamas in gaza launched a surprise large scale invasion of israel, slaughtering more than a thousand people that shocked the world in its brutality. since then, the israeli retaliation has been described by the u.n. as collective punishment. more than 31,000 palestinians are dead or missing, gaza health authorities say. let's go live now to claudio lavanga.

good morning, claudio. a somber milestone in israel and gaza. how was it commemorated? >> good morning, frances. well, on sunday, thoughts of people gathered in central tel aviv alongside their relatives of the more than 100 hostages still being held in gaza. they're holding posters with their pictures and delivering emotional speeches to describe what it feels like not to have seen or not have heard from their loved ones for 100 days. now at the same time on sunday, hundreds of thousands of people also took to the streets in major cities around the world, but this time to protest against israel's assault on gaza and to call for a ceasefire. while that was happening, hamas from gaza issued videos of three hostages. i must warn that nbc news has not been able to immediately verify the videos, but they allegedly show three hostages. yoshi, and noah argamani. noah is the young woman we saw filmed by her abductors being

taken away on the back of a motorcycle looking very scared while her boyfriend was being forced to march behind her. 100 days later, of course, the war in gaza continues to rage, but the tension at the northern border with lebanon also is rising with an israeli man and his mother on sunday died after an anti-tank missile slammed into from lebanon into their home in israel. the attack was claimed by hezbollah and comes as the cross-border exchange of missiles and rockets is intensified, raiding those fears that that part of the region may be spiralling out of control. frances? >> claudio, thank you. back here at home, heartbreak in iowa where a beloved school principal has died after a school shooting earlier this month. principal dan marburger was injured at perry high school when a student opened fire, killing a sixth grader and wounding other students and staff. according to his daughter, principal marburger tried to

calm and distract the shooter so students can flee. an alleged serial killer in a high profile case is expected to face a new murder charge this week. rex heuermann, the alleged gilgo beach killer could be charged for killing a fourth woman, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. heuermann was arrested in july after a years' long investigation. he was charged with killing three other women whose remains were found on new york's long island back in 2010. heuermann has pleaded not guilty and denied involvement in the killings. three migrants have drowned trying to cross the rio grande river into mexico. a tragedy that sparked a fight between the republican state and the democratic white house. the biden administration accused texas officials of preventing federal border agents from providing emergency assistance to the victims. they were being held at a public area that had been confiscated by the state. governor abbott justified the takeover in these terms. >> texas has the legal authority to control ingress and egress

into any geographic location in the state of texas. and that authority is being asserted with regard to that park in eagle pass, texas. >> the white house dismissed the policies as, quote, cruel, inhumane and dangerous political stunts. the ntsb and faa are investigating a hot air balloon crash that killed four people in arizona. a fifth person was also seriously injured when the balloon slammed into the ground yesterday morning in eloy, about 50 miles northwest of tucson. eight skydivers had jumped from the gondola before the accident. police say the cause of the crash is still unknown. well, as dangerously low temperatures sweep across the country, we want to bring back in nbc meteorologist michelle grossman with a look at what's in store for the week ahead. hi again, michelle. >> hi again, we're looking at the cold weather staying in place all week long. it's dangerous, it's life-threatening in some areas. and we're also looking at two winter storms that will move cross-country. let's talk about the cold first, because we're looking at dangerous temperatures in the northern plains especially. it's going to feel like 40 below zero in some spots.

those cold temperatures stretch down to the south central states. also watching the chance for rain, snow, ice from the south central states into the tennessee valley, the midatlantic eventually into the northeast tomorrow. showers and storms along the florida peninsula. as we head towards wednesday, another round of snow. look along the west coast. rain falling, some higher elevation snow. this is going to move cross-country. rerd low stillcog at temperatur only in the 20s and 40s. dallas 24. it's going to feel much colder than that. all right, frances, that's your monday forecast. >> okay, michelle, thank you. actress joyce randolph who played trixie on "the honeymooners" has died. randolph was the last surviving

cast member. she was in hospice care when she died from natural causes her son told tmz. she was born into a finnish american family in detroit. her breakout success was the cbs sitcom that would define her career. we're back in a minute with a vancouver threatening a small town in iceland this morning. and motor city magic. the lions claw past the rams with tirhe first play-off win in over three decades. we'll interest titles. [clanking] [gasping] nooo... aya... quick, the quicker picker upper! only bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and bounty is 2x more absorbent so you can use less and get the job done with one. you've got a bit of your face on your face. bounty, the quicker picker upper. and get four rolls in one with the bounty mega roll. our longest lastng roll. life doesn't stop for a cold. honey... honey... dayquil severe honey.

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miles from the capital. the town's nearly 4,000 residents were evacuated just in the nick of time. already homes on the town's outskirts are catching fire. today's events will be remembered a long time, said this police official. we're probably just seeing the beginning of a chain of events that will continue and be difficult to deal with. no one has been hurt or injured so far. workers still struggling to divert these expanding rivers of flame. the government spent weeks building these protective ramparts, but this has already breached them. workers racing toward the molten rock, to rescue heavy equipment that had been meant to build the barrier. "it was awful to see the fissure open and lava reaching the first houses," the town's mayor said. but iceland is long prepared. sitting on a massive fault line, it's long dealt with volcanos. while this slow motion crisis will damage property, it's unlikely to hurt any people, though it has created another

awe-inspiring spectacle of this land of ice and fire. matt bradley, nbc news. still to come, upsets blowouts, and whatever happened to the cowboys? we break down all the action from the firstwo d tays of the nfl play-offs, right after this. i'm feeling better. cough? congestion? all in one and done with new mucinex kickstart. aaaaah! ah! hated that. headache? better. ah! fever? body pain? better now. aaaaah! new mucinex kickstart gives all in one and done relief with a morning jolt of instant cooling sensation. it's not cold and flu season. it's comeback season. having triplets is... -amazing -expensive. so, we switched to the bargain detergent, but we ended up using three times as much and the clothes still weren't as clean as with tide. so we're back with tide, and the clothes are clean again. do 3x the laundry and get a tide clean. it's got to be tide. paying more for vitamins in a trendy bottle?

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lined up in the backfield and they switch it out here. fourth and a long yard. two for the touchdown. goff looking to throw. back of the end zone, touchdown detroit again! >> there you go. history was made on nfl wild card weekend. the detroit lions pounced early in their first home play-off game in over three decades, spending the first half trading scores with the rams. l.a. managed to creep back up as detroit's offense stalled in the second half, cutting the deficit to just one. but jared goff iced the grudge match against his former team with a crucial first down pass

to receiver st. brown. detroit wins their first play-off game this century and just their second since 1957. this is such a storied, storied milestone here given the fact that detroit fans have not seen this. they're in the stands in tears celebrating. and then just the whole switcheroo stuff for goff story behind that too. making it just great, great play-offs. >> how fun for him to come in and kind of show he has it still. >> yeah, he did. it wasn't all close thrillers on the first two days of the wild card weekend. on saturday, the resurgence of joe flacco. by 38. 39 tomorrow to the end at the hands of houston texans. cj stroud of the defense propelled the young squad in a blowout 31-point win over the browns. it wasn't close the entire game. and braving record cold temperatures in kansas city, andy reid's mustache covered in icicles. the dolphins managed only one touchdown in their loss against the chiefs. miami's play-offs has never been

word. they suffered their 23 stratigh season without a win. america's team fell apart from the beginning when it mattered most. the packers dropped a whopping 48 points on dak and the dallas cowboys sunday, becoming the first seventh seeded team to win a play-off game. i mean, by halftime, it was not even close. at least they came back a little at the end. >> that is brutal. now it's what's happening with mccarthy, their head coach. and maybe they're going make room for some bellicheck action. i don't know in texas. >> that would be crazy. one of the biggest vacancies in college football history has been filled in less than a week. on friday, the university of alabama hired washington head coach kalen deboer to replace the legendary nick saban who announced his retirement last wednesday. just a week ago, deboer was coaching the huskies in the college national championship where the team fell to the wolverines there he is arriving in tuscaloosa over the weekend where he told crimson tide fans that he can't wait for the

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our d.c. station. >> reporter: a real life lesson in civil liberties and racial healing. >> i am happy to join with you today on what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. >> in front of the steps of the lincoln memorial, these fifth graders recite line by line martin luther king jr.'s "i have a dream speech". >> signed the emancipation proclamation. >> an annual tradition for the national park service and d.c.'s watkins elementary school, which has brought students out of the classroom for this lesson for the last 20 years. >> the opportunity for our students to stand on the steps today to deliver the message around injustice and equality, and their role that they play. >> reporter: every child preparing months for this moment. >> like really nice for me to be practicing for those days, and then finally get to let it out. >> reporter: demi and her friend

giving their own speeches. >> i believe if we come together hand in hand like thousands stood hand in hand 61 years ago, we will accomplish great things. >> reporter: focused on two issues martin luther king jr. spoke about, team work and gun violence. >> gun violence stand down that it is the top cause of death for children in washington, d.c. dr. king stood up and spoke out to help black communities progress into what it is now. i would like to continue his legacy by changing my community to come together against gun violence. >> reporter: a day after the martin luther king jr. holiday is known as the national day of racial healing. today we spoke with the howard university law professor who spent years studying racial justice about the state of our nation. >> i don't believe that healing has even entered its most important phase, which is the phase of repair. >> reporter: and as far as reaching martin luther king jr.'s dream -- >> it's very clear we have not

reached dr. king's dream. and we're going to see that likely in full effect this year in 2024, this election year. >> reporter: for these children looking at history with fresh eyes, there is hope for the future. >> and our thanks to julianna for that report. it has become a tradition for many to use this holiday to give back to her community. president biden will honor dr. king by traveling to philadelphia and helping out at a food bank. and in dr. king's home city, a group called hands on atlanta is offering over one hundred volunteer opportunities for this national day of service. we thank you for being up early with us on this

90 million americans facing bone-chilling temperatures today after a weekend of deadly winter storms. our michelle grossman has coast to coast