>> bx, home again. ha-ha-ha.

let's bring it into kentucky first and foremost. south of lexington. this is i-75 around exit 69 that there has been multiple cars with stranded passengers for several hours. this is a story we'll be monitoring closely for the next day or so certainly as people continue to try and get off the

roadways. this is an update so far. currently temperatures well below freezing. so even after the snow comes to an end, we'll have very slick roadways, making it difficult for emergency personnel to get out and help the stranded passengers that are in that particular situation. now let's move to the east coast where we focus on the major cities, washington, d.c., baltimore, philly, as well as new york city. this is really starting to ramp up in terms of our nor'easter. specifically washington and baltimore. we have heavy banding coming in. snowfall rates one, two, even three inches an hour. new overnight if you're tuning in for the first time, we have started to ramp up the snowfall totals into new york city. it looks as if they were on the outer periphery of the heavy snow band that is merging further to the north. that's going to impact that region with potentially over a foot of snow. more in a second.

here's snowfall totals, popular cities so far. baltimore at seven inches. washington, d.c., at seven inches. that will quickly contine to accumulate over the coming hours as over 33 million people are currently under our blizzard warning. remember, blizzard warnings are not defined by the amount of snow, but rather by reduced visibility and the winds across that region. here's our snowfall totals. bull's-eye across maryland and into southern pennsylvania, virginia area as well as west virginia. there's the snow totals, over a foot possible. >> thank you. we want to get back to the story that's developing in kentucky. as we mentioned, emergency workers in the state are trying to rescue drivers stranded on a major highway. >> ice topped with snow has made about 14 miles, 20 kilometers, of interstate 75 incredibly

treacherous and virtually impas impassable. some drivers have been trapped for some 12 hours. steep hills are making it difficult for rescue teams to get to them. >> joining us is one of those drivers who is stranded. her name is dani garner. and she has been stuck, we're told, for about eight hours. can you hear me? >> caller: yes. >> we're sorry about your predicament. can you describe what the situation has been and what it is now? >> caller: honestly, it's been a standstill since 8:00 p.m. yesterday. i've been looking at two semi trucks in front of me, one in front, one beside, and a couple behind me. that's all i've been able to see for eight hours. northbound i've seen a few cars here and there, emergency vehicles, but that's about it. we've got no food or water because we were fixing to stop and eat at the next exit.

we got stuck before then. >> you say "we." who's in the car with you? >> my husband, his mom, and my three kids. >> oh, my goodness. do you have fuel to keep warm? >> caller: yes, we had half a tank of gas when we were stopped and now we're at a half a tank. >> i talked about an hour ago with the state trooper about the situation. he was saying that they're trying to get the semis up the hills. it's the ice that got everything backed up. he said they're trying to work with people and there are shelters opening, the red cross had come by to hand out food. have you had any interactions can rescue workers or the red cross? >> caller: nobody yet. i've been staying on twitter and -- that's the only updates

is the stuff on twitter. >> how bad is it outside? still snowing, ice? >> caller: yeah, it's still snowing. honest honestly? f if my van wasn't heated up, i'd be boxed in. i'm watching the snow on the windshield and snow building up outside the window. it's scary, but i'm trying to keep my hopes up that they'll get it cleared out. >> please do. we've talked wit ed wited with . they realize this is a difficult situation because you're in haley area of kentucky. how old are your children? how are they doing? >> caller: currently they're sleeping. they stayed up late because they were -- i've got a 14-year-old who understands what's going on. but my 3-year-old and 2-year-old have no idea what's going on. they keep saying, we want to go home, let's go. >> finally, what section of the interstate are you on there?

can you give any information on that? >> caller: the only thing we know from google maps is mile marker 69. >> we certainly hope that someone comes by soon to help you out. and we will hopefully stay in touch with you. we appreciate you talking with us, and we hope you are relatively safe. and we hope you get on your way soon or to shelter. thank you. >> caller: thank you. >> to hear her voice. at least she's got her husband and family members there. that's just one. we don't know how many people are stranded on i-75 in kentucky. >> we'll show people again, this is happening, and there are so man people stranded on the highw highway. it's unclear when authorities will get to them. we'll stay on top of that. let's move to washington, d.c. we have our correspondent

standing by to talk about the situation there. and chris, we see the snow coming down. i know that washington is expecting a lot of snow coming down. what are you experiencing there? >> reporter: this is the bull's-eye of the storm. it has been all along. we have a moderate band coming down. we measured this morning and saw that we had about 11 inches of snow. already it's predawn, and snow totals that will be bigger than our ruler soon. it's heavy if you look. it's got powder, and that's going to be tough to shovel as it comes down. they have roads here. the major thoroughfares, the emergency routes. those roads are largely clear. they're doing a pretty good job of keeping those clear. the side streets, however, a disaster. if you're looking to get out of the house, it's going to be tough unless you live on one of the major thoroughfares. the official have said just stay

put. they started warning people yesterday, saying that the roads are going to be terrible, that you should batten down the hatches. city government and the federal government yesterday got out at noon. and d.c. public schools here, they were closed all day long. the kids got a snow day before a flake even hit the ground. that was largely to try to keep the cars off the road. they wanted to keep them clear for the salt trucks to do their thing, to treat the roads and keep the emergency lanes passable. we spent some time in a salt dome yesterday. there were about i think totals to give you by the numbers, 200 plows and trucks, 150 dump trucks, 50 loaders. they were all moving 39,000 tons of salt. so salt domes throughout the city filled to capacity. but despite all the warnings, guys, we still had a lot of traffic accidents yesterday. virginia state police saying as of late last night, about a

thousand traffic accidents across the state. that was still a lot. still a lot of people on the road. officials here saying stay put, don't come out today. it's kind of -- when the sun starts to come up, you'll see it's a really pretty scene here in washington, d.c. they're saying keep your sleds, keep your cross country skis inside until the storm passes. we're expecting snow totals that will probably double what we have on the ground already. it's tough to get around. it's slippery. you know, once you get out shoveling, you'll have a lot of work to do, guys. >> the snow is coming down in washington, d.c. reporting live, chris, thank you very much for your reporting there. moving to virginia. the snow has jostled many from what has been a relatively mild winter. some roads covered in 90 minutes. nick valencia has more. he stood outside for 12 hours.

he's on the snow-covered highway in northern virginia. >> reporter: we've been out all day long. safe to say we've seen the conditions get worse, get better. now in the late-night hours, it's especially bad. exactly what local officials were concerned about. that steady dusting of snow turning into the fatter, flakier snow. accumulation is something to drop your jaw at. look at how many inches. i can't dig my fingers down here. that's a nice dusting, nice powder of snow. the operative word is preparation in the state of virginia. so many people that we've seen on the roadways here, most of the roadways empty, of course. those on the interstate, they're plow drivers, people that are part of the emergency efforts, part of efforts to keep the residents safe. the concern was the overnight hours when the heavy snow was starting to fall. of course, when that sun comes up, local official are concerned that people will startlingering out, trying to see exactly what happened in those overnight

hours. better to stay safe inside. what we're told from the virginia department of transportation is they're preparing for up to 40 inch in this area, in and around the d.c. area. that's an incredible amount of accumulation, they are prepared. they have more than 4,000 pieces of heavy equipment including snowplows. salt brining on the roads. there have been nearly a thousand accidents reported by the virginia state police. thankfully none have been fatal accidents. certainly, the fender-benders cause for concern. right now local official feel that the worst is yet to come. they're asking everyone to stay indoors. nick valencia, cnn, fairfax, virginia. new york has been preparing for a significant snowfall even though the city is not expecting to set any records with this. hundreds of snowplows, they are out on the streets. and the governors of new york and new jersey have declared

states of emergency. the worst, as nick valencea said, is yet to come. we have reports from correspondents ryan young in new jersey and jason carroll in new york. let's start with jason. >> reporter: this truly is the city that never sleeps. no exception here in times square where you see a number of folks deciding to come out and enjoy the snow as it continues to fall throughout the night and into the early morning. the city under a winter weather emergency. the city's mayor encouraging people to stay off the streets, leaving the streets open for emergency vehicles. some 2,300 sanitation workers working 12-hour shifts just in case they are needed. in terms of the street situation, you see streets easily plowed. a number of salt spreaders here on the streets, as well. some 600 salt spreaders, 1,600 plows. here's another number. the governor saying that 600

national guard members are on standby in case they are needed. the heaviest accumulation expected sometime late this morning. that at least is what the weather forecasters are saying. in terms of totals, new york city expecti in ing between 1 a5 feet. this city has seen heavy snowfall before, and they say they're prepared this time again, as well. >> reporter: the snow in new jersey is blowing sideways, especially near the coast. they're concerned about the wind gusts that could pick up overnight. we're told maybe up to 60 miles per hour. as we walk this direction -- superstorm sandy put a pounding on the area, especially with the water. it blew out this pier. what they're concerned about is between high tide and a full moon, this water here could come back over the banks once again, really damaging the area. we're told the fence was blown out, and the roadway was jammed

with water more than waist high, destroying some of the lower floors in these buildings. we've also been told to watch out ourselves because the water could be rising around 7:00. if you look at the power lines, we've seen them tossing in the wind all night long. the power has remained strong. crews have been clearing the streets, but it's been a virtual ghost town as one person walks down the way here. we haven't seen a lot of people out in the streets. that's a good sign. hopefully people will pay attention and stay off the streets. reporting in new jersey, ryan young, cnn. >> ryan young talking about the snow. concerned about the storm surge, as well. >> yeah. right there, too. go, ryan. he's out there cover says in snow for some time. we appreciate all of our team that's been out for hours bringing us the scene. coming up, we'll take you to pennsylvania and see how philadelphia is coping as our breaking news continues on this monster storm.

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transportationdepartment of transportation. welcome bark we're following the breaking news. the massive winter storm hitting the east coast now. it has more than 85 million people in its path.

the storm has proven to be a leeng wint life threatening winter storm. at least eight deaths in the mid-atlantic states. most from traffic accidents. >> places like washington, d.c., could see up to 2.5 feet or nearly a meter of snow. the wet weather causing black ice in the south. the worst is still coming in the next 12 hours or so for many areas. >> wow. in philadelphia, conditions are so bad that authorities have issued a code blue. it signals to call -- for the public, rather, to call the police if they see any homeless people out so they can be taken to a shelter, taken out of the cold. the city was well prepared for the storm. >> reporter: things starting to intensify in philadelphia with the gusts of wind we've been expecting overnight. all the snow accumulation that

you're beginning to see, clearly three, four inches on the ground that have accumulated since 7:00 last night. this is the thick snow. the stuff that you would make a snowball out of. the stuff that when it hits your jacket, you can actually hear it. here the city is expected between 12 and 22 inches during the storm. that's more than they average in the entire month of january in the city. they've been preparing since earlier this week. they've starting brining the streets back since wednesday. they have 400 plows in the city, in the suburbs. we've seen the plows come by continuously trying to keep up with the snow as it does come down. you see the gusts of wind when they hit your face, they do hurt. in philadelphia, they're taking other precautions, as well. clearing streets of vehicles so they can properly plow. also making sure that they have

plans in place for homeless people, so they can go to shelters tonight. the good news about the storm, cities like philadelphia last year were dealing with at this point in the season three or four of these type of storms. the salt levels were depleted at this point. this year, this is the first major storm they've had to deal with. their stockpiles are stocked, salt piles full. they're ready to tackle this, hoping for the best overnight. back to you. >> sarah ganum in fill". while the snow was piling up in south carolina, another state not used to this much snow. the road conditions have become deadly. we have the latest. >> reporter: the storm here in north carolina turning deadly. at least four people have died in weather-related car crashes.

charlotte remained essentially a ghost town friday. people staying home, staying off the roads as rain, sleet, and snow came down. most of the roads had some slush, were slippery. crews were trying to keep them clear during the storm. we know that at least 110,000 customers in the carolinas had power outages overnight. we know that crews are working hard to restore power to these people. we know that the focus today turns to cleaning up the city for sunday nfc championship game. we know that cleanup will take some time. the massive storm may be shutting down u.s. cities including washington, but it's not shutting down the presidential race. >> no way. >> in the race for the white house, another poll confirm

donald trump's double-digit lead for the republican nomination. trump in polls showing 14 points ahead of senator ted cruz and 30 points ahead of one-time front-runner jeb bush. >> it found 10% of republican primary voters were less likely to vote for cruz because he was born in canada. cruz was born to an american mother, making him a natural-born u.s. citizen. one week before the state of iowa casts ballots in the nation's first caucus, the democratic candidate will go face to face with voters there. chris cuomo moderates a democratic presidential town hall with martin o'malley, hillary clinton, and bernie sanders. that will happen tuesday at 2:00 a.m. in london, 3:00 a.m. central european time on cnn. haiti's government held what it called an extraordinary cabinet meeting friday after postponing sunday's runoff election. >> voters were supposed to choose a successor to the

president, but the election office says arson and attempted arson have made voting unsafe. the country has seen violent protests following accusations of election fraud. we continue to track this huge storm that hopefully people are sleeping through this hour. >> that would be the best. heavy snow continues to fall in the u.s. capital. been doing so for hours, and the worst may be yet to come. stay with us.

welcome back to our breaking news coverage. welcome to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. i'm natalie allen. >> i'm george howell. here you see new york on one side of the screen and baltimore on the other. look at baltimore, the snow blowing sideways. new york also getting hit. these some of the most critical hours of the system that's hitting the eastern part of the united states. >> baltimore has looked like that for the past, what, two hours, right? major u.s. cities along the east coast are getting hit hard now. it is a big storm, and it was not done with us yet. >> no, it's swirling up through the u.s. eastern seaboard. some 85 million in the path of this storm. as much as 2.5 feet of snow. three quarters of a meter could blanket washington which you see here. >> in a rare move, people have suspended mass transit services over the weekend. new york city is also near the

bull's-eye, although subway trains and buses are scheduled to keep operating. at least eight traffic deaths are blamed on this dangerous mix of snow, ice, and gusty winds. in kentucky, some drivers have been stranded on a frozen interstate. a hilly interstate in the rural area, stuck for hours. the u.s. national guard and police are trying to get them to safety. this video we're just getting shows the situation. minutes ago, i trapped with a woman who's been trapped on the highway with her family for eight hours. >> caller: i've been staying on twitter and trying to -- that's the only updates i've been able to get with the stuff seen on twitter. >> how bad is it outside now? is it still snowing, icy? >> caller: yeah, it's still snowing. and honestly, if my van wasn't

heated up, i'd probably be boxed in with ice now. i keep seeing it slide off my windshield. i'm watching the snow build up outside the window. i mean, it's actually scary. but i'm trying to keep my hopes up that they've get it cleared out. >> she's got three children in the car with her. we got reports that the red cross has been handing out food. we talked with state troopers who say they're trying to help people, setting up shelters. she has seen no one. derek's here following the storm. you're the one who found her on twitter. >> yeah. we were communicating via social media. she started sending pictures saying, look at what's happening here. she is just one of let's assume hundreds in the same situation. you're in a rural, hilly part of north central kentucky with nowhere to go. how do you get out of a situation like that? a race against the clock. >> can we show the video again so people can see what folks are

dealing with. we're seeing the scene there. so many people on the roadways. >> and the state trooper saying they're trying to pull the trucks over the hill to get them out of the way. they're the ones who got stuck on the ice. they're blocking everyone, and boy -- >> here's the paradigm that we're in. they originally saw ice. and on top of ice, they saw a foot of snowfall. with hilly conditions like this and temperatures well below freezing, this is not going to improve. the road conditions will not get better. this is the story for several hours to come, until every one of those individuals is rescued. let's get details on the rest of the east coast because there's so much to cover. we'll get to it. to show you why some of the snowfall that is taking place across the country as we speak. you're seeing it on the screen. here's the latest radar, expansive system. it's starting to gather steam along the east coast. heavy snow bands moving across

washington, baltimore, philadelphia, and across the new york city area. we've actually upped the accumulations into the big apple and long island where blizzard warnings are in effect. look at boston -- not any snow just yet. you may escape the worst of the storm. there's so much to cover including the potential of coastal storm surge. you see the most intense part of the storm from now through the rest of the morning and into early saturday is coinciding with high tide and an astronomical full moon. that is going to exaggerate the coastal storm surge across the region. we've highlighted areas where we're concerned about moderate to major coastal erosion taking place there. from the atlantic city to long island city region. long island experiencing coastal erosion especially as winds come from the onshore direction. speaking of winds we're

certainly in blizzard category here. we're gusting, at least forecast to gust, over 60 miles per hour for several locations. that will continue late into the day on saturday before the storm system exits sunday morning. we've dropped to .1-mile visibility in baltimore. well under a mile for washington. we are meeting much of the criteria for blizzard conditions. there's our snowfall forecast according to the different, various models for washington, new york, and lastly philadelphia. this is a blockbuster of a storm. so many angles to cover. we'll leave it to you now. >> does it look like it will break records? >> it looks as if washington could be up there for number-two record snowfall amounts. >> thank you. >> okay. we'll stay with the kentucky story that we are monitoring. workers in kentucky trying to rescue drivers stranded on a major highway. we want to talk more about the

situation. caitlyn sentner from our affiliate, wkyt, on with us from rock castle county, kentucky. that is kind of ground zero for this situation that you see on the screen. what can you tell us about the situation? is there any estimate how long the string of cars and trucks are that are sitting there stranded? >> reporter: unfortunately at this time, i don't think we have an estimate as to when the interstate will be reopened and everyone will be able to get off. we personal have been here since 5:30 on friday. many cars here since around 1:30 we've seen. hundreds of vehicles around us, many in the same situation as us, just waiting to get off the interstate. >> have you seen any rescue vehicles? any police been able to get to your area or state troopers? and we had even a report that

the red cross was handing out food. have you seen any of that? >> caller: we have not. i've been monitoring kentucky state police twitter accounts where they're saying they're on the ground handing out water and fuel and snacks. the last i saw, they were at the 60-mile 60-miler -- 60-mile marker. we're seven miles from them. we have seen traffic moving in the northbound direction. as far as southbound, we haven't moved an inch. >> the conditions just look horr horrid around you. can you give a sense of what you're seeing? >> reporter: yeah, the snow has not stopped since we were here. it's coming down heavily. visibility is really low. about a half nile a mile in front of us there's a steep hill. we haven't been able to see past that all day or night. at times we can see the cars. right now, i can't even see the taillights. visibility is really low.

>> it was the hill apparently where semi trucks got stuck. according to police, they've been trying to move the trucks out of the way to clear the interstate. are you able to stay in touch with local reports and get any updates from your vantage point there? >> caller: we cannot see the accidents or where they occurred. so all of my updates have been coming from producers back at the station talking with our pio here and following them on twitter. kentucky state police has been, it seems like, tweeting back at anyone who has been asking them questions and trying to get to the mile markers where people are really saying they need food and water. >> what a situation there. we're glad you're okay and able to speak with us. caitlyn sentner of wkyt covering the story and caught up in it.

george? washington, d.c., it is being blanketed with snow that could break local records there. we're joined from the capital. chris, what's the scene? >> reporter: george, the snow continues to come down in washington, d.c., the bull's-eye of the storm. we have about a foot on the ground since it started yesterday afternoon. we're expecting at least double that still. we had a band of pretty heavy snow come through a few minutes ago. the snow is lighter than they thought it may be. as it warms and melts, it's going to get heavier for people to shovel. and just the sheer amount has officials warning to be careful. the roads are passable. if you're talking about an emergency route, talking about major thoroughfares. you look at the traffic cams, it

looks like you can get through, but you don't want to get out on those roads. the side streets are impassable. if you're there, officials saying stay safe, hunker down. officials spent all day yesterday trying to make sure people got off the roads, shutting down the city and federal government around noon. schools were out all day. the kids got a snow day before the snow even started to faump -- to fall. as beautiful as this will be when the sun comes up, officials saying leave the sleds and cross country skis at home. we're going to continue to see snow falling all day. winds will kick up. they're talking about 50 mile-per-hour winds at some point. that could be dangerous. and that could bring power lines down. some officials say figure they get out of the storm with only 25,000 people out of power, that will be a victory. so they are really managing expectations here to say that this could still be a doozy, and don't get out ahead of this

thing, guys. >> live from washington, d.c., the bull's-eye. thank you. natalie, from what you were talking about in kentucky, so many people are stranded on the highway, the feeling of helplessness. at least they have social media. at least they're talking to officials. >> i know. thank goodness for our fountaip and smartphones. >> for sure. we'll continue to follow the situation. straight ahead, we'll talk to the u.n. high commissioner for human rights. >> yes because this has been a tragic 48 hours. there have been deaths, drownings, and unprecedented numbers still coming for freedom. we'll find out if there are any new solutions being talked about at davos. ♪ ♪ (cell phone rings) where are you? well the squirrels are back in the attic. mom? your dad won't call an exterminator... can i call you back, mom? he says it's personal this time...

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you're looking at live video of washington as the snow piles up. the u.s. capital is getting walloped with snow.

more than seven inches or 17 centimeter already. the white house doesn't even look so white in the snow. >> you can barely see it. >> i know. the national weather service officials say the worst of it for washington, it's just beginning with damaging winds and perhaps two feet or 60 centimeters of snow over the next 12 hours. >> goodness. power lines have been snapping because of the heavy ice and wind leaving more than 160,000 people in the storm zone with no electricity. >> that's north carolina right there, just remember this started in arkansas. eight people have died, most in car crashes. in europe, winter weather has slowed the pace of migration slightly, but it hasn't lessened the determination of refugees and others to reach the continent despite the risks and deaths of thousands. nothing has stopped the flow of migrants seeking a better life. war damon has this report.

>> reporter: in the last 24 hours, at least three boats carrying refugees from the turkish shores to the islands were arrived, 46 killed. among them were 20 children. two of the boats capsizing off of the greek shores. the third capsizing off of the turkish coast. this has been something that we have been witnessing ever since the beginning of this refugee flood. desperate people being packed into shoddy, barely ship-worthy, inflatable rubber dinghies in some cases. in other cases, wooden boats, and told to navigate themselves from turkey to greece. and time and time again, there have been heartbreaking stories and image of people drowning as they try to reach what they hope will be a better life. many had thought especially in the humanitarian world that perhaps with the coming of winter and rougher seas the

refugee tide would significantly decrease. for those so desperate to seek what they think will be a a better life, they just keep on attempting to make the ongoing deadly crossing. arwa damon, cnn, istanbul. and the risks for these migrants and refugees don't end on dry land. this week, norway began deporting potentially more than 5,000 arrivals who entered from neighboring russia. one syrian family is being allowed to stay in norway, but only while immigration officials reconsider their plight. the parents and the three children had feared being deported to russia when they slipped away from a reception center. they tried than seek asylum inside a church, but police caught up with them just a short distance away, about 2.5 miles or four kilometer away. just unreal what families keep having to go through. let's discuss human rights protections for refugees with the u.n. high commissioner for human rights. he joins me from davos, the world economic forum.

thank you for joining us, sir. i want to you ask first these stories that we still hear. it's just unbelievable. the refugee crisis seems as dire as it's been from the stop or even worse. how would you characterize it? >> reporter: as you said, it's appalling. the international system has failed these people. the u.n. security council has proven itself incapable of stemming the bleeding that results from japanethese confli a real sense. the conflicts in syria and iraq, the horrors have forced these people to seek refuge elsewhere. and they are paying the price for the failure of us, the governments, the u.n., and they pay it daily through treacherous journeys over the mediterranean and through the balkans, through europe. human rights standards must be observed at all borders. you cannot simply just turn

people away. yes, there may be a right to deport people, but these people must have access to counsel. there must be individual remedies and human rights and dignity must be observed. they've suffered enough. >> you're there with world leaders. have there been any discussions there at davos that have produced any new ideas, or at the least some cohesiveness among middle eastern and e.u. countries that might heed what you just said must take place? >> reporter: there has opinion some discussion on how financing could be produced in an innovative way to assist refu e refugees in terms of access to employment. in overall terms, there's a sort of malaise over how we can try and solve these problems. we are hopeful on syria that the attempts now to forge a dialogue

could lead to an end of what has been stupifying levels of violence. violence of almost a feral, vicious center, including iraq, as well. and iteunless we can prevent an end the crisis, this will be very much the story of 2016. the european union can accept these numbers if they share the responsibility between themselves. ultimately, it is a global responsibility. and more countries need to pitch in, as well. >> are you targeting any particular countries that need to step up? it certainly teams from the story after story after story that -- use hate to use the word hopeless, but it almost seems like that for many of these people. >> reporter: yes, the thing is,

we are seeing unfortunately a meanspiritedness in many parts of the world. the walls are going up. the barbed wire going up. we have checkpoints reintroduced in europe. the xenophobiaia, the anti-foreigner hatreds are increasing. it's a deeply, deeply worrisome time. god only knows where we'll be unless we reverse the trend. we need more humane politics to occupy the sense of space in our dialogue. and we are worried at what we see as almost hate-filled rhetoric on the parts of right wing populist movements and officials who pander to them. it must be reversed. human history has been down this road before. it ends up in a very sorry state. we simply cannot go back to that again. >> we appreciate you joining us so much and your efforts to help these people.

u.n. high commissioner for human rights, thank you very much. >> a desperate situation. >> thank you very much. >> a desperate situation for these people whose rights have yet to be realized. >> 30,000 this month. >> wow. we'll be right back.

here's an example of the storm bearing down. this is time lapse of the white house in washington really getting white as this monster winter storm moved into the area on friday. washington could see up to 2.5 feet of snow. it is marching toward a record, first since 1922, right, george? >> people in washington, d.c., and different parts, baltimore, could see a lot of snow when they wake up. we're obviously all over the story here on cnn. thank you for being with us this hour. i'm george howell. >> i'm natalie allen with more on the blizzard that's hitting the eastern u.s. stay with us now for a special "new day." thanks for watching.

85 million of you waking up in the path of this -- a potentially devastated winter storm this morning. and the worst, we're told, may be yet to come. right now ten states and the district of columbia under a state of emergency. nearly a quarter of a million people do not have power. cnn is live up and down the east coast this morning tracking the storm as it threatens to cripple so many of you in so many cities. we know snow's falling now in major cities like new york, washington, baltimore, philadelphia. so those are some of the live pictures you're seeing there. we're going to take to you to this all morning. wishing the best as we say good

morning. i'm christi paul. and we have with us martin savidge in the thing of things in for victor blackwell. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is really a storm that is going to go down in the record books. certainly in the memories of millions of americans along the east coast. new york just starting to feel the brunt of it. what is here is whatever happened yesterday, friday, for the mid-atlantic and eastern seaboard, that was the warmup. today is going to be the real deal. in many areas, blizzard warnings in full effect. coastal flood warnings. that is equally a concern in many areas, as much as the snowfall. we're here in columbus circle on the edge of central park. it is going to be an intense day of snowfall. could be up to two feet in the city, as well. it is really going to be a struggle on the east coast. check out the sheer size of this monster storm with a view from

outer space as it bears down on 85 million americans in 22 states. >> reporter: we want to know what it's like. what are you dealing with? >> it's horrible. if you are out there, go home, stay there. >> reporter: the storm's already responsible for numerous deaths including two people killed in north carolina traffic accidents. overnight, the desperate situation along interstate 75 in kentucky. drivers stranded after a series of crashes closed all lanes. >> it's a complete standstill. people have their cars turned off to save gas. there's not even much going on the northbound side. a lot of snow blowing, and it's windy. >> reporter: the nation's capital and baltimore taking a direct hit, effectively shutting down those cities. >> we see this as a major storm. it has life and death implications. and all the resident of the district of columbia should treat it that way. >> the weather is expected to get even nastier.

two inches of snow may fall per hour in spots. the projected extreme high end, 40 inches total accumulation. and expect hurricane-force wind gusts to hit the eastern seaboard with the possibility of flooding. >> flooding is a challenge for us. it was a big challenge during sandy. we were hit very hard when the storm surge came up almost a mile into our district. >> reporter: already the impact numbers are staggering. around 1,000 car crashes in virginia. 7,600 flight cancelations through sunday. almost 150,000 power outages. all contributing to make this one of the worst storm on record. >> could definitely do without it. i'd like to have the 60-degree weather back that we had in december. >> reporter: a lot of people would like to see that weather come back. right now in new york city, near whiteout conditions. we're only getting started. there are over 1,600 plows from the sanitation department out,

over 1,600 salt spreaders. the problem, it is falling faster than anyone can clear it. that's the struggle. washington, d.c., this has been the epicenter of this incredible blizzard. chris is there, he's been riding it out. how are thing now? >> reporter: hey, martin. we've seen a bunch of snow coming down this morning. we've got about 11 inches on the ground. that's since this thing started yesterday afternoon. it just keeps coming. we got hit with a band just about an hour ago, bringing two inch an hour. what we're seeing along the roads is that these things -- the roads are passable. they're keeping the emergency routes open. but i wouldn't recommend anybody getting out there and trying their hand at it. the side streets are in pretty bad shape. and i want to give you numbers. just here in the district of columbia, 200 plows on the road. 150 dump trucks. 50 front end loaders. that's all to move 39,000 tons. that's tons of salt. there are salt domes all throughout this city.

and they are filled to capacity. so far, the lights are on, martin. we're seeing that power in virginia and maryland, not too many outages. for instance, in virginia, 8,5 hover hover people are without power. that's about 2.5 million. and the couple hundred it looks like out in the district of columbia and maryland suburbs so far people are able to keep their lights. visibility here not so great. you might be able to see behind me a shot of the capitol. usually that's clear as day. you can get a sense of how the snow is coming down by checking the visibility behind me. we expect this will ton come down. officials warning stay inside all day long. muriel bowser, mayor of d.c., said that this is a life and death situation. and her emergency management director went even further saying that this storm will be fatal, stay off the roads. so as picturesque as it may be

to get out here in a winter wonderland, they're saying leave the sleds at home, leave the cross-country skis at home. wait until tomorrow. the high winds likely to kick through, 50 mierchgles per hour could bring down trees and power lines. sit tight. we're not out of the woods. in fact, we're just getting started. >> yeah. thank you very much. i would say the tree line we're entering is here in new york city. certainly not out of the woods. you mentioned power. that's a tremendous concern because snow, of course is, a hazard. but when you're without electriciti, it becomes downright potentially deadly. that's something we'll watch through the day as winds pick up. the other thing we're worried about is coastal flooding. in a lot of areas on the coast, that is even more of a concern than the snowfall. boris sanchez is standing by in margate, new jersey. how are things there, boreise? >> reporter: good morning. the snow has been falling at a

steady clip since 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. last night. we're expecting to get in the low single digit here. the big concern, though, as you mentioned, is the flooding. to give you an idea of where we are, this is a barrier island. the ocean is just east of us. to the west, there's a bay. this subway about a foot to 18 inches from overflowing into this harbor. the big concern is this is an inlet and as the snow continues falling, it turns into rain. the water will continue rising. and we're dealing with high tide, as well. high tide supposed to hit before 8:00 a.m. coincidentally, there's a full moon. so high tide is expected to be extra high and potentially come over the harbor and into businesses and residences where saent h-- where sandy hit a few years ago. snoirn. >> martin? >> the worry is what will it be like this time around. the initial forecast not as bad.

if you went through sandy and suffered tremendous loss, that's not reassuring. you'll have to wait and see. hope to rides out. what we want to do is tell you about a situation developing on i-75 in kentucky. this is a stretch of highway -- if you've driven the road, many people go to florida, that's a route you commonly take. treacherous even in good weather because of the extreme mountainous conditions there. any time there is snow like this, there are problems. there are significant ones that could involve life and death with potentially hundreds trapped with no way to get off that highway. we want to check in with a reporter now stuck in the traffic jam. we understand has been there since last evening. and i couldn't hear the name over all the noise in the background here, but go ahead, if you joined us. start by telling me who you are. >> reporter: caitlyn sentner with wkyt.

nice that tao talk with you all. we're 20 minutes from being here for 12 hours. there have people who have been here probably four to five hours longer than us. >> are you still there? i'm sorry, i got broken up. go ahead. let me ask you because i've been in the situation you're in. first of all, you've got gas, right? hopefully some, bare minimum, emergency supplies? what about the people around you? >> caller: we do. we have a little more than a full tank of gas. we are good on that. and we don't have any water, but we're surviving now. we have -- we have a family behind us, traveling from detroit to georgia. they were hoping to make to a funeral saturday morning. they seem to be in good spirits the last time we talked with them. i have been following twitter.

a lot of people talking with kentucky state police saying they need food and water. >> reporter: have you had contact -- has the state police, emergency guard been by to check on you and given any indication how long you'll be trapped where you are? >> reporter: they have not. i've seen on twitter they say they're on the ground. they were at a certain mile marker an hour or two ago. we've not seen them at this point. they've been responding to people on twitter saying they will get there. as far as an indication of when we'll be out of here, we don't know. we had an indication 12 hours ago that the interstate would probably be open then, and's just not happened. >> the doflt that highway, first of all, it tends to start with a freezing rain or snow. once that builds up, the heavy semis have a hard time going up and down the hills. when they get bogged down,

everybody behind them gets bogged down. that's usually the circumstance. you're not moving at all, correct? >> reporter: no, we have not moved an inch since we got here. >> and you're all right even though i'm sure it is extreme ledifficult and -- extremely difficult and uncomfortable. >> reporter: it's little uncomfortable. but my photographer and i were saying we have been here since about 5:30 friday night. it doesn't feel like it's been 12 hours. i think that's a good thing. keeping busy talking with the station is helping keep us awake and keep us going. >> reporter: right. this is definitely a circumstance where a neighbor has to help neighbor or in this case car has to help car checking on people and keeping track of people. we will do that as far as staying in touch with you. the situation could be one of the most dhier develops during the day. i don't think you'll be going unfortunately anywhere in a near hurry. meanwhile, we'll check on the forecast. for that, we'll go to atlanta. how do things look for the hours

ahead? >> discussing the thing that are taking place in kentucky at the moment, the reason they're in this situation is because you get a combination of a half inch of ice and 12 to 18 inches of snow. you can imagine what pandemonium that causes on a thoroughfare like interstate 75. currently, our nor'easter is gathering some steam across the east coast. the low-pressure system now starting to transfer its energy along the coastline and draw in moisture from the atlantic ocean. and with it comes the heavy snow bands from washington, d.c., to baltimore, philadelphia, and new from our overnight period, if you're just tuning in, new york city starting to experience heavier snow bands, as well. we've had to increase our forecast totals for this particular city. 16 inches, not out of the question. we have over 30 million people under storm warnings.

33 million under blizzard warnings from long island to the nation's capital. the bull's-eye, maryland and southern sections of pennsylvania. into new york city, we've extended again that one-foot total in and potentially even more for some of the southern suburbs, as well. take a look at the forecast. a full-blown blizzard when you have 65 to 75 mile-per-hour full-blown wind gust. back to you. >> thank you. appreciate it. we'll get back to martin, as well. as you heard derek say, forecasting even more snow in new york than they had initially planned. in addition to our coverage of the snowstorm, we're talking to newsmakers including new jersey governor chris christie. he is leaving the campaign trail, returning to his home state to we'll do so much of what you're looking at here today. that's coming up at 7:00 a.m. at 8:00 a.m., new york governor cuomo bracing for the storm. he's going to be with us. those conversations straight

ahead here on cnn. also, our coverage is continuing as we take a look next at what it's doing to air travel. if you're flying, what does it mean for you? we'll check in with the virginia national guard, as well, for a live update on how the storm is affecting that state. and covering other news, as well. a deadly mass shooting in a small town in canada. at least four people killed. several injured. then much more on your "new day." stay close. does the smell of a freshly fill you with optimism? do you love your wireless keyboard more than certain family members? is your success due to a filing system only you understand? does printing from your tablet to your wireless printer give you a jolt of confidence? if so, you may be gearcentric. someone who knows that the right office gear

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i want to show you live pictures here. yes, that is the white house and washington getting clobbered again today with snow. we are, what, 12 hours into this. and we're looking at 24 to 36 hours of this coming down total. this is going to be a messy, messy day for the next couple of days. and as a lot of governors have been saying in different states, life threatening. we're returning to coverage of the monster snowstorm. hundreds of flights canceled. in fact, thousands. this morning, more than 4,000 flights within, into, or out of the u.s. have been canceled. more than 250 from laguardia. more than 350 from jfk. and new this morning from north carolina, at least six people have died due to this massive

snowstorm. six people including two people who died in traffic accidents due to inclement weather. we have more on the story from charlotte. >> reporter: the storm here in north carolina turning deadly. at least four people have died in weather-related car crashes. in charlotte, the city remained essentially a ghost town all of friday. people staying home, staying off the roads as rain, sleet, and snow came down. most of the roads were slippery. crews were trying to keep them clear during the storm. we know that at least 110,000 customers in the carolinas had power outages overnight. we know crews are working hard to restore power to these people. the focus today turns to cleaning up the city, getting it ready for sunday's nfc championship game. the cleanup effort will certainly take time.

martin? >> all right. thank you very much. listen, this hour, n virginia, the snow falling fast and thick. as of late last night, there have been nearly a thousand traffic crashes, a thousand, and more than 700 disabled vehicles that were responded to by the virginia state police. the state public affairs officer for the virginia national guard joining us by phone. thank you for being with us. help us understand, first of all, what is the situation there right now? >> caller: like most of the areas you've been talking about, we're experiencing really heavy snow, making it extremely difficult for emergency response organizations to get around. how we're assisting is we're using our humvees which can get through really heavy snow. we're helping state troopers get to those crash locations. we're helping emergency medical officials be able to get to citizens who need medical assistance. and we even helped get equipment to deal with a house fire not

far from where i am. >> and the house fires can be really -- it can be common sadly because people are trying to heat their homes if they've lost power. are you finding that's part of the problem? what is the power interruption in the area? >> caller: i have to confess, i don't have numbers on power interruption. our focus has been on mobility and making sure that local ems and state police troopers can get to where they need to go. >> and are you -- you mentioned that it's heavily snowing right now. what is your biggest challenge at the moment trying to do so? >> reporter: we're actually -- from our standpoint, the coordination with the state police has been terrific. the challenge is just being able to get through stuff safely. we've got well-trained soldiers. we've got great equipment. tea party -- it's still a challenge getting around. we have to make sure everybody goes slow and does things the way they know they're supposed to do.

>> folks in d.c. have been staunch and stern telling people to stay off the roads. when you get to these people, what did they say? why do they still venture snout. >> caller: i haven't heard reports in terms of why folks are out and about. again, our priority is to get people to where they need to go. maybe troopers have insights, but i haven't heard anything from our soldier in terms of why folks are out and about. >> you're confident that you can handle still what is coming? >> caller: right, the governor's given authorization to bring in 1,000 soldiers. right now we have 400 co-located in our armoryies or with state police and local response officials. they've been busy but not overwhelmed. we could bring in more if needed. we feel like we've got the right force mix out there. and they're helping make a

difference. >> we appreciate so much your update here. best of luck to you and the crews out. there we're wishing you the best. >> caller: thank you very much. >> thank you. the weather affecting millions. we'll have more on the latest. the future belongs to the fast. and to help you accelerate, we've created a new company... one totally focused on what's next for your business. the true partnership where people,technology and ideas push everyone forward. accelerating innovation. accelerating transformation. accelerating next. hewlett packard enterprise.

take a look at the live pictures out of new york. columbus square looks like there. and without those lights, it doesn't seem that you would see too much. the snow is definitely coming down. the forecast just updated. it looks like they'll get even more snow than initially

thought. up to 16 inches in the city. we are going to continue to follow what's happening there. we want to check some other stories making headlines this morning because we know that low levels of legionnaire's disease bacteria were found in the water system of a flint, michigan, hospital two years ago. this discovery came after the city switched its water supply to save money. that's when the staff at mclaren hospital noticed an increase in the number of people being diagnosed with the often deadly form of legionnaires. high levels of lead and iron were found in the water supply. a suspect is in custody after a deadly school shooting in canada. four people were killed at the leloshe community school in northern saskatchewan. the school has about 900 students in grades k through 12. officers will not report whether the victims or the shooter were students, nor will they say what

kind of weapon was used. and a university of virginia student arrested in north korea for a "hostile act" against the government. you see him here. detained since january 2nd. he was on a tour arranged by a chinese company. the group says the family is working with the state department, with north korea and the swedish embassy in their attempts to free him. our coverage continues of the deadly blizzard affecting millions along the eastern seaboard. eight people have already died. the worst may be yet to come. we're taking you live to new york in a moment. i drive a golf ball. i drive to the hoop. i drive a racecar. i have a driver. his name is carl. but that's not what we all have in common. we talked to our doctors about treatment with xarelto®. xarelto® is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. xarelto® is also proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem.

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breaking news. the massive snowstorm that threatens to cripple parts of the east coast. a quarter of a million people do not have power right now across the southeast and carolinas. look at some of the latest pictures we're getting in here. heavy snow. you see it weighing on the trees and knocking down power lines. it's beautiful, i know. but it is heavy and wet. and that is causing some real dangerous problems there. want to give you a live look at philadelphia, as well. officials are sounding the alarm over their most vulnerable. and something i think a lot of us think about at this time are the people who are homeless. and can they get to shelters. do the shelters have enough resources to take care of them in moments like this. and then all want to show a picture of the capitol now. look at that. snowfall expected to be more than 2.5 feet by the time all is said and done in what is predicted to be one of the city's worst storms.

heading to martin savidge, talking about the historic storm. what are you seeing there, and i guess at this early hour? as i understand it, it is this morning that they're really getting pummelled. >> reporter: what a difference a day makes. yesterday it was pretty much clear in new york. in fact, it was sunshine for some periods, cold. now completely different story. blizzard warning remains in effect, and will be here for some time. blizzard warnings in many parts of the eastern board is here as a result of this storm. it's going to rely two things that will make a difference in new york. that's the combination of snow -- we're talking about how much snow per hour. some suggestions are it could be two to three inches per hour. then how hard the wind blows. and there are also suggestions that the wind speeds here could become quite high. some even suggest maybe even near hurricane force. new jersey's another state that's been suffering under the

storm. there's been a lot of criticism tossed in the way of chris christie, campaigning in new hampshire. so many have wondered, hey, when are you going to come back and look after your state. that answer yesterday yed after a lot of criticism. the governor was back in new jersey. here's what he had to say -- >> so the reporting that i wasn't coming back was wholly inaccurate. and you know, didn't put into effect the words that i used. am i coming home? i have no plans to come home. the circumstances got worse. and clarified. as soon as it did, then i came home. but if the storm blew out to sea and i came home, i'd look pretty stupid. so the fact is that you make the decision when you have clarity on what the circumstances are going to be. i had clarity this morning at 11:00 after this briefing that the snow was going to be of some measure of significance. after i heard it was hitting parts of the state, the decision was easy.

if that was going to happen, i was coming home. that's when i said as far as back as wednesday, i said if i'm needed at home, i will come home. at this point i'm not needed there. the governor's here, the cabinet's here, i'm getting briefings. if i feel there's need to come home, i will. if it turns out there's not need for me to come home, i won't. i made the decision at the moment i needed to make the decision, and i got here before one flake fell on the ground. >> reporter: it's obvious given the weather conditions that the governor is going to be busy as are a lot of governors as they struggle to get through the storm here. if there is any silver lining, the number of people who are trying to commute is greatly reduced. most people would say if you don't have to go out, do not. this is the time to hunker down. we have more from the capital, the area expected to suffer the worst at least when it comes to

snowfall. chris? how are things now? >> reporter: we're in the epicenter and starting to see the snow pick up again. usually behind my left shoulder here, you see the capital. it's starting to pick up. we've seen 11 inches since the storm started earlier yesterday afternoon. we expect the number to at least double. we're only halfway through, just getting started in places like new york. it's been slippery out there, of course. virginia state patrol saying there were at least a thousand accidents. 800 disabled vehicles. so official still saying stay off the roads. here in town, the emergency routes are clear. they're passable. but i wouldn't recommend trying to get on to those now. the side streets in pretty bad shape, as well. people saying hunker down. so far, we've been lucky the wind has not picked up. we haven't had huge 50

mile-per-hour gusts yet. they are calling for that, it may still happen. that means that power is still largely on in the washington region. in d.c. and maryland, most people have their power. in virginia, there's only about 8,500 outage that domestic power is reporting. that's 2.5 million customers. so far the lights are, on the heat is on, as well, as the storm continues to pick up. as pretty as this will be when the lights come up, people saying keep skis and sleds at home. hunker down. there will be plenty of time for that tomorrow after the storm passes, and we can start to come out and have a little fun in the snow. until then, they expect that this kind of condition will last all day. they're saying stay in the house. in fact, d.c. officials saying the storm will be deadly. stay off the road. it doesn't get kind of more of a stern warning than that, martin. >> thank you very much.

interesting he notes that he doesn't feel so much wind down there. here in new york city, wind gust are starting to pick up. that is going to be problematic only for potential damage, power lines and not to mention trying to keep up with the snowfall coming down. winds also propelling water. there are concerns that the tide and combination of forces of the storm blowing on the coastline. boris sanchez now from new jersey where he's been following developments. keep in mind, many there suffering and thinking a lot about what happened during sandy. boris? >> reporter: that's correct. the snow coming down at a steady clip here. it's been falling since 6:00 or 7:00 last night. it's expected to stay in the single digits here. as you said, the major concern is flooding. i'm going to move to give an idea of where we are now. this is a barrier island. the ocean is to our east. this bay here is to the west. the main concern is at that water is only about a foot, a foot and a half maybe from coming over the harbor and into

this area that was affected by hurricane sandy and was flooded here. in terms of preparations, so far the streets are clear. there's not many people out. official have done a tremendous job of keeping them free of snow. however, something that surprised me, there's not very many sandbags out in front of homes and businesses. i spoke to a neighbor yesterday and asked why it was that so few people were getting prepared. he said the water's going to do what the water's going to do. that sandbags can only do so much. he was here during sandy and is hoping for a different experience now. the main hour is just before 8:00 a.m. the bay behind us expected to hit high tide. and exacerbating, potentially making this much worse, a full moon add to. the tide is going to be as high as it gets. neighbors hoping that it doesn't affect them as badly as sand dea few years ago, martin.

>> reporter: the water levels, doesn't seem to be near a sandy crisis, but it is going to be high. when we get close to 8:00 a.m. because of the combination you described, we are going to be carefully watching and checking back with you. meanwhile here in new york city and on the eastern seaboard, for anybody going through the storm, stay here. we'll try to keep you connected with the latest information. if you're not affected pie the storm, we'll give you context to understand what your friends and maybe family members on the east coast are going through. in the meantime, back to atlanta. >> thank you very much. great information there that we're getting from you. right now, too, want to let you know there are thousands of people stranded on a kentucky highway. remember the situation in georgia, in the atlanta area a couple years ago? somewhat of the same thing here. we'll talk in a couple of minutes to a mom of five who has been stuck in the snow and icy conditions for nearly five hours now.

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looking at live pictures on the right-hand side of the screen of baltimore. they are expected to get two or more inches of snow per hour.

and the winds there particularly vicious. we'll continue to bring you the latest from that part of the country, as well. listen to there -- a family of five, actually i think there are four in the car now, is stranded on a snowy highway in kentucky. i want to show pictures that were taken from their car. you can get a good idea of what they're talking about. they're stranded with all kind of other people who are also stranded on i-75. they have been there since 1:00 in the morning. they've run out of food and water. they say there are dozens of cars, as you can see, stuck on interstate 75. despite repeated calls to the kentucky state police, no one has been able to help them yet. april gillium montecinos is on the phone. thank you very much for sharing this with us so we can get a idea sense of what's happening there. you have been, help me understand this, sitting there since 1:00 morning? is that right?

>> caller: no, 1:00 yesterday during the day. >> you've been in that car sitting there for 17 hours almost? >> caller: that's correct. and we have not moved one inch. >> my gosh. how are you holding up, first of all? and do you -- have you been getting out and talking to people in other vehicles? >> caller: yeah, me and my dad, we keep getting out and walking back and forth. and he's talking to other people in vehicles. very frustrating because you're in a car and not comfortable. you're crammed. we've made multiple phone calls to the kentucky state police and keep getting the same story, like ten hours ago they told us, oh, we'll have you out in no time. we've not heard anything else, you know. my dad's a diabetic, and i have two kids here, 14 and 4, that are hungry. we ran out of stuff a long time ago. >> uh-huh. how is your father doing? >> caller: he's doing okay. one of the police officers -- i did tweet somebody, kentucky

state police. they sent an officer out, but he didn't know what he was coming for and didn't bring anything with him. he actually gave my dad his own snacks so my dad's blood sugar wouldn't drop. they said that they have the red cross out here. and people are going by giving like blankets and water and food. nobody has seen any of that. >> i know your daughters are 14 and 4 years old. how are they holding up? other than being hungry? >> caller: the 14-year-old wants to go home. the 4-year-old actually fell asleep an hour and a half ago. you know, they're just hungry. they want to go home, they don't want to be in a car any longer. >> how far are you -- >> caller: we live in toledo, ohio. we're a good ways. >> yeah. you still have a good ways to go. stay with us. i want to bring derek van dam in, meteorologist. help her understand what is

going on weatherwise and what is to come in the next hour or so. >> april, many factors led to this situation. not only your situation but the hundreds of cars stranded on interstate 75. first, there was the half inch of ice reported in the region. on of the ice, a foot to 18 inches of french fallen snow. you add in hilly conditions in the area, makes it virtually impassable for many of the trucks and vehicles. this is the situation going forward. what you're looking at, i'm sure you can probably only hear me. you're not watching me on tv. for our viewers at home, we're talking about rock castle county south of lexington, interstates 75. around the exit 69 area. that's the areas that twitter has been lighting up and discuss i ing. that's the majority of the vehicles are stranded. the snow is letting up across the region. the forecast calls for the temperatures to stay well below freezing.

anything that's on the ground now, it's not going to be cleared any time soon. it will be difficult for emergency person told come into the region and address -- personnel to come into the region and address the situation. as you see, the snowfall totals around that region, upwards of a foot to even a foot and a half, that's the current temperature in lexington. 21 degrees. you see the outer bands starting to exit the region. in terms of additional snowfall, maybe one to three inches. but the winds will set in, and temperatures will remain very cold. by the way, there's still a winter storm warning in effect through 7:00 a.m. in the region. >> at least we're coming up on that. thank you very much. april, i wanted to ask you, as i'm listening to this, we know the winds and cold is a problem. do you have enough gas to keep yourselves warm and to turn the car on every so often? >> caller: we do. we actually probably still have almost a full tank because we keep turning it on and off.

the main thing is that we've been in the car for a long time. they have southbund is open and clear. they just haven't got us clear yet. they don't know that it will be any time soon today. >>. >> do you know if you're near a hotel where you could walk to someplace? >> caller: no, we're not close to even an exit at all. >> i assumed, but with phones these days, they can be helpful in giving a better gauge of what may be around us. we're so sorry for what you're going through. obviously the troopers know that you are all there. can't ignore that. please keep us informed of what happens with you today, april. we want to make sure you all are okay. thank you for taking the time. give us a call back if you start moving. >> caller: okay. thank you very much. >> wishing you the very best. thank you.

goodness. she is one of 85 million of you in the path of this monster storm today. the snow is expected to keep coming down, as you heard from derek, all day in certain places. talking live to some of the hardest hit areas. following a big political story as the infighting over control of the gop continues. there's a new poll out showing where the main support lies among voters. the future belongs to the fast. and to help you accelerate,

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guard has been called out. they're providing critical vehicle support to bring aid where it's most needed. again, live picture of washington. many, many pictures of this throughout the northeast and mid-atlantic states as we've got ten states under a declaration of emergency this morning. eight people have already died. 160,000 do not have power this morning. wild have more in a moment. as we're looking at washington, we thought, you know, we should let you know some new political news out this morning. this national poll that is showing donald trump with a sizable lead over rival ted cruz. the real estate magnate leads cruz 34% to 20% in the fox poll. the numbers coming with the iowa caucuses eight days away, and a fight ongoing within the party about the direction of the party. we have more from iowa. >> reporter: good morning.

this is a real struggle going on within the establishment wing of the republican party. in one quarter, you have those who are very intent on stopping donald trump. in the other, those trying to take down ted cruz. >> people don't be even think about the national reviews. >> reporter: in an unprecedented move, the national review out with the complete and total takedown of trump calling trump a menace to american conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it under foot on behalf of a pop limp as heedless as the donald himself. essays from over 20 respected conservatives piling out. trump trying to brush it off. >> that's a dyinging paper. pretty much a dead paper. >> reporter: crews continuing to be raked over the cools take from the wark governor wark senator chuck grassley and former presidential nominee bob dole who called cruz an extremised who would bring

cataclysmic -- extremised who would bring cataclysmic controversy if he winds. still in question how many are dissatisfied with the front-runners. with cruz and trump on top in the polls, the party forced into deciding who will do more harm to the party long term. >> when it's death by being shot or poisoning, does it matter? >> reporter: as both men face incoming from their party, the two continue to inflict serious blows on each other. >> cruz is going down. he had his moment, and he blew it. >> reporter: unloading on cruz, releasing his first negative ad, painting cruz as pro-am nesty. >> i want immigration reform to pass. >> reporter: cruz hammering trump on eminent domain, the government's four seize private property for public use. >> i think eminent domain is wonderful. >> reporter: portraying trump as a power-hungry land jachesnatch

something that resonates with voters. >> he seizes people's homes to give them to giant corporations to hype them cleat build a casino. >> trump tweeted without them we wouldn't have roads, airport, schools, or pipelines. the rnc responded to the take down of donald trump and disinvited them to next month's republican debate here on cnn. >> thank you very much. want to give you a programming note. exactly one week before the iowa caucuses, bernie sander, hillary clinton, and martin o'malley will go face to face with the voters in iowa. the cnn democratic town hall is live from depoint. chris quoted oh -- from detroit. chris cuomo will moderate. it is the final pitch for the candidates before the first vote is cast and a unique opportunity for iowas to ask questions of the candidates themselves.

that's monday night 9:00 eastern on cnn. we've been talking about the snowstorm. apparently it's not going change the nfl's plans. the nfl says the nfc championship game is going on as scheduled in north carolina. >> yeah, it is. >> you know, they are tough. >> it's all good. despite the snow in charlotte, the nfc championship game will go on. yesterday, the carolina panthers hit the field in the snow. the players seemed unaffected, some even wearing short sleeves. fanfare's head coach said he does not think the snow will be an issue. now the snow may not be an issue for the players, but it has been an issue for the city. panther pride rally was canceled because of the incoming weather. the weather continues to be an issue for the city. but the forecast says charlotte is due for more than a half inch of snow and as much as 2.5 inches of snow across saturday night as of 4:30 a.m.

at least 160,000 customers without power through the mid-atlantic. the majority of which are in the eastern north carolina near raleigh. charlotte douglas remained open with limited flights. operations will be limited for most of the date. later today, the cardinals are scheduled to fly into charlotte from phoenix. no word yet on whether those travel plans have been changed. >> all right. >> we shall see. >> yes. we're here all morning, letting you know how it fanned out. >> thank you. coming up, the next hour of "new day" starts now. >> this is cnn breaking news... >> we are tracking a brutal winter storm this morning. i want to but you numbers to give you perspective here. 85 million of you are just rubbing your eyes opened, i

know, waking up in the path of this devastating winter storm. it may get worse as the hours tick by here. right now, ten states and the district of columbia under a state of emergency nearly a quarter of a million people do not have power right now. cnn is live up and down the east coast this morning tracking the storm as it threatens to cripple so many cities. snow is falling right now in new york, in washington, baltimore, philadelphia. those are the major cities. imagine the more rural areas. we are so grateful to have you with us. martin savidge is with us in new york. we will give us more in a moment. one of the most urgent situations right now is in kentucky. drivers are stranded on i-75, one motorist telling cnn she hasn't moved an inch in 17 hours. it's theat