day with us. coming up on "early today," the siberian is coming and new details and when we'll get relief. and if you think you know how to drive in these condition, think again. new hope in the fight against breast cancer. details on a refinery explosion that rocked southern california. and the pizza with almost four feet of bacon. it's thursday february 19th, "early today" starts right now. >> good morning, i'm tara brown. it's dangerously cold. right now over 120 million americans are feeling it. we're talking about the siberian

express, arctic air from russia. 5,000 miles away passing through the north pole and smashing right into a third of the u.s. this morning more than 100 record low temps may be broken. up to a foot of snow expected in some places. the storms have already collapsed roofs and flooded homes. it is so cold mighty niagara falls is nearly frozen over making for a gorgeous sight. in philadelphia firefighters stopped a building from going up in flames. but now it's entombed in ice and in danger of collapsing. father south in baltimore a water main break turned this car into an ice sculpture. even in florida, farmers are covering their crops and zoos are making sure animals are safe from the chill. nbc's jay gray is in nashville, tennessee. jay, good morning to you. this cold is invading a huge portion of the u.s. >> it really is.

as cold as it is there, it's colder in the southeast and some areas further to the east and north. right now here is 6 degrees, 1 degree away from the record here. it's been cold for almost a week now, hasn't climbed above freezing since last saturday. take a look at the fountain here outside of the outside of the symphony hall in nashville. still running but freezing in several areas, turning into an ice sculpture, dusting on the ground a little ice. a warm up tomorrow maybe even to the 20s. yea, great. we'll also have more snow. there are power lines down as a result of snow and ice they have seen over the last week or so-so that's going to hinder crews out working on that it's going to be a tough go here. across much of this region for the next several days. dara. >> jay, thanks so much. it looks like you haven't lost your sense of humor in those freezing temperatures.

now, country below freezing getting from point a to point b can become a death defying feat. you may have only seconds on the road but your i think extinct isn't necessarily the right one. >> reporter: frightening moments behind the wheel. fishtailing, no control. just as scary, when the wreck is coming right toward you. from sedans to semis. this truck skidding out, missing other cars by just feet. that's the danger too. swerving into traffic. look at this car spinning all over the road. seconds later an oncoming car smashes into it. this week icy roads are wreaking havoc again. >> we were driving. the car starts spinning out of control. >> reporter: so what do you do if you're caught in a skid. we're in maryland at the

specially designed ice driving course. our instructor, tom pecoraro. a former police officer and certified driving instructor. >> spinning right now. >> that was 16 miles per hour. >> when we start driving again, i hit another patch of ice and make a classic mistake. >> the two worst things you can do you jammed on the break and jerked the wheel. >> what am i supposed to do? >> get off the brake, get off the accelerator, straighten the wheel and ride the skid out. >> it goes against conventional wisdom. i want to stop the car. >> that's what everybody wants to do but the worst thing you can do. >> flat roads bad enough on ice. but what about a hill. >> what happens if my car starts sliding backwards. >> stay off the brake, roll back look over your shoulder and steer to a safe location. >> reporter: important tips especially this winter when the ice and snow just won't stop.

jeff rossen nbc news germantown, maryland. clearly tips we need to pay attention to. an nbc meteorologist bill karins has more on this historic deep freeze. good morning to you, bill. when is this going to stop? >> just one after another. this is very impressive. some areas seeing their coldest temperatures they have seen in their lifetimes. record breaking stuff. hundreds of record lows daily lows broken. not too many all-time records, i don't believe. 120 million people have windchill advisory windchill warnings, especially areas around lexington and louisville. the worst of the windchill this morning in the chicago area. all public schools are canceled there and for good reason. imagine the kids outside in negative 28 windchill. now we're down to 23 windchill as far south as jacksonville, florida. this is the last couple that didn't make it into the deep south. some of the cold air spread a little into the rockies. windchills aren't obviously anything compared to the west -- the east excuse me. in the intermountain west we're cool.

everywhere california and cold air you're protected by rockies. the cold air is not going to make it through. we are going to see a few showers in areas of the pacific northwest but not a lot of wet weather out there. we'll call temperatures in the 50s, clouds chance of showers, a little cooler with clouds in the area of california also.egrees. we'll take a look at the chances of rain in the next five to six days coming up in the west if there are any. >> if there are any. thank you so much bill. investigators say a filtration device caused an explosion at an exxonmobil refinery in southern california today. new concerns it could send gas prices skyrocketing in the aemplt four workers suffered minor injuries. the explosion sent ash raining down on the area.

the impact was so strong residents up to five miles away said they thought an earthquake had struck. they are now concerned about the air quality due to lingering ash and the smell of gas in the area. exxonmobil released a statement, quote, no harmful emissions detected. experts say explosion will drive up gas prices. a gas station worker told our nbc affiliate that after the explosion happened his boss called and told him to raise the price by $0.05. two weeks ago inspectors skpleeted a safety inspection of the refinery but did not include the area where the explosion took place. it processes 155,000 pounds of crude oil today. today white house summit on violent extremism will continue. leaders from 60 different countries traveled to washington for the event. yesterday president obama warned that terror groups were poor uneducated muslim with money and twisted interpretations of religion. the president insisted we are not at war with islam.

tracie potts joins us live from washington. tracie some critics are saying president obama missed an opportunity to lead the fight against isis. >> they are, dara but that's actually a stronger stance than we've seen him take before. the purpose of this conference this summit is to really address the issue issues of isis on the front end preventing young people from being radicalized. that's their focus here in washington. it's a very emotional issue outside the nation's capital. pain is strong as they mourn the death of the aid worker. >> i have a hole that will never be replaced. >> reporter: since then they have shown beheading of 21 christians including one executioner that sounds american. >> his accent underscores the fact from the united states we've had a great many joins the

fight. >> reporter: president obama said here and around the world, let's make it clear that terrorists do not speak for them. >> we are not at war with islam. we are at war with people who have perverted islam. >> reporter: the obama administration has taken heat for linking violence to islam. >> should not call islamic because they are not islamic. >> critics include possible contender jeb bush who says islamic extremism should be the focus. >> the more we try to ignore that reality, the less likely it is that we're going to develop the appropriate strategy to garner the support in the muslim world to do what i said, which is tighten the noose and then take them out. >> the summit's focus, how to prevent young people from being radicalized focusing on community programs that work. in boston los angeles and minneapolis. outside the official meeting secretary of state john kerry has been sitting down with some

of those foreign leaders to talk about how to deal with these foreign fighters. >> tracie thanks so much for that report. '90s rapper vanilla ice busted and the bacon pizza that may have jumped the shark. extraordinary outpouring for kayla miller. details ahead as "early today" continues. from bank of america the new banking rewards program that rewards our customers, every day. you'll get things like rewards bonuses on credit cards... extra interest on a savings account... preferred pricing on merrill edge online trades and more... across your banking and investing get used to getting more. that's the power of more rewarding connections. that's preferred rewards from bank of america.

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hundreds gathered for a vinlg it in the town for slain american kayla mueller. this message. >> you were my first friend my best friend my only sister. my heart aches for you and what you went through. i have a hole in my soul that will never be replaced. i miss you. i love you. i cannot believe you are gone from my life. '90s rapper vanilla ice was released from prison late last night. the entertainer whose real name was robert van winkle was

arrested and charged with burglary and grand theft. police say they found stolen items inside a house he's currently renovating in florida. police say the burglary happened within the last three months. van winkle told reporters it's not as it seems. >> a misunderstanding blown out of proportion. sad good news doesn't travel this fast. listen guys it will all be cleared up. you'll see. promising news in breast cancer. a cocktail of three drugs extends the life of patients by 10 months. they are rushing to make the combo standard therapy. how would you rank the well-being of people in your state? it uses community pride. highest scores montana, wyoming, south dakota and hawaii. the big winner alaska. that's thanks to the landscape, low rates of depression. at the bottom mississippi, ohio indiana and kentucky and

for the sixth consecutive year west virginia. cheer up mountaineers. let's get down to business with cnbc's landon dowdy. good morning to you landon. >> good morning to you. samsung may be set to challenge apple pay. calling a payment lu pay. it works on checkout terminals. car market hasn't peaked yet. average rose 6% to a record last year, nearly $17,000. higher prices means higher resell value for older cars. and consumers are likely to get offers for their trade-ins. little caesar is crazy about bacon. the chain is rolling out bacon wrapped pizza topped with pepperoni and even more bacon. little caesar's is looking to capitalize on anything with

american. sales climbed five straight years topping $4 billion. back to you. >> thanks landon. just ahead a duke battle goes into overtime with one of the oddest finishes to a basketball game we've ever seen. stops odor from happening for all day confidence. when you feel fresh all day you feel confident. vagisil. your intimate health experts. ugh. does your carpet ever feel rough and dirty? don't avoid it. resolve it. our new formula not only cleans and freshens but also softens your carpet so it's always inviting. resolve. a carpet that welcomes you. why do i cook? because i make the best chicken noodle soup. because i make the best chicken noodle soup. because i make the best chicken noodle soup. for every way you make chicken noodle soup, make it delicious with swanson®. almay celebrates the true spirit of american beauty. which rises from the heart of our great country...

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have you heard of the new dialing procedure for for the 415 and 628 area codes? no what is it? starting february 21, 2015 if you have a 415 or 628 number you'll need to dial... 1 plus the area code plus the phone number for all calls. okay, but what if i have a 415 number, and i'm calling a 415 number? you'll still need to dial... 1 plus the area code plus the phone number. so when in doubt, dial it out! it's like uber for kids, the new car service helping parents save time but also driving up controversy.

to sports fourth ranked blue devils take on 15th tar heels. before the action a moment led by roy williams and coach k pregame tribute center court moment of silence to honor late dean smith who died february 7th. now to the game duke okafor escapes double-team, goes up switches hands, sinks layup. north carolina shifts the momentum in its favor, picks up a pass dakota surging ahead in the fast break. finishes with a vicious two-hand jam. the game went into overtime with duke pulling out a squeaker 92-90. next to a big upset syracuse manages it's only of the season ranked team. 59-59. jerome kearsey has died. he won a championship with the spurs in 1999 and helped lead portland trail blazer to two nba finals. he played 17 seasons with six

different teams. jerome kearsey was 62. fully expect adrian peterson to stay with the team when the suspension is lifted. to world stage of real madrid taking on world renowned christianian renaldo. won the tenth straight win 2-0. finally to the game of the night, rock creek mustangs against riley county. a middle school rivalry in kansas. check out the final play of the game. >> oh, my gosh. >> the ball rested on the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded. no point scored here. riley county pulled out the win

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no one at all! no one. wake up! [gasp] oh! you okay, buddy? i just had a dream that progressive had this thing called... the "name your price" tool... it isn't a dream is it? nope. sorry! you know that thing freaks me out. he can hear you. he didn't mean that, kevin. kevin: yes, he did! keeping our competitors up at night. now, that's progressive. (man): you have seen things you were not supposed to see. (man #2): armageddon! (woman): it's all leading to the end of days. (man): this is bigger than any of us. "dig", coming this march on usa. welcome back. obviously the cold continues to be one of the biggest stories out there. boston also by the way, did pick up about a half inch of snow last night. this is now their second snowiest winter of all time.

that's after getting hardly any snow at all as we went through the month of december. very impressive last two months. as far as february has been in the rainfall here we've got plenty of rain typical, average what we should get in february from san francisco northward. now just looking at how we're doing toward the end of the month here, last week and over the next seven days there's not a lot of hope for any big rainstorm. that takes us into march. all of a sudden staring at the dry season pretty soon. one or two more rainstorms central and southern california. >> i'll go for march in the spring. thank you, bill. topping entertainment news afro man who sang "because i got high" apologizing for punching a woman on stage. the 40-year-old rapper knocks the woman off the stage in mississippi. that's a rough one. the concert was stopped and he was arrested. he tells he was being heckled by a man in the audience and mistook the fan for that man.

eddie murphy refused to play bill cosby during the skit. he said cosby once chastised him for using foul language in standup. jerry fallon offered customers a state-of-the-art robot. go for it. yes. yes. south. this is highly unusual behavior. >> he's too funny. final preps under way for sunday night's academy award. this year's oscar swag bag worth a record $167,000 $11,000 stay in tuscany, $20,000 worth of car rentals. this is "early today." we hope it's your first stop of the day on nbc. sir, we're going to need you on the runway later don't let a severe cold hold you back. get theraflu.

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leading the news on nbcnews.com, ucla warns 160 patients about dangerous exposure. ucla health system said it may happened during specialized endo scopic procedures between october 2014 and january of this year. they found seven patients infected. uk's turkish parliament a chair was hurled and five injured when it erupted during a debate on a bill that would give police greater stop and search powers. now to some other stories we're following. police in iowa looking for three boys between the anls of nine and twelve who urinated in a

stale rail. turns out it caused $2500 worth of damage. >> we're a little disgusted when we have to deal with issues like this. >> officials need to bleach and sanitize stairwell but have to wait until the weather warms up so it won't freeze. a teenager behind bars after trying to rob an oklahoma convenience store with an axe. the store owner was able to use pepper spray on the would be robber. the suspect ran out crying throwing up and calling for his mama. >> i heard he was calling for his mom. we all have bills, problems but some of us get up at 6:00 in the morning to work some get up at 1:00 in the afternoon to rob somebody else. that's the way life is. fireworks and pyrotechnics to welcome chinese new year. a goat or sheep or ram, depending who you ask, is a big debate. without a modifier the word in mandarin doesn't make a

distinction for the animals for us english speakers. clearly it is a party for our friends halfway around the world. >> with the horns. that's why we get confused. sheeps still have horns. >> why not. we like the year of the sheep, got, ram. bring it on. happy new year. sure why not. now time for a look ahead. actor diamond will be in a courtroom. best known for his role as screech in the show, saved by the bell" for an alleged stabbing on christmas day. he has pleaded not guilty. happy birthday to nfl commissioner roger goodell who is 55. actor jeff daniels turns 60 and r&b legend smokey robinson is 75. keep it here nor news and sports and weather with bill karins. thanks for watching "early

today." we hope you have a great thursday.

a gunman on the run this morning. police are searching for the person who opened up fire at a possible peculiar south bay sports bar. and a mysteriously death in the south bay now investigated as a homicide. why investigators think two women caught on surveillance video may be behind the crime. plus the stick is coming down from the outside, too. demolition crews have torn down the walls on the interior and now setting their sights on the exterior today. a live peek outside on this thursday morning, beautiful bay bridge. it's february 19th. this is "today in the bay."