much-needed rain coming our way. thanks, rob. "nbc nightly news" is next, and then more local news at 6:00. did he know and when did he know it? questions continue to swirl around new jersey governor chris christie following new allegations in the george washington bridge scandal. show me the money, is the super bowl really turning out to be the half billion dollar boon that was predicted? safe to drink? new concerns about the water in west virginia even though officials insist that danger from a chemical spill has long passed. ice dams, the trouble freezing temperatures are causing on the waterways from the great lakes to the east coast. and aww, the puppies that will have their day in tomorrow's other super bowl.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, his state is about to host the super bowl but it is a sport of bare knuckles new jersey politics that has governor chris christie on the ropes tonight, facing a new allegation that he did indeed know all about a politically engineered traffic snarl on the george washington bridge, something he has strongly denied. the charge is being made by a lawyer representing a key figure in the controversy. it has so far not been backed up by any evidence. but with christie standing as a likely presidential contender the claim has quickly gained traction, and tonight christie is fighting back hard. nbc's kelly o'donnell has been covering the story from the start. she joins us tonight from the gw bridge in ft. lee, new jersey.

>> reporter: geood evening, lester. this is a real balancing act for the governor. with the public duties of having the big game here while his team is more sharply pushing back tonight against those new allegations, trying to undercut them, sending the word out to christie supporters about what happened here saying these new claims come without evidence. despite being the host governor, today new jersey's chris christie did not appear to get the home field advantage. >> good afternoon, everybody. >> reporter: a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd in new york city's times square. >> we look forward to hosting everybody in this group that has got a ticket over in new jersey tomorrow. >> reporter: in what is supposed to be a celebrity-filled football party weekend -- christie finds himself playing defense again. after a former christie ally, david wildstein who supervised the lane closures last fall and then took the fifth in january dangled hints that christie may know more about the bridge traffic scandal. >> let me tell you everybody i was blindsided yesterday morning. >> reporter: while wildstein wrote evidence exists that he

knew about the period during when the lanes were closed. contrary to what the governor stated publicly. that claim was made in a letter specifically demanding that wildstoowil wildstein's former employer, the port authority, pay his legal bills and wildstein may also be looking for a deal. >> if he gets what he is seeking here, that would be a very clear signal that the u.s. attorney believes there is something to what he's got to offer. >> reporter: christie's office responded that wildstein's lawyer actually backs up the governor's claim that he had no prior knowledge of the traffic mess, and further denies wildstein's lawyers other assertions. wildstein's central role in the scandal makes the claims intriguing, but he offers no specific evidence. >> david wildstein claims there is evidence, but what is left is left unanswered is what kind of evidence, who has that evidence, and does it say anything about

whether or not christie knew the most vegas behind the lane closures. >> reporter: late today, they obtained a christie office memo being sent to supporters that it aggressively pushes back both against the new york times which reported the allegations, and then takes on wildstein's personal character concluding that, quote, david wildstein will do anything and say anything to save david wildstein. and that memo uses a series of personal anecdotes against wildstein's character. we tried to reach him but were unsuccessful. and also the number of people to produce subpoenas by monday's deadline have been given an extension by new jersey lawmakers, meaning it will take more time before we get to know more about what may be in the evidence that could support either the allegations by wildstein or the story that the governor maintains that he knew nothing about this. lester? all right, kelly, thank you, and as we noted super bowl xlviii is being played tomorrow in new jersey just across the

river from us here in new york city. the big apple has been where much of the pre-game excitement has been found. yet businesses on both sides of the river are finding the big game is not turning out to be the big payday they had counted on. nbc's are on mott has more from times square. >> reporter: hey, lester, good evening, there is talk that the super bowl could bring half a billion dollars or more to new york city and new jersey, but tonight, reality has businesses questioning just how super the game is for the bottom line. the rutherfords traveled across country to root for their be -- beloved seattle seahawks in the super bowl. and they're paying a pretty penny. do you have like a budget? >> we'll spend more than ten grand, that includes super bowl tickets, which is a big chunk. >> reporter: a big chunk indeed, but as much money as the family and others spend here, not to mention all the corporate cash

flowing in, research suggests it will be far less than the $600 million projected for the region, historically generated between $120 million for host cities. >> those studies are very good at doing adding and multiplying, but they don't do well at subtracting. >> reporter: while the game features two of the best nfl teams, the digit prices are flat. hotel rooms can still be had. nearly one in five are available in and around metlife stadium. many are finding it tough to close a deal despite the crowds. >> it is not as lucrative as i thought it may have been. >> reporter: at the hotel chandler in manhattan, they're dressed for the occasion but didn't score the sellout they wanted. >> we're going to wind up at the same occupancy that we had last year that is act 65% for the weekend. >> reporter: across the river where the game will be played, super bowl buzz has been the feed here at the restaurant. >> i don't want it to hurt me,

that other people don't come in because they're afraid. >> reporter: afraid of overcrowding, the diluted turnout could be affected because of fears of the cold. is it the first outdoor venue, with hotel restrictions and high fares. nonetheless, this family is sparing no expense for their super bowl expense, a $7,000 adventure. >> this is a once in a lifetime experience for my son and i, and we're looking forward to just spending it and worry about paying for it later. >> reporter: tonight, super security is in place for the super bowl. law enforcement is not saying just what they're spending but it will be sure to have an impact on the bottom line. all right, thank you, ron, and on the super bowl eve, the middle of the country is getting socked with another snowstorm. hundreds of flights have been cancelled already and there are two more storms right behind this one. weather channel meteorologist mike seidel is in snowy chicago tonight, hi, mike. >> reporter: hi there, from the

navy pier here in chicago, and once again the snow flying. so far they've had more than 4 1/2 feet of snow this season, that's more they've shovelled in chicago in the past two winters combined. and cold morning, 15 so far sub zero has led to ice on the riverways and out here on lake michigan. in detroit, a record, last month 39 inches, more fell today leading to crashes on area highways in the motor city. another storm down south sunday brings more snow and ice in the dallas/ft. worth area, and from the d.c. area to new york city, right now we're looking at one to three inches in philly and new york. then a juicier storm in the midwest on tuesday. a swath of storms from chicago, to kc, and there will be mostly rains for the big city on wednesday, then more cold weather late next week. lester? >> outdoor first cold weather super bowl. what is it going to be like at kickoff in new jersey? >> reporter: lester, after all the worries of maybe a blizzard

and icy cold weather, it's going to be balmy. 50 for a high, kickoff temperature at 41. so right now, tulane, super bowl six in new orleans in 1972, will remain the coldest at 39. >> mike seidel, thank you very much. and state officials in california say the historic western drought is not a coming crisis, it's a current crisis and the impact is already being felt from farms to local businesses. and unless the weather shifts dramatically and soon, things are only going to get worse. nbc's mike taibbi reports from ventura county in california. >> reporter: for ventura county ale avocado farmers, the drum beat of bad news. the quickly shrinking reservoirs spelling disaster for than on this growing season. >> the industries as a whole will be affected, at least three

years because of this situation that we're in right now today. >> reporter: he has been relying on county water for irrigation and has not been shut off yet. and has even cut off older, more thirsty less productive trees to save additional water. but all the numbers that describe a drought and its impact are at historic extremes. january rain days, usually southern california's wettest month, zero. january wildfires, last january there were none, this year, 406. snowpack amount, a mere 12% of normal. >> nobody can remember anything like this because nothing like this has happened in over 100 years. >> reporter: and it is not just farmland that is at risk. unless there is a dramatic and unanticipated weather turn around 17 california water districts say they will run out of drinking water in two to three months. in marin county, north of san francisco? >> we have asked customers to 25% voluntary conservation. >> reporter: voluntary now, but that will change if the weather does not. the impact is spreading, a 25% price jump for locally grown fruits and vegetables at some farmer's markets, a bait and

tackle shop relying on disappearing waters, hanging on for dear life. >> we're doing our rain dance and praying for rain. >> reporter: there have been rain and snow dances, catholic bishops have asked the faithful to pray for rain, and are trying spray chemicals into rain clouds to inspire extra rain or snow with the clouds. but the skies, for too long, in what is supposed to be the rainy season, have been a beautiful ominous blue. >> this is the wrong time of year to be beautiful. >> reporter: with no relief on the horizon, mike taibbi, nbc, california. and in indonesia, a volcano that's been rumbling for months erupted today with deadly results. officials say at least 14 people were killed when mt. sinabung erupted. it was on the island of sumatra. it came a day after authorities allowed thousands of nearby villagers who had been evacuated to return home. saying the volcano's activity was decreasing.

it is now just five days until the competition begins a at the winter olympics in sochi, russia, amid concerns the athletes including the american team have begun arriving and practicing at the venues where they'll compete. just how ready are things? we get more from our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel in sochi. >> reporter: the mountains are ready, jagged, wild, and covered with snow, and watched by troops looking for any suspicious tracks. despite threats from terrorists, members of the american team today said they feel safe and are ready to compete. >> i feel safe, knock on wood, but it seems great. >> the mountains are amazing, the facilities are great, everyone's been really friendly. looking forward to the next month. >> reporter: down off the mountain, team usa short track speed skater j.r. celski was testing the ice. >> feeling good.

feeling really good about this. just loving the atmosphere and the energy in this rink. >> reporter: this has been a monumental project for sochi, in 2005, the olympic park was just swampy farmland. by 2010, a mere outline. since then, it has gone up quickly. but everything isn't quite done. far from it. workmen have less than a week, some hotels were just today loading in furniture. and security, russia denies there is any threat. but you have to go through airport-style checks to board a train in sochi. the main olympic park is not actually in sochi, but in the town of adler about 40 minutes up the black sea coast. and the view is probably not what you'd expect at a winter olympics. the train better be nice, the olympic rails, tunnel and roads cost more than $9 billion. the final tab for sochi will ring in around $50 billion.

so far, the athletes and tourists have been able to ignore the controversies. >> i feel so safe, just loving it. >> reporter: and get excited for these winter olympics, split between the mountains and the sea. richard engel, nbc news, sochi. and a reminder the competition in sochi begins next thursday, february 6th. and so does olympic coverage right here on nbc. and when nbc nightly news continues this saturday, new fears about whether the water in west virginia is really safe to drink following that chemical spill several weeks ago. and later, what has become an irresistible alternative to watching the super bowl. even peyton manning can't bark out signals like these guys.

there are new concerns tonight that the water declared safe to drink in west virginia following a chemical spill three weeks ago may not be. officials yet again are handing out bottled water to the 3,000 -- 300,000 charleston residents. nbc's kristen welker has more. >> reporter: lester, good evening, i spent the day in charleston yesterday. and many people told me their lives have been fundamentally changed. the state says the water in west virginia is safe but that is being questioned and creating a lot of confusion and fear. life hasn't been the safe in the

goldman house since the chemical, mchm leaked into the water supply from a tank at freedom industries three weeks ago. >> what is frustrating, there is no end in sight. >> reporter: for weeks, this family says the tap water smells like licorice, a scent associated with the chemical. >> we have a new normal now, we have new ways of cooking and washing hands. >> reporter: the goldmans say they have been using bottled water and will continue to especially when tests found the levels of the chemical higher than standard, in six area schools yesterday, including at eldest daughter's ellie's school. >> my big concern will be the health of my kids maybe in ten years. >> reporter: restaurants say they have lost business and many of them are now touting the fact that they cook with bottled water. >> on the other side? >> reporter: the state had stopped giving out bottled water for a few days but started again friday, officials say to ease the public's concerns. the doctor here is the commissioner for public health and she insists the water is

safe. >> i am drinking it and cooking with it. i am bathing in it. my family is, as well. >> reporter: why are you passing out water if the water is safe to drink? >> we're doing it because we're listening to our constituents. okay? they just don't have confidence and so we are trying to tell them, we hear you. we have confidence but we understand you don't yet. >> reporter: tierney also says the mchm found at the schools is negligible and crews will work to flush out the water supply at each location. they say they need to do a better job of informing the public. >> statements are said that we are like lab rats in the sense that this is the first time this chemical has been exposed to humans at a large scale. >> reporter: pregnant women in particular have been told to refrain from drinking the water. for jennifer, who is due at any moment? >> it is pretty stressful.

>> reporter: it's just one more piece of conflicting information adding to her fears. >> but to think about bringing this one day, two day-old baby home and not knowing that, well what are the real health effects? because there is just so much uncertainty, still. >> reporter: now, the state is aiming to have the school's water at safe standards by monday. part of the broader problem is that very little is known about mchm, or a second chemical that leaked into the water supply, pph. we reached out to freedom industry multiple times but got no response. all right, thank you. and when we return, one of the big problems caused by the frigid january temperatures.

from the great lakes to the atlantic shores and all the waterways in between, it is an effect of one of the coldest januarys on record, ice jams, they make for some spectacular winter scenery. but as our kristen dahlgren reports, they are causing some serious problems on some of the nation's most vital waterways.

>> reporter: on this coast guard cutter, this is one objective. >> we want to keep this channel clear so that maritime traffic can get through. >> reporter: these are not the icy waters of antarctica, these are the icy waters of philadelphia. >> it's been maybe 20 years since we've seen it this bad. >> reporter: so every day, the coast guard ice breakers are out, slicing through a foot or more of ice, making sure the vital shipping lanes stay open. >> the groceries for the stores and heating oil for your homes, all that coming through the maritime channels. so if the river froze through, obviously that affects thousands of people. >> reporter: this year, the extreme cold left hundreds of waterways iced over. in the hudson river it is almost a constant battle. overhead, reconnaissance scouts for ice jams, while down below crews attempt to cut through. >> people don't realize if we're not out here these areas will not flow through new york, it just won't happen.

>> reporter: on the great lakes, ice breakers are running day and night to keep things moving. when temperatures are at their coldest, the lakes freeze over as soon as the boats pass. meanwhile, back on the delaware, a dead end. >> this is about as far as we can go today. the ice here simply is too thick to get through. so their best bet is to break up the ice south of here so once it does freeze it will have someplace else to go. >> if it jams up there is a risk of flooding along the banks of the river up there. >> reporter: critical work. >> we're trying to make a dent in it and doing the best we can. >> reporter: to scoop supplies flowing during an extraordinary winter that is far from over. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, philadelphia. and allow us now to show you the latest adorable animal video gone viral, featuring a 12-week-old polar bear from the toronto zoo playing in snow for the first time. he seemed to be nervous at first

but then warmed up to its habitat. zoo officials say these animals's play is not only cute but important for the bear's development. and if you like that, you will like this coming up, trust me.

on this super bowl eve, we would like to briefly share something from our friends at late night with jimmy fallon, the super bowl edition of the puppy predictors. and they're off! >> the broncos got the lead there, they're going back, looks like a clear win there, the denver broncos are going to win the super bowl! >> how good are the puppy predictors, they correctly predicted the baltimore ravens to win last year and also correctly picked the boston red sox to win the world series. and if you have not had your fill of cute puppies, the other big game tomorrow, the puppy bowl. our jill rappaport has that

report. >> reporter: super bowl sunday, it's the seahawks versus the broncos versus the puppies? even if your team didn't make the big game you can still root for these furry fierce competitors. good job! at this tiny sound stage on the west side of manhattan, putties are primping for their close ups. and getting pep talks before hitting the mini grid iron. >> it is really more than just a mental massage. >> it is puppy porn, can i say that? >> you just did. >> reporter: and that sentiment translates into some very big numbers, a record 12.4 million viewers watched the puppy bowl last year with more expected to tune in tomorrow. >> we have had people tweeting that puppies are cuter than football players. oh, did i wake you up? these pups are mvps for more

reasons than one, not only are they incredible eye candy but the fact they are all from shelters is raising awareness for animals in need. >> puppy bowl from the beginning is at all about adoption. >> they were left to die and this gives the opportunities in front of millions. >> reporter: matt and julie came all the way from new orleans to adopt their puppy bowl superstar. >> when you get a puppy, when you rescue a dog it really changes the whole environment of your home. >> yellow chase is the aggressor. >> she really kicked some butt in the field, huh? >> yes, she made us do all the same after the touchdown. >> reporter: so after the accolades and the victories, these puppies all end up champions by scoring a permanent loving home. jill rappaport, nbc news, new york. >> now how do you top that? you don't, that is nbc for this saturday evening, i'm lester

holt reporting today, i'll see you tomorrow on "today" and we hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. have a good night, everyone. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm diane dwyer. we begin with the latest on the drought. on the heels of the announcement of emergency water cutbacks, businesses are starting to make some changes. we have live team coverage of the drought emergency tonight.

meteorologist rob mayeda is in the weather center with more possible rain on the way. but we start with kimberly tere with what's being done to conserve. >> reporter: people are well aware of the need to conserve water here, and they've been through this routine before, from previous droughts that have happened in california, and have hit this region hard. we just spoke to a woman who said she's taking much shorter showers, and also washing her dishes much more quickly every time she turns on the faucet. she's well aware of the amount of water she's using. she said this is important to do this now to have enough available in the long term for critical needs like drinking water. those who have been around for previous droughts say they've had practice at this, and they are doing whatever they can to conserve, which is not washing cars. and also, not watering lawns. as for restaurants, many across the tri valley area are not serving customers water unless it's specifically