afraid. the debate will continue online at cnn.com as well as facebook. join us tomorrow for another edition of "crossfire." erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. up next, 100 million americans could be hit with heavy snow and frigid temperatures tonight. plus, a beloved catholic priest found murdered in his church. a new development in the case. and a major announcement from the team behind "duck dynasty." what they have planned for gun lovers in 2014. let's go "outfront." good evening, every one. i'm don lemon in for erin burnett. winter has arrived bringing with it a whole lot of snow.

this is the scene in new york city that you're looking at. outside the time warn he center at columbus circle. and there is center park over my shoulder. lots of shopping happening. folks are still out and about and you can hear the holiday music playing. this is our top story. this is a dangerous storm. it is affecting about a third of the country barreling down at this moment. a full blown nor'easter. and it is in its wake and the coldest air of the season. 100 million people in 22 states are in the path of this major storm system. it is expected to dump more than a foot of snow and bring sub zero windchills in areas from the midwest all the way to maine. here in new york. under a winter storm warning, and bracing for what is to come in the next few hours. the governor here has already declared a state of emergency. and as governors have in nearby states as well. so far, this is already proving to be a monstrous storm in other parts of the country.

the snow in the chicago area already cause someday big travel headaches. more than 2,000 flights have been canceled today. across the u.s., most originating in o'hare airport. wouldn't want to be out there. and those travel problems are about get to. much worse thanks to the conditions in boston. about 90 minutes from now, all flights from logan airport are expected to stop due to the wet weather there. we've got every angle of the storm covered and we'll take you across the country from boston to chicago and then down to the severe weather center for a full report on what's straight ahead. we want to start in boston. up to 18 inches of snow is expected there. and our friend fred is in the snow right now. how does it look where you are? >> reporter: you were saying logan airport will shut in a couple hours. if you look you can see exactly why. the winds are really starting to pick up and the snow is really

starting to fall. if you long here, i would say we probably have about almost five inches of snow that has already come down. maybe even a little more. it has been snowing for a very long time. it is continuing on get more heavy and also more windy. if you look at the streets, we've had snow plows going through every ten minutes and they can't even keep the street free. they're having a lot of trouble. traffic is a big issue. the governor here has reacted. most of the schools in massachusetts are going to be closed tomorrow. certainly all the schools in boston are going to be closed. the government workers in the state were serve home at 3:00 p.m. because the weather is going to get so treacherous. it is bad for people in boston. it is even worse for people who live in the suburbs and who live out of town. those people are going to have a lot of trouble when they wake up tomorrow. that's why the state is saying, if you can, try to stay at home, don. >> good advice. and it is only just beginning. thank you. let's head out to long island, new york. aunld blizzard warning until

1:00 p.m. tomorrow. what does it look like where you are, brian? >> reporter: well, it has started snowing here. the snow is moving out here toward long island. and picking up pretty fast. it is interesting. if you get on a smartphone, look at baltimore, washington, new york, turn on the traffic layer. you will see lots of spots where there are traffic tie-ups this evening because of the conditions that are deteriorating. here you see behind me, the long island express way. traffic moving at speed. it is starting to slow down a bit and there are fewer people out here. that's exactly what the state of new york wants. they say people should be getting off the roads by now. now that the blizzard warning is in effect. and this highway will be shut down so people will not be able to travel on it overnight. that's because road crews will have a heck of a time trying to keep one the snow. it is not so much the amount of inches, six to ten inches called for out here. it is really more about the temperature combined with the

nighttime, combined with the blowing of the snow because of the high winds. all of those elements are what will make it so hard to keep these roads treated and plowed overnight. that's why this will be shut down. >> good out in the field reporting. thank you very much. we'll get back to you. michael is braving the cold with me here in new york. he is the founder and president of weather forecasting. you say this is extremely dangerous and unusual for a number of reasons. why? >> like we previously. it is not really the total inches that is that magnanimous here. the wind and the snow and the cold temperatures combined. we really haven't seen this in about 20 years. >> it's coming down in a semicircle. that's why boston is getting most of the snow now and then we're going to get more snow later. >> yeah. the storm actually started in the midwest and even climd parts of the southeast. but it is a big cyclone so all of the northeast, all of new

england. and of course, the i-95 corridor will get hit pretty hard. >> flooding to power outages? >> yeah. the southerly winds will be making atlantic facing beef very vulnerable to coastal flooding but the biggest storm will be the bitter cold and the power outage that's are associated with the high winds. >> what do people do? as i said at the top of the newscast. people are still out shopping and you saw boston. they're telling people to stay in if you don't need to be out. what should people be doing? >> i think right now it is a lighter, drier snow. people can still do some thing in the bigger cities. once we get to tomorrow morning and during the day on 48, those high winds and windchills overnight through friday will be bitter, frostbite, hypothermia, all those things people need to worry about usually if canada, they will need to worry about it here. >> very, very icy. we're talking about below zero. >> thank you. we appreciate it. best of luck out there. stay warm and stay safe.

still to come, more of our coverage of only the's massive winter storm. plus, other stories we're covering for you including the latest details on the murder of a beloved catholic priest. police just made a major announcement and millions of dollars allegedly embezzled by a banker. a judge declared him officially dead in 2012. it turns out his death was faked. [ male announcer ] introducing new fast acting advil. with an ultra-thin coating and fast absorbing advil ion core™ technology, it stops pain before it gets worse. nothing works faster. new fast acting advil.

look for it in the white box. awe know the value of ix your education is where it can take you. (now arriving city hospital.) which is why we're proud to help connect our students with leading employers across the nation. (next stop financial center.) let's get to work. you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex.

do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about experiencing cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

we're live in new york. a winter storm is just beginning to slam the northeast.

we're looking now right across from central park where the snow is starting to come down in the city. and boy, it will be bad. looking out at columbus circle. and why is this one so different? this is winter of it is supposed to snow. according to the meteorologists, and the forecasters, this is packing a real wallop and affecting more than 100 million people, 22 states. more on that coming up. now we go to eureka, california, police have arrested a man suspected of killing a beloved catholic priest. he was arrested in question, the murder of the pastor. a 46-year-old priest was found dead in the church wednesday after he failed to show up to morning mass. and william has known pastor freed for the past seven years and taught with him at humboldt state university. i'm really sorry for your loss, the loss of your friend. any idea why someone might want

to kill him? >> no, really no idea whatsoever. i'm losing my ear piece here. no idea whatsoever. >> so let's talk about the investigation. police have arrested gary bullock. he is a man arrested on new years eve for public intoxication, released hours later. do you know anything about this man or have any idea why he allegedly killed pastor freed? >> none whatsoever. never heard of him. and you're probably more up on the investigation than i am. >> how is the community dealing with this news? >> it is a great loss. eric was one of the best priests that has ever been in e-rica. he has a lot of friends who depended on him for emotional counseling and just the sheer joys of friendship. it is very hard for everybody. >> i'm going to reask the first

question i asked you. he was beloved by many people in the community. as you talked about him, you said he didd many roles. would you not of anyone who would want to do harm to him? was there anything unusual about the last couple days or weeks of his life? >> no. i mean, i've been talking with him the last week or two. we're now between terms. but i went to a basketball game with him in the middle of december and he was in great spirits and everything was fine. and everybody i talked to in our network of friends and colleagues are just shocked and no one has any reason to believe that there was any rational cause for this. he was not a person who had enemies. he was a wonderful colleague and professional person. he always conducted himself with the highest of standards. i don't know of anybody that has

any knowledge of any reason why this would have happened. >> when you heard it was a homicide over snowe it was a senseless tragedy. just horrible. a horrible thing. the reaction, of course, of anyone who knows somebody who has suffered a violent death. we grieve for the pain that he went through and the shock of what he must have experienced. but beyond that, i think most of russ just in grief. >> have you had a chance, the community or family members, have you had a chance to figure out what you're going to do for services? how you're going to honor him? >> actually, since i heard about this yesterday afternoon, we've been fielding questions from the media more than making any plans on how we would memorialize eric or grieve his loss. where i would be working most would be at the university. and we've already been in contact with some of our

students and some of our alumni. and they're all very shocked. and we will definitely be working at the university to memorialize him. to offer counseling and support to our students who will miss him and so forwards. specific plans, we've not been able to make those. >> keep us updated and we're sorry for your loss. thank you. we appreciate it. i want to go to bjork. police have arrested a former banker suspected of faking his own death in 2012. he had been accused of embezzling millions of investors. aubrey lee davis was captured tuesday after spending a year and a half on the run and made his first court appearance today. david mattingly has the story. >> reporter: the fbi never believed georgia banker aubrey lee price really went through with a plan to kill himself. but for a year and a half, investigators had no body and no clue where he could be. the elaborate hoax fell apart new years eve when police in georgia stopped the now long

dark haired and bearded praise for driving with windows too darkly tinted. >> would you have recognized this guy? >> every time i see that shot, it doesn't get old how shocking it is. >> wendy cross is more than among 100 people allegedly defrauded by price in a $40 million investment scheme. a federal complaint says price confessed in a 22 page letter that he falsified statements with false returns in order to conceal more than $20 million in investor losses. >> it was my life savings. so yes. it was devastating. >> cross lost $300,000. it put her food truck business in jeopardy and left her emotionally and financially ruined. a risk she says she never suspected she was taking. >> it was a clean cut, soft-spoken guy. that seemed extremely professional. that's how i know ever i knew

him. >> in 2005 he told his family he was going on latin america but instead flew to key west. bought diving weights and a ticket to a ferry to make it look like he drowned himself. security cameras caught him taking his last steps before he disappeared. the video stayed on the fbi wanted page in home he would make a mistake. >> did you believe he was dead? >> i never once thought that he was dead. >> why not? >> well, i saw the footage of him on the ferry in key west. and he had a backpack and a suitcase with him. >> an attorney representing victims said price was declared legally dead last year. now in the flesh, and very much alive, price was in federal court for his first appearance. shackled and flanked by marshals, he faces charges of fraud. >> david, any idea what he's been doing the last year and a half? >> well, details about that question got a lot more interesting as the day went on.

we learned authorities in marian county, florida, raided the home where he had been renting. they found a couple dozen marijuana plants in various stages of growth. they're not exactly sure what sort of operation he had going on there. and that investigation is ongoing. he was definitely representing a house. i spoke to the man who was the landlord. he said that when he saw price's pictures on the news, that is when he went to check the house out because he recognized his tenant. when he went in, that's when he found marijuana plants. >> any indication his family or people close to him knew he was alive? >> well, it is hard to judge how truthful he is being but he did tell people who arrested him at that traffic stop, not to contact the media until his family had been notified. saying people close to him, his family did not know that he was alive and he was asking them to keep that quiet. or keep that quiet from the news media until they had a chance to

be notified. >> david mattingly, thank you very much for that. still to come, the latest from the duck dynasty controversy. we're going to tell you what phil robson plans to start selling very soon. and a dramatic rescue in antarctica. why part of the crew decided to stay behind.

before you settle for another ordinary mattress, isn't it time you discovered the sleep number bed? because only the sleep number bed offers dual air technology that lets two people find the perfect balance of comfort and support for their bodies. their sleep number setting. ok, right there. and only the sleep number bed is clinically proven to relieve back pain and improve sleep quality. oh that feels really good. it's hugging my body. and right now, we're offering our lowest prices of the season. save $300 to $800 on our newest innovations.

it's the perfect time for you to try the sleep number bed. plus, take advantage of 18-month special financing on all sleep number beds. sale ends soon. discover the sleep number bed. costs about the same as an innerspring, but lasts twice as long. only at one of our 425 stores nationwide, where queen mattresses start at just $699.99. sleep number. comfort individualized. bulldog: the red tags mean the red tags mean save up to 40%

on clearance mattresses. get up to $300 off serta, posturepedic, even tempur-pedic. puppy: i found a red tag! ha-ha-ha! bulldog: mattress discounters' year end clearance sale ends soon. at a company that's bringing media and technology together. next is every second of nbcuniversal's coverage 0f the 2014 olympic winter games. it's connecting over one million low-income americans to broadband internet at home. it's a place named one america's most veteran friendly employers. next is information and entertainment in ways you never thought possible. welcome to what's next. comcastnbcuniversal.

my idea of happiness is killing things. >> tonight's money and power. the "duck dynasty" empire now selling guns. the controversy over the at-bat gay comments doesn't appear to be slowing down the business. the gun maker has announced it will be launching a "duck dynasty" line of guns. talking about that with aaron smith. what kind of guns are we talking about? >> thank you. there's a variety of guns, primarily shotguns. mossburg has 12 guns that they're basically shipping out. they started with their selection of shotguns, 12 gauge shotguns used in bird hunting. there are also three semi-automatic weapons including two rifles and a pistol. one of the semi-automatic rifles is what might be described by some people as an assault rifle cynic it has similar military style features including a magazine holding at least 25 rounds. it is a . .22 caliber so that's

not generally the caliber associated with an assault rifle. and then the pistol is also .22 caliber and military design and the camouflage. and they have the duck commander logo of a duck in flight. >> these aren't usually the kinds of guns for duck hunting, are they? >> not the semi-automatics. rifles and pistols usually are not used to shoot ducks. it is easier to hit them with a shotgun. >> got you. forbes estimates the dug dynasty empire as $40 million. i'm sure you know robertson's comments, fans got cracker barrel to put the merchandise back on the shelves that the company had them pull. how much of the controversy actually helped? >> it is certainly not hurting them. and i think that fans of the show, well, they seem to be rallying around them. and rather than being offended by his comments, they seem to be showing their loyalty by supporting the show. i don't really think his comments have hurt them at all.

and i saw that the mossberg website actually crashed today after the story came out. i think there's a lot of interest in this product. >> aaron smith, cnn money, thank you very much. thank you. you can probably hear the wind and see the snow. it is really coming down. this is our coverage of this massive winter storm barreling through the northeast will i'm standing just across the street from central park. you can see in the 59th street, columbus circle. very big tourist spot. very heavily traveled area in manhattan and it is getting snowier by the moment. more than 100 million americans in its path. plus a look at the people we turned to during emergency situations are america's mayors doing enough to keep you and your family safe? and speaking of mayors, toronto's crack smoking mayor back in the public eye. [ male announcer ] alka seltzer plus presents the cold truth. [ coughs, sneezes ]

[ sniffles ] i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? [ male announcer ] nope. they don't have a decongestant. really? [ male announcer ] really. alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a fast-acting decongestant to relieve your stuffy nose. [ inhales deeply ] alka seltzer plus. oh. what a relief it is. [ male announcer ] can't find theraflu, try alka seltzer plus for fast liquid cold and flu relief.

[ male announcer ] can't find theraflu, it took a lot of juggling to keep it all together.k. for some low-income families, having broadband internet is a faraway dream. so we created internet essentials, america's largest low-cost internet adoption program. having the internet at home means she has to go no further than the kitchen table to do her homework.

now, more than one million americans have been connected at home. it makes it so much better to do homework, when you're at home. welcome to what's next. comcastnbcuniversal. welcome back to the second half of "outfront." man, it is cold and damp. the snowstorm that could affect up to 100 million people in 22 states. we're live in new york city. the storm is already hitting a lot of cities. you're at a live picture of the u.s. capitol in washington, d.c. right now. you can barely make out the dome. and the white house there as well. we'll have more on that in a moment. first some of the other stories we're following. first the campaign for the next mayor of toronto began today.

you may be surprised who is running again. embattled mayor rob ford. the same man who refused to resign as mayor after smoking crack has filed papers today to run for a second term. >> things are going great. doing a lot of interviews. things are going fantastic. >> i don't know about fantastic but the scandal doesn't seem to be hurting his number. according to the toronto star, ford more years. two more numbs making the case that edward snowden shouldn't to have live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. editorials in the new york times calling for clemency. they are saying with the abuses he has exposed, he deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. he may have committed a crime to do so but he has done his

country a great service. so meanwhile he remains in russia where he was granted asylum. a bad omen after closing out 2013 with record highs, stocks today marked the new year with a weak start. the dow falling more than 130 points. the s&p 500 and nasdaq declining by about 1% apiece. and this is the first time in six years that the markets started down. we are told concerns about how strong economic growth will be and how much more the fed can do will weigh on stocks. snap chat. a group says it is accessed user names and at least partial phone numbers for 4.6 million snap chat users. this is app that lets users share photos and use fours a limited time before they are erased. then they wanted to push snap chat to tighten the security

features. the hack come after they turned out a buyout offer from facebook. one of the most popular apps, snap chat right now. we're going to turn to our top story. a powerful winter storm bearing down on nearly 100 million people from midwest all the way to maine and more than a fat of snow expected in some areas. and all that snow, going to be followed by an arctic blast. a single digit temperatures to the north in boston and cape cod. expected to bear the brunt of this nor'easter. by this time tomorrow, they could be digging out. nearly 18 inches of snow. this is having a ripple effect on many of the nation's airports. already more than 2,000. 2,000 flights have been canceled. we'll have more on the widespread travel delays in just a moment. first, i want to get to richard quest live at the state-of-the-art rolling coverage vehicle in new york city. we're under a winter storm warning. where are you, richard?

>> reporter: good evening to you, don. yes, the rolling coverage vehicle, the rvv. i'm obviously outside near to where you are as we get ready to start our move around new york. so join me. because the idea is over the next few hours -- we will be moving around the city and starting to bring you exactly live pictures of how this storm is affecting new york city, don. >> my goodness. it started to come down just about 7:00 as we were bg b to go on the air. it come down in sheets for a while and then backs. on it is really freezing temperatures here. but right now, it is pretty flakey stuff. not quite so wet. but it is pretty fluffy. >> reporter: right. this is exactly what you would expect to see.

as the bands of snow start coming in, it will get heavier, we are told, in the near future. in the next hour or two. and it is expected to go on, i don't know, until 12:00, 1:00 in the morning. already you can see the traffic snarling very slowly. it is moving. thankfully not too many people on the road. needless to say if i am broadcasting, i'm not driving at the same time. >> absolutely. and listen, the mayor and the city officials are telling people to be careful. they've got a number of snow plows out. they've been salting the roads and the sidewalks all day. this is a big challenge. the first big challenge for the mayor of new york city. what you can't do, you can't start plowing the road until there's two inches of snow. so about 1,700 plows out on new

york streets. we're it all around us. you cannot plow the streets until there is enough snow to literally do some plowing. i think we're behind one now which is why i might be a little yellow from the yellow lights. >> we're seeing the mini plows on the sidewalks. richard quest, you're not watching cash cab. this is cnn. richard is there. thank you, richard. we'll check back with you. >> in fact, we'll just be passing you shortly. i'll give you a wave. >> thank you, richard. the snow has been piling up shutting shoes and making for dangerous time conditions. this was snow in the air, new years eve. another round today. those cold temperatures aren't likely to help matters.

how long will they have to deal with this? >> we've had two and a half days. with a foot of snow in the chicagoland area and now the snow has moved out and the morbidly frigid temperatures are moving in. about ten degrees tonight. by tomorrow, it will be minus 8 where we are here. a little warmer in the city. what you people are feeling, we've had for the last two days. get ready for the cold temperatures. it is a doozy. >> there's big trouble in chicago in the chicago area when you don't get the streets plowed. how are they doing so far? >> reporter: they're doing great. with this snow, it came down consistently. but the plows were out 24/7. wasn't as massive. we haven't heard many complaints. i'll tell you why.

the biggest factor, it was a hospital week. there weren't as many people in the city working. school were out. that meant a huge, huge difference. >> just outside chicago. appreciate it. boston is expected to see up to 18 inches of snow there. i'm join by rene, the director of emergency management in the stiff boston. thank you for joining us. we spoke with our reporter in boston earlier. and he was showing us five or so inch of snow. >> it is still snowing. it is still coming down pretty good and we haven't even hit the heaviest period after 9:00 and goes through all the night and into the morning. >> i know you're used to this but are you prepared for this particular storm in. >> we are used to this. the mayor called his snow team together a couple days ago. we've been planning for this and

we're ready. we have about 700 pieces of equipment for our public works department and we've had our police. the cars were off the roads so public works could do their job with plowing and pretreating the roads. >> mayors in cities all across, hey, listen, if you don't have to go out in this, stay inside. are people heeding those warnings? >> they are. during the evening commute we saw very light numbers but it memorandums the governor has allowed state workers to go home early and i think some of the private sector followed that warning as well. so it was nice. we didn't see the numbers that we normally see. >> i've got to ask you since we're a national broadcast and people are watching in the airport. logan is really going to be in deep trouble in just a few hours. they'll probably stop some

flights. and people will be stuck there. do you have enough hotel rooms? are you looking after the people who may be stuck there. >> sure, sure. there are enough hotel rooms and i'm sure the airlines are working to make sure people have a place to go and don't get stuck at the airport. >> can i ask you about pleasing? these almost are -- >> we're the cold. they'll stay throughout the night and tomorrow as well and they're not going to stop until the streets are cleared and we're ready for the day's operations. >> thank you in boston. we appreciate it. good luck to you guys. still to come, the latest information on the massive winter storm affecting as many as 100 million americans. look at the forecast. and the impact on flights.

that's next. plus a dramatic rescue in antarctica and why part of the crew decided to stay on that ship. ♪ [ male announcer ] this is the story of the little room over the pizza place at 315 chestnut street. the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the dusty basement at 1406 35th street. it is the story of the old dining room table at 25th and hoffman avenue. the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ...and the second floor above the strip mall at roble and el camino. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. ♪ so different and so new where those with endless vision and an equal amount of audaciousness believed they had the power to do more. time and time again. ♪ and then, it happened at dell, we're honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. stories that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- # 2713.

♪ this magic moment ♪

i needed a new laptop for my pre-med classes, something that runs office and has a keyboard. but i wanted a tablet for me, for stuff like twitter and xbox, so my downtime can be more like uptime. that's why i got a windows 2 in 1 which does both -- works as a laptop and a tablet. so i can manage my crazy life, and also have a life. [ beep ]

gotta go. ♪ we want to talk about the snow standing outside in new york city where the snow has been coming down for almost an hour now. it is getting heavier by the moment. cnn haus covered from the midwest to the northeast. from the midwest to maine. this snowstorm dropping about a foot of snow in the midwest and then it will continue here in the northeast. boston expected to get 18 inches

of snow. 18 inches of snow. let's to go washington. there you go. the white house, you can see the snow is falling there as well. washington expected to get its share of snow and cities all along the east coast. they'd better hunker down and brace. this will be a big challenge for all those mayors who would get that snow plowed. more on that in a moment. now let's continue with our outer circle. tonight we go to antarctica where all 52 passengers stuck on a ship aboard thick ice were finally rescued after a ten-day ordeal. the weather cleared enough for a helicopter to fly in and rescue most of the people who were aboard that ship. i asked matthew chance why the crew decided to stay behind. >> it is an antarctic adventure that is finally over, at left a for the 52 passengers on board that stranded research ship. it was a chinese helicopter that air lifted the scientific research team accompanied by two

off the ship which has been frozen in pack ice. an australian vessel is taking them to dry handled. the ship has not been band ond. its russian crew has chosen not to be rescued but instead to stay on board for what could be weeks before the antarctic ice melts enough. >> i want to check in now with john berman. you're in that warm studio. i'm going to come in there and punch your lights out. >> someone has to do it. you were standing right in the middle of our lead story. from the midwest all the way to the east coast. we're checking on every angle here. about 100 million people will be affected by this storm. it is getting going tonight. it will be heavy overmight and we'll bring you the latest.

a heart-wrenching story, jahi mcmath has been declared legally dead by doctors. her family is fighting for her life, even arguing that she could recover. their medical complications make for a messy legal fight. and i'll be joined by cnn legal analyst michael geragos. we'll have those stories at the top of the hour. don, back to you in the cold. >> every year i remember, i forget in the summer but i remember how hard it is to talk in freezing temperatures. i get all tongue tied. >> you need to do vocal exercises. >> thank you. see you in a bit. we're following the massive nor'easter. the snowstorm that's threatening nearly 100 million people all across the east coast and the united states. alexandra steele in the cnn severe weather center. i've been watching you all day. you have been doing double, triple duty. give us, tell us what's going

on. what can folks expect over the next few days? >> i was trying to prepare you. this is what we're seeing right now. the snow has made its way into new york and washington and boston. and we're going to see this come through the overnight at a rate of one or two inches an hour. a bull's-eye time frame between 9:00 tonight and 9:00 tomorrow morning. accumulation totals, 8 to 18 in boston. 6 to 8 in new york. albany, 8 to 12. philadelphia even gets up to 7 and washington as well. we saw the beautiful live pictures from the snow in washington. now this snow and the consistency of is it pretty light in nature. so that's why we're going to see a lot of problems. the winds will get so strong as well. so overnight, there's the snow. you can see it. it is clearly delineated in white. very heavy through the overnight hours. believe it or not, by 11:00 tomorrow morning, the snow will have exited. >> those cold temperatures are

not going away for much of the country and that's what's so unusual about this. that cold system right in behind it. >> that arctic air of the upper midwest has been dealing with with 40 and 50 below zero windchills. the coldest air boston has seen in three years since january 2011. this temperature, overnight temperature saturday morning getting out, or late friday night. air temperature alone falls to 5 below. windchills will be 20 to 30 below. new york as well, all these temperatures well below average. so factor in the sheer arctic air in place. hour by hour windchill. look ought. if you're going to be outside, the temperature will feel like 4 below. in the morning, boston, albany, by friday night, 15 to 20 below zero. and that's why the blizzard warnings are in effect for long island and the cape. because the winds blowing all the snow coming down. the visibility will be a quarter mile or less. >> hey, as i told the emergency manage many person in the boston

area, the national newscast, a lot of people watching this across the country have travel plans and people are watching us in the airport. it is affecting travel. talk about the delays in cancellations that are happening so far. >> well, right now we don't have a ton of delays. look at chicago at a ground stop. we saw ted rolins. it started for him days ago. they're in it. ft. lauderdale, that's a whole separate deal. as we head from tonight into tomorrow, it is kind of precautionary. a lot of these areas like boston has no flights leaving after 8:30 tonight. that's indicative of what they're doing. anticipating changes. for tonight and tomorrow, new york metro. the snow, the wind gusts, that will be a huge factor. boston, tonight, tomorrow, hartford, even providence. so those are the areas with the snow and the wind and the gusts which certainly will be affecting travel. today into tomorrow. tomorrow afternoon, the winds begin to subside. then it is catch-up time for the

last 24 hours. >> all right. lucky you're inside. we need through because we need you watching the models. >> how are people in the airports handling these cancellations? sunland >> don. well just the on 'tis passion ruined the travel plans of so many. take a look at these boards. this is what people are encountering today, seeing a lot of cancelled flights especially to the northeast corridor heading towards new york or the boston area. now logan airport in boston announced that their last flight tonight is at 8:30 p.m. and shutting it down until potentially noon tomorrow because of the high winds that are supposed to come through, and we're really seeing that sort of bleak picture nation-wide. let me give you the numbers, don. 2,000 flights nationwide are

cancelled. 6400 flights have been delayed. most of those were from chicago o'hare. so clearly, this is really reeking havoc on travel and certainly, in the day ahead, too. >> appreciate that. this fast-moving nor'easter challenging the new mayors. here in new york this is the test for administration and boston's new mayor who takes office on monday. he'll face the daunting task of dealing with the clean up and as we've seen time and time again, they can make or break a political career. another storm, another chance for political gain or pain. new jersey governor chris christie came under fire in december 2010 when he continued his disneyworld vacation that dumped three foot of snow in his state. he insisted he is just a phone call away. >> this is not the 1800s when nobody can get me. >> he blasted democrats and the

media for making a big deal and insisted everything in new jersey was under control. >> believe me, my cell phone was ringing more than it was, much more than i would prefer it to on normal circumstances when i'm away on a family vacation. >> next door, new york city michael bloomberg got hammered for being in bermuda when it hit. he faced rest renting wondering why their streets were clogged days after the blizzard. >> the response to the storm has not pmet the standards. >> reporter: weather can make or break politicians everywhere. when chicago got plumbled by two huge blizzards in two weeks the mayor took the heat for the botched cleanup. he had the misfortune of a primary the next month. jane burn defeated him in the democratic primary and was ultimately voted in as chicago's new mayor.

on the flip side, handling a snowstorm well can go a long way. new york's then cory booker pang managed to win hands and minds with a hands on approach one shovel at a time. tweeting about the efforts every step along the way. >> today what i'm giving up is sleep. >> reporter: booker went on to a win a seat in the u.s. senate representing new jersey. not a lot of sleep for the mayors and the cities in the northeast in the coming day. still to come, it's been a historic week in colorado. recreational marijuana on sale, most are celebrating but some have real concerns. we'll tell you why next. we use this board to compare car insurance rates side by side, so you get the same coverage, often for less. [ rattling ] that's one smart board. what else does it do -- reverse gravity? [ chuckles ] split atoms? [ whoooosh! ] hey, how is that atom-splitting thing going?

[ rattling ] [ electronic whistling ] oh! [ zap! ] a smarter way to shop around. now, that's progressive. call or click today.

colorado made history this week with retail pot

dispensaries saling recreational marijuana for the first time. they are celebrating but colorado law enforcement officials worry the new law would bring a host of unexpected problems. miguel marquez has more on the story. ♪ it's 420, i'm smoking marijuana ♪ >> reporter: into a new era of legal recreational marijuana. the great colorado speakout is on. >> right now we're smoking medicine man's finest. the bubba kush but for my recreational users, this is some weed. [ laughter ] >> reporter: weed, a powerful drug coming from across the country to partake. you were able to walk into a store and buy marijuana today. what did that feel like? >> it is over joying like, to not have to hide it and, you know, be able to use what makes me feel better. i take it you guys are excited about this? >>. [ cheers ] >> reporter: at medicine man denver, at one of the largest dispensaries driving snow, wind

or cold didn't detour. the line in the hundreds all day long. what does today feel like? >> freedom. >> reporter: with freedom comes responsibility. signs are everywhere, the dos and don'ts of pot, illegal for under 21 to light up, public health officials fear abuse. at greatest risk, kids. >> over half of the admissions for addiction in this state in kids under 15 and teenagers are from marijuana. >> reporter: and drivers can get busted. the legal limit 5 nanograms of thc in your blood. i don't smoke. >> right. >> reporter: but if i have one puff of a marijuana cigarette, will that put me over the five nanno gram limit? >> yes. >> reporter: for how long? >> after -- by two hours, it will probably be gone. >> reporter: thc dissipates to lower levels relatively fast,

even in ha bbit l users. >> if they fail a test, we go to the dui room and do a series of test that take up to two hours to complete. >> reporter: it's possible to be pulled over high and hours later, get a pass on the blood test. for now, pot officials, law enforcement and policy makers settling in for the long ride. >> now one disturbing incident in longmont, a 2-year-old little girl ingested a marijuana cookie. she tested positive for thc. doctors and a rising chorus of concern that young people with edibles will be caught in the cross fire. >> i see you sitting in the room with the kids, i'm sure you have

a contact high. >> not in this room. >> in your story . in your story. tonight, we're taking you to a place much colder. at 9:00 make sure you tune into "march of the penguins." "march of the penguins." ac 360 starts now -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com in for anderson cooper tonight, breaking news, if you're traveling pretty much anywhere. more than 2,000 flights cancelled as the first big storm of the season hits hard and by big, i mean big. by this time tomorrow night, about 100 million people, near lie 1/3rd of the country will be affected. plenty of people already are. winter weather advisories from minnesota to maine. blizzard warnings across new england. boston where it takes a lot to close the schools, the schools are closing. new york and new jersey governors late