making news in america this morning -- winter whiteout. paralyzing snowstorm, gripping parts of the country. >> you can't go over 20 miles per hour. i mean, it's so dangerous out here. >> 100 million people dealing with the triple-threat. blinding snow. blustery conditions. slippery roads. >> 18 to 24 inches of light, fluffy snow. it's still 18 to 24 inches of shoveling. >> and bitter cold. >> and with hours before it's over, some areas could see feet of snow. the first winter storm of 2014, already leaving its mark in a big way. good friday morning, everyone. i'm muhammad lila.

john muller is off today. >> and i'm reena ninan, in for diana perez. we begin with the monster winter storm. it has the northeast in its grips this morning. here's a look at the radar, from d.c. all the way to maine, covered in a lot of snow. >> this is actually a collision of two storms. one from the midwest. the other, a powerful nor'easter, barreling up the coast. >> this is what it looks like here in new york. a winter weather wonderland in times square. six to eight inches of snow are expected in the big apple by this afternoon. >> meanwhile, chicago is digging out from under 18 inches of snow that have fallen since tuesday. but there is now a bigger danger. temperatures that could hover around zero for days. >> the blizzard conditions are hammering boston and its suburbs this morning. the national guard is being called to help. abc's marci gonzalez is braving the elements in massachusetts. marci, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, reena and muhammad. as you mentioned, it's not just the snow and strong winds creating such a big problem. forecasters say a storm like this, paired with temperatures

as low as 30 below zero in some places, with the windchill, is almost unheard of. a nasty nor'easter, bearing down this morning. bringing bone-chilling, sub zero temperatures and significant snowfall. >> it's like a blizzard. >> reporter: blizzard warnings in place for some areas, including southern massachusetts, where as much as two feet of snow is expected. >> 18 to 24 inches of light, fluffy snow, it's still 18 to 24 inches of shoveling. >> i think it's crazy. it came so fast. >> reporter: the storm impacting 22 states and 100 million people, started yesterday in the midwest. priming chicago neighborhoods for some cross country skiing. and making a mess of the roads. >> this is bad. this is bad. >> reporter: three, major interstates near new york city, closed to traffic overnight. and at airports across the country, another day of

cancellations and delays. >> i have no idea when we get out of here. >> reporter: this new year, starting off with some frustration and a lot of bitterly cold cleanup. >> my plan is to wake up early and look out the window. see what it looks like. get the snowblower out. try to get to work. >> reporter: you might have to wait a while. the snow and wind aren't expected to let up for several more hours. back to you. >> marci, we can see the strong winds right behind you. what about power outages? >> reporter: incredibly, despite the strong winds, there's been no major power outages reported so far. remember, the worst of this storm, still isn't over. so, we're still not out of the woods just yet. >> marci gonzalez, braving those lashing winds and the snow out there. thank you for joining us. great work today. that's marci gonzalez, joining us live. new jersey getting socked by the snowstorm this morning. this is a live cam showing ft. lee.

governor chris christie has declared a state of emergency, authorizing the closing of all state offices today for nonessential workers. much of the state is expected to get six to ten inches before it's all over. and this is a look at new york's long island expressway, which effectively has been shut down until later this morning. along with the new york state throughway, which reaches from new york city all the way up north to albany. while those highways are closed, plows and salt spreaders are working to clear a path for commuters. new york city is expecting six to eight inches of snow, with up to a foot in the suburbs. amtrak is running reduced schedules today between boston and washington. but service in pennsylvania and maine should be all right. >> and of course, it's also not a good day to fly, either. nearly 1,300 flights have already been canceled today. and another 200 or so are delayed. >> over 700 of those flights canceled were at chicago's o'hare airport, creating a travel nightmare at the end of the christmas holiday break. it's not just the weather in chicago. it's also the weather at the

destinations in the east. but flights canceled from o'hare caused problems even where the weather is good. passengers at o'hare are frustrated. >> just canceled us. we're supposed to fly this morning. and then, got canceled again. >> now, we're supposed to fly at 3:20. we're waiting for the call that it's canceled again. >> the airlines say it will be several days before they can sort everyone out. but it's not all work and no play. the operators of these deicing machines at the philadelphia airport are probably having more fun than all of the airport snowplow drivers and shovellers, combined. we trust they're also doing a thorough job. looks like doc ops from "spider-man." >> a little toddler boy's dream there, to operate one of those. nearly two feet of snow is covering massachusetts and up to a foot, blanketing parts of new york. >> and for more on the timing and track of the storm, here's accuweather's meteorologist, jim dickey.

>> good morning, reena and muhammad. still tracking some heavy snowfall here at this hour. but conditions will improve as we get through the next couple of hours. still snow coming down heavy, though. new york city, up into boston. a coastal low has taken over here and that's making some progress now off to the east. the snow will be slowly coming to an end here, as the storm does depart. but still, a couple hours of significant snowfall. but really by 7:00 a.m., that's when we'll start to see conditions improve in boston and new york city. more towards noon for those conditions to improve in and around cape cod and around the coast of maine. now, to head forward here, we certainly have that cold air in place. we rebound temperature-wise a bit into the weekend. and a historic shot of cold air early next week. we're going to be toppling records all across the country here with that. reena and muhammad, back to you. well, this storm is dominating social media overnight. the pictures are being posted, fast and furious, on twitter. >> here's some of the social media pictures that caught our eye. this one, the ruler says it all.

the picture taken from our chicago affiliate. just about a foot of snow there in the windy city. windchills in parts of the chicago area could plunge as low as 25 below zero. >> and take a look at this picture. a great image out of south philadelphia. snowy night surrounding that statue along east passyunk avenue. >> and here's a glimpse of what the roads look like in the boston area. this picture taken in marshfield, just south of the city. you can see, barely, a snow-covered road there. certainly, a slow drive. >> and this picture is making the rounds on twitter and for good reason. lady liberty standing tall in the harsh conditions. this picture was posted by earthcam. well, breakfast makeover coming. a change is coming to america's favorite cereals. and before the storm started to pick up steam, you remember it was "duck dynasty" dominating social media. remember them? we'll tell you what the family is doing now that has people talking. plus, new developments in the murder of a priest. who was taken into custody? and why investigators have the suspect's parents to thank for finding him.

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and find out if you have hepatitis c. it could save your life. know more. welcome back. a sell-off on wall street after a soaring end to 2013. stocks fell to -- open the new year for the first time in six years. analysts said it was a return to reality after the market got a little inflated. but many investors remain optimistic about where stocks are headed. but here's a segment of the market that investors are high on. the marijuana industry, the shares of the companies involved in selling pot and accessories are booming after colorado launched the first legal recreational sales this week.

one study predicts it could be a $10 billion a year industry within four years. snapchat is promising a new, more secure app in the wake of this week's hack attack. someone posted personal information of nearly 4 million users on new year's eve. the new app will allow users to opt out of the feature the hackers exploited. no word on when the update will be released. cheerios, one of the best known brands in america will no longer contain genetically-modified ingredients. the cereal will be changing other ingredients. the changes only apply to the original flavor. and now that the controversy's over, phil robertson's anti-gay comments have passed, "duck dynasty" has come out shooting with its own line of guns. >> these shotguns, semiautomatic rifles and semiautomatic pistols feature a camouflage pattern. the "duck dynasty" guns are on

their way to stores right now. well, when we come back, a true secret santa. a blind woman gets a generous gift she never expected. and the snow is still falling in several states. more on the winter wallop, still ahead. so i can reach ally bank 24/7, but there are no branches? 24/7. i'm sorry, i'm just really reluctant to try new things. really? what's wrong with trying new things? look! mommy's new vacuum! (cat screech) you feel that in your muscles? i do... drink water. it's a long story. well, not having branches let's us give you great rates and service. i'd like that. a new way to bank. a better way to save. ally bank. your money needs an ally. before chantix, i tried to quit probably about five times. it was different than the other times i tried to quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking.

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have you found your balance™? [ dog barks ] he actually told me that a lot of the foods that i thought were really healthy for me can do damage to the enamel on my teeth. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel. pronamel will help protect the enamel from future erosion. take a look. this is what we're seeing outside our studio this morning in new york city. snow's been coming down steadily since about dinner time last night. the city, expecting nine inches before it's all over. 1,700 sanitation trucks and plows have been working around the clock to keep things moving. everyone in the storm zone is being advised to stay off the roads this morning. if you have to commute by car, it's going to be rough. snow in the rockies and cascades will make for slick roads there, too. >> and it's not just the roads. airport delays are also expected in, take a look. chicago, d.c., philly, new york and boston this morning.

those interruptions, remember, aren't just at those airports. there could be a ripple effect at other airports, as well. states of emergency have been declared for all of new jersey and parts of new york this morning, as the storm barrels through. >> and when the snow ends, the bitter cold will arrive. abc's tahman bradley. >> reporter: a massive winter storm unleashed its fury. snow rolled in. winds howled. and temperatures plunged. 100 million americans were caught in the bull's eye. some places in the continental u.s. were colder than the north pole. >> just a couple of fire logs to make sure that the fire gets started right. and a little macaroni and cheese. >> reporter: in new york, a traffic ban on three major interstates near new york city, as crews tried to stay ahead of the ice. >> it's going to get real cold tomorrow. if you don't get salt on the snow, you can end up with an ice skating rink. >> reporter: boston looks like a winter wonderland. as much as 14 inches of snow is possible. before bearing down on the

northeast, the storm crushed the midwest. in evanston, illinois, blaring sirens alerted residents to a snow emergency. >> we ask that residents check on the wellbeing of neighbors, residents. >> reporter: while some skied, the city's full fleet of snowplows and salt spreaders went to work. for millions trying to get home after the holidays, it's been a nightmare. airports weren't much better. more than 2,300 flights were canceled across the u.s. on thursday. just as forecast, the snow and freezing temperatures started late last night. parts of new york could get ten or more inches of snow. there's a state of emergency this morning in new york and new jersey. reena and muhammad? >> thank you, tahman. of course, stay with abc news for the latest on the snow and the bitter cold that's wreaking havoc on parts of this country. live team coverage coming up on "good morning america." police in northern

california have an arrest but no motive for the murder of a popular priest. eric freed was found in his church rectory on new year's day after he failed to show up for morning mass. police say there were signs of forced entry and a struggle. the suspect was found at his parent's house yesterday. they turned him in. in houston, the estranged husband of a missing woman has been arrested for her murder. just hours after divers found a woman's body in a lake. the pregnant melissa sauter disappeared the day after christmas after going to a mcdonald's to meet her husband and pick up their children. the couple had four other children. but filed for divorce a few months ago. a grisly discovery for crews cleaning up the rubble after a new year day's apartment building explosion. a body has been discovered. one person is missing. 14 people injured, 6 of them critically. police say they suspect natural gas is the cause. but the local utility disagrees. it will be a while before

the would-be arctic adventures get home. they were air-lifted off the ice-bound cruiseship and put aboard another ship. but it has to stop to pick up more supplies. they won't get back to australia for several weeks. the stuck ship's crew will stay aboard it until it can move again. the man some people are calling the cocaine congressman is coming back to work next week. aides say florida republican trey radel will be there when congress reconvenes on tuesday. he completed his rehab sentence two weeks ago. but he still could face charges from the house ethics committee. a debate is raging over edward snowden. "the new york times" called for clemency or a plea bargain for the man who has been revealing secrets about the national security agency. the paper says bringing surveillance abuses to light outweighs any damage he did. that was followed by a similar editorial in the british newspaper "the guardian." here at home, a woman from texas is down on her luck is

getting special thanks this morning to her secret santa. >> kathy johnson's eyesight has deteriorated rapidly over the past year. and now, she's almost blind. she's had to close her business, give her car up and move in with friends. but on christmas night, someone knocked on the door and left on the doorstep some money. more than $400 in cash. >> it came at a time when i really needed it. and i just want to thank whoever did this. >> reporter: johnson says he had no idea who left it. but the money couldn't come at a better time to help her pay her medical bills. >> what an amazing gift. it's time, now, for sports. and another upset in a college bowl game. >> and lebron james and the heat are headed west. here's our friends at espn with the highlights. >> good morning, america. he's jauron. i'm neil. i've had too much sugar. sugar bowl. >> why not?

here we are. fourth quarter already. wow, this game moves along. trevor knight for oklahoma. look at this play. little pump fake. lob, good. sterling shepard. knight's fourth touchdown of the game. alabama tried to make something happen. but instead, oklahoma did. mccarren sacked. he's a big man. he got it in. gratuitous shot of girlfriend. adrian peterson wore a plaid shirt. let's go to miami. the heat can beat everybody in the west, except the warriors. in large part because of that kid, steph curry. he had eight triples. that's another word for three-pointer, kenny. three-ball. and then, this is the ridiculous fadeaway. the kids call it sick. warriors up ten. and then, lebron james. lebron. some people refer to him by his first name. heat down just four. but curry, too much.

touch too much. 36, 12 assists. golden state, 123-114. >> i don't think neil took this segment seriously. and i apologize, "gma" people. enjoy your news. >> my bad. >> look out for the storm. >> okay. so, we're all familiar with crazy basketball shots. but this one might just take the cake. >> that's why this morning it is our "play of the day." these guys, take a look at this. on top of the dallas reunion tower, 500 feet in the sky, tossing a basketball into that, right there, a moving hoop, into the parking lot below. what are the odds of this happening? >> after some fancy footwork, as you can see here, wait for it. yep. they made it. this is one long three-point basket. up next, "the pulse." where worldwide celebrity is splitting from his long-time partner. and talk about a cool truck. why someone made this vehicle

and talk about a cool truck. why someone made this vehicle almost entirely out of ice. ssedo ♪ wrote about it in my blog ♪ didn't get a ticket on my commute ♪ ♪ hit the gym, scored a towel ♪ found a pen, saw an owl ♪ did impressions of the client with the client on mute ♪ blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! [ laughter ] ♪ paper shredded, needle threaded ♪ ♪ poodle petted, fish feded ♪ and i even wrote this song no, you didn't. [ male announcer ] crunchy belvita breakfast biscuits are made with delicious ingredients and carefully baked to release steady energy all morning long. belvita. ♪ morning win i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is. we squeeze 24 fresh-picked florida oranges into every 89-ounce bottle. with absolutely no space for added sugar, water, or preservatives. ♪ tropicana. we put the good in morning.

♪ outside, inside out living la vida loca ♪ >> i used to love that song. it's time to check "the pulse," the stories you'll be talking about today. starting with ricky martin's apparent new year's resolution. he's single again. >> he's splitting with his boyfriend of six years. the 42-year-old latin singer and the broker are parents to 5-year-old twins, born to a surrogate in august 2008. >> it's not clear who gets the kids. a source close to martin said distance contributed to the breakup. this is a time of year for ice sculptures. but canadian tire has gone one better than that. it built the ice truck. yes, take a look. the company's team last month

rebuilt the 2005 chevy silverado 2500 pickup almost entirely from blocks of ice. >> it's drivable. and canadian tire took it for a jaunt. it weighed 7 1/2 tons. it wasn't good for a trip to the beach in the summer. in fact, it's already melted. >> that's a car with a lot of depreciation right there. maybe last a month or so? >> don't bother with the car insurance on that one. next, to the hazard of doing a live shot. someone is running behind the reporter and waive her otherwise distracting attention. >> but in detroit, the video bomber was the one who got the surprise. >> get a ticket for the game. it is cold. you should come on down and join the fan there's. it's really a cool environment, guys. we're going to send it back to you in the toasty, warm studio. >> he just gets up like nothing happened. and the reporter never knew. for some of you, your local

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good morning, at 4:28 on friday. thank you for joining. >> i feel like a broken record: another "spare the air" day. >> i was going do say that. what is going on? how many now? >> i say it three times every half hour. i feel the pain. what is going on? "spare the air", high pressure number 26 of the winter season that we began november 1 with half them, 13, 13 have exceeded healthy levels. we are looking at live doppler 7 hd with high clouds but in fog because of the offshore wind and from sutro tower, the art work on the bay bridge this morning is our backdrop for more record

highs today and poor air. low-to-mid 60's at the coast, low-to-upper for the rest of us. sue is here for leyla gulen. >> good morning, everyone. we have overnight road work in the lanes so heads up, slow for the cone zone. in san jose, northbound 280 the ramp to highway 17 is closed for another 20 minutes or 30 minutes until 5:00 this morning. highway 4, a couple of things, westbound for the on-ramp is shut down until 5:00 because of construction and we have lanes closed eastbound for leverage to summersville, until 6:00 this morning. matt? we celebrate a live shot of the san mateo bridge. smooth sailing. >> that is a reason to look at that. >> in marin county, firefighters are watching a vegetation fire controlled overnight worried about flames reigniting and spreading in the morning, given the location next to a popular shopping mall.

our reporter is on the scene. we are at the village shopping mall with the fire starting at 10:45. the video shows it and in a marsh land, a popular homeless encampment area with lots of tall grass, rather hidden from the road so it is a popular spot. they did have to escort six people out of there but no one was hurt. the fire can burn two or three acres until it was under control. they said this was one concern for fire tighters and that is the propane tanks out there, some of them did explode. that was a threat to firefighters and they had to keep their distance and try to keep this controlled. they get it out, it took an hour and a hall until though were able to get the fire out the when the sun comes up they said there was a chance to flare back up, they will watch it because it is so close to the