we have been talking bit all week long. roadways are looking g they are nice and dry. we will have some sunshine today. >> yes. >> exactly. >> looking like we will start off on a quiet now. now is time to prepare, get those shopping plans out of the way, fill the tank up if you have to, all that stuff that you would normally get ready, do it now. you've got the opportunity. entire i would say day and a half to do it. let's explain. we will talk about history here, guys. the lets look at the top philadelphia snowstorms. now, the first and foremost would i say that we are not going to make the top five we don't think out of this storm. we have to get over 21 inches for that to take place, and i don't see that happening. but you will have to substantial snow for the the snow sledding and to shovel away. here's the system we were talking about for d.c. do you see it pulling away. it left a coating of snow, across portions of southern new jersey and delaware as well. we have talk about that yesterday. that is out to sea. you don't have to worry about

it anymore. the let's jump in to the good stuff, right. we're talking heavy snow, gusting wind, blowing and drifting. coastal flooding, a big concern along the area shore points and hazardous travel pretty much a given. timing friday night and saturday. so i say you will get through most of friday here, without a hitch, even typical evening rush, should be okay. no weather-related impacts there whoever things will get into action here and winter storm watches will get into effect, pretty much regional wide we will see that happen. since the storm arrives at night everyone starts off as snow. there may be tweaking that takes place, mixing further south east we will travel. we will talk about that later in the show. for now it that is proverbial calm before the storm. we are expecting cold air not as harsh as recent mornings and just sunshine. not a bad day, meisha. >> it doesn't sound like it and our commuters cannery joyce this will happen over the weekend. i cannot stress that enough.

i'm so happy for you, all of you at home that within driving on the freeways. today looking great. still early. ninety-five south at cottman. look at how nice this looks. this is one area i keep my eye on and looking really nice this morning. ben franklin bridge looking quiet the for those heading westbound from new jersey looking exactly how it should and exactly what we want to see. no accidents to report. vine is opened, moving in the west and eastbound direction. we have overnight construction at northeast extension northbound between lansdale and quakertown. construction new jersey 295 southbound ramp to route 42 is closed. it should lift around 5:00 a.m. so right about now. forty-two at the route 681 the left lane is block until 5:00 a.m. hopefully those get lifted and we will let you know when they do other than that things are looking nice this morning. erika, over to you. a major winter storm as katie has been telling us is heading our way and entire region is in snow mode. "eyewitness news" reporter justin finch joins us at

penndot salt yard in south philadelphia. crews are getting ready there, good morning. >> reporter: erika, good morning. perhaps you can see crews getting ready as you just said an early start to what will be a long few days ahead of us here. if you have not seen the trucks out already they are brin go ahead of this weekend winter storm. earlier this morning we did see penndot crews pretreating the blue route, that will continue throughout the day and days to come. the penndot and the city streets department says they are brining roadways, thoroughfares and bridges and then once that snow blows in look for the salting to begin. penndot joins nj dot and dell dot crews in storm preps, officials tell us that 48 hour lead time is ideal for brining and sets road crews up for easier time plowing snow. with heavy snowfall expected as much as 10 inches or more in some parts power outages will be a concern.

peco officials tell us that they are tracking the the storm system and they are already prepping. >> we're actively monitoring the the weather closely to ensure we're ready for whatever mother nature decides to throw at us. we have secured contractors. we have all available service personnel ready to respond both in the field and back office and we have also secured additional personnel from your sister utility in chicago, commonwealth edison. >> reporter: we have just saw the five salt trucks leave the yard, here and as you can see these plows are your's asked to keep your distance. peco is telling customer to take this time and go ahead and stock you're sentences, your water, your food, batteries, flashlights and backup power sources just in case and if you do see any down wires, peco advises you not to go near them but to call them and they will dispatch crews as you heard that guy say there. they have additional resources

ahead of this storm system. we are live from south philadelphia, i'm justin finch for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". >> erika, back over to you. meanwhile many people are heading to the store to stock up on essentials, storm related. also true at rittenhouse hardware. people snapping up shovels and ice melters. they were hot items. >> people panic. so it is in the like we are playing on the panic but we have to feed the need. >> one woman told "eyewitness news" she's lucky enough to be heading to florida just before the storm rolls into town. lucky you. well, hey delaware is treating road ahead of the storm too and for the first time, this is really neat, when plows go out you will track them from your storm. dell dot activating its snowplow tracking app today. it the lets you track where salt trucks are and which roads are treated in real time. dell dot hopes that this will help drivers get around safely if they have to go out at all. >> it will help a lot if the people can see how hard we're working and what we're doing.

that will alleviate questions we have about when will they plow my road. >> dell dot has 30 live cameras to let you track the the snow removal. and is there a region gearing up for major winter storm which some are calling a surprise storm, crippled parts of the nation's capitol. you can see right there cars slipping sliding around, every where from washington d.c. to arlington, virginia. ice, snow causing cars to spin out of control. as cbs the news correspondent don champion reports it even impact the president. >> reporter: people in the d.c. metro area got a bitter taste of what is to come, when nearly a inch of snow grounded traffic, to a halt, wednesday night. among those stuck in the the mess, president the obama, who endured an hour and 12 minute ride from joint base andrews to the white house. slick roads led to collisions, pile ups and spin outs. >> i saw it as soon as i got on the road it would be a bad

idea. >> reporter: friday's monster storm is forecast to bring blizzard like conditions to d.c., baltimore and surrounding areas. pummeling the area with 12 to 24 inches of snow. >> we have asked for national the guard vehicles and we will be prepared to ask for more personnel. >> reporter: ahead of what forecasters say could be a paralyzing winter storm road crews began filling trucks with salt. residents rush to stores for supplies and food. >> the fridge is pack, pantry pack, we have plenty of water. >> reporter: with the system forecast to move further north over the weekend snow is not the only concern. yesterday crews began building berm is a long jersey shore in the event of coastal flooding. >> we are better prepared for the storm then any within before it. >> reporter: as of now forecasters say new york city and new england could be spared the brunt of the nor'easter. don champion for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". if you have have a flight scheduled over the next few

days many airlines, including american, they are already letting you change your flight, without one of those fees. for more information just go to cbs philly.com and click on the travel advisory link on the home page. and before the storm arrives make sure that cbs philly weather app is on your fun, check radar around the clock and get updated forecast from the eyewitness weather team. down load that app right now on itunes and google play. a new threat is putting the philadelphia police department on high alert. police say that they have received an anonymous phone call saying someone wanted to shoot an officer. they traced the call to upper manhattan, according to our new york sister station w cbs. that threat was also direct at new york officers. right now, nypd is questioning a man in connection with that threat, philadelphia police, is taking it seriously. >> we have put out a safety bulletin to our officers just so they can ab wear as a precaution, letting them know the the information that we have received, just so they can be on their toes and aware of the surroundings.

we're still doubled up in two person vehicles that has happened as a result of the officer hartnett being shot last week. >> nypd says that the person police are questioning is not the suspected caller. well, what wasn't lost in the flames may soon be lost to the wrecking ball at this center city apartment building. the department of licenses and inspections, says that the building at 21st and locust is in danger of collapsing. part of it will need to be demolish. that is just more bad news to already displaced resident todd nettell and his fiance christopher. they left with just clothes on their backs. >> my engagement ring is sitting right next to the one washing the dinner dishes. i cannot get that. photos, memories. >> the red cross is helping displaced residents. the cause of that fire is under investigation. still ahead this morning safety concerns are growing about those popular hoverboards, now a local man has a warning before you hop

on one. >> it was scary. it was definitely scary. >> how he almost died after falling off a hoverboard and the safety rules that could soon become law. you really to have see this your eyes are not playing tricks on you those pants are standing up without anyone in them. we will let you know how this started. ♪ >> and you can see a young girl is obsessed with barbie as she's trying to collect hundreds of doll but get this she doesn't want them for herself what she plans to do with all those barbies, we will be right back.

it's not about hugging trees. it's not about being wasteful either. ♪ you just gotta find that balance. ♪ where taking care of yourself

takes care of more than just yourself. ♪ lease a 2016 lincoln mkz for $289 a month only at your lincoln dealer.

hoverboard went from a hot holiday toy to a safety concern. now, city council introduced legislation to force children to wear helmets and other gear when riding a whoever game. health report are stephanie stahl spoke to one man who was seriously hurt when he fell off a hoverboard. >> reporter: at 40 mike keller is walking again with the help of the kane as his brain slowly recovers. >> they had to cut a hole in my head. >> reporter: mike who lives in prospect park with his wife ape daughters had a blood clot in his brain and serious swelling after falling off a friend's hoverboard, the daze after christmastime. >> my two daughters are almost, you know, fatherless.

my wife is almost husbandless. my mom and dad are almost lost a son. it is very, very difficult for me. >> reporter: motorized skateboard were a popular holiday gift but there have been a growing number of problems with some board catching fire but mostly, related to people falling off, even former boxer mike tyson took a nasty fall off a hoverboard. >> these injuries are flying off the shelves with the whoever game. they are dangerous devices report doctor kevin judy a neurosurgeon who operated on mike said he is lucky. >> the morning of the surgery he looked like he was going very south on us and i had to call the operating room and we did him emergently. >> he won't back up from anesthesia. >> reporter: the family held a three week vigil at hospital where mike slowly came back to life having to relearn everything. >> it was tough, and it was hard, just to see him, not talk, not sit up. >> reporter: he doesn't remember much but is reminded

reading all of the card that poured in. >> we cannot wait to see you wake up. >> reporter: now facing a three month recovery mike is on a mission to warn others he is especially worried about kids on hoverboard without helmets. >> as long as i can just touch one person, one parent, to have their kids, realize that it is not a game, it is something that can affect you, and almost destroy your whole life. >> reporter: mike and sharon were happy to hear new hoverboard legislation is proposed in philadelphia that woman date helmets and other protective gear for children and the age of 12. adult care takers who don't enforce that would face fines up to $300. i'm stephanie stahl, for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". now if you bought a hoverboard from amazon you can now return it for a full refund. the web site is taking back any hoverboard it sold as safety concerns grow. in the injuries to falling off those board the the consumer product safety commission is

investigationing three dozen reports of fires, that too. despite refund offer, am on still does, sell those hoverboards. 5:16. we have latest on the major winter storm heading our way. i know you have been updating those snow totals. >> we have our exclusive snowfall map to show new this hit so stick around through got stuff here. we will break down mechanic of what this storm is up to right now and what we expect to have happen here locally. how much? when it gets here? all of those fine tuned details becoming more evident. we will start off by going out the to sky cam three, throw the current conditions overtop. it is 28 at the airport. feeling more like 21, modest breeze, you don't to have factor too much wind chill in today. wind will be a big concern with this storm, which at this point, frankly doesn't look that impressive. we have moisture starting to get underway, lot of times as storms are just starting to blossom they don't look all that interesting. the just wait. this will continue to pull moisture from the gulf. it will continue to make and

strengthen and create its own cold air and eventually it will start to get cut off from the main flow of energy as it drifts toward us and that is why it is a prolong event because there is nothing to shove it out to sea. that is what you want for lower snowfall totals. for those hoping for a big snow this is prime set up. the timing could be so much worse so we are are very grateful it is coming when it is. starting tonight high pressure in place for you. the basically now is the time to just prepare and get ready. even through better part of the day tomorrow leading edge of the snow shouldn't be here. we should get through evening rush without any major problems. unless something crazy happens and it decides to speed up for a few more hours but we expect it will get here around 9:00 p.m. give or take from south the to north as some may see it sooner or later and it just keeps going. we are at 8:00 a.m. still snowing. notice mixing starting to take place down near the shore points. coastal flooding very strong wind gusts by the way are

residual concerns that come with this at the short point but blowing and drifting because this wind will be every where and notice, it is still slowing, even by 8:00 p.m. we are talking about a 24 hour window of snow to fall and that does mean we will pile it up. future win gusts friday night not so bad. look at where we stand a couple hours later turning clocks and go into saturday early morning. we have 38, 39 miles an hour wind speeds, 43 miles an hour gusts, even some models picking up on 65-mile an hour gusts. so, very, very strong wind expected out of this and that could linger, for a good portion of time. so power outages are a concern, certainly poor visibility. if you can hunker down, do it. it is coming with good timing here. that wind will hang on into sunday by the way. bulk of it or worst of it comes at the height of the storm. here's an early estimates for friday p.m. and mess of saturday. twelve to 16 inches of snow for philadelphia, i-95

corridor and vicinity and around that six to 12 inches, more like three to 6 inches, snow totals held back down near shore towns because of the mixing that we expect with rain. we will look ahead, otherwise, pretty quiet forecast, big, main event, happens smack dab in the middle there right in time for your weekend. a lot of kids will be out sledding, i know, erika, you will hang out on the coach watching movies. >> absolutely, plans for cocoa, snuggling up, why not. >> hey kids, cheer you can go to school on monday. no snow day. >> yeah. >> but nothing compared to what they are dealing with in minnesota this winter. meisha, you know ball this one. >> what do they do when it is freezing. >> they freeze their pants it is a thing there. >> new trend, is happening in minneapolis. it started with this one guy putting frozen pants in his neighborhood to lighten the mood. everybody shoveling, in one happy. a lot more people are freezing

their pants. it is a fun lawn ornament there. >> we freeze them right off, you can see them right the here. it just shows how cold, it remind us how cold it is there and what we do in our free time in minnesota. >> yes. >> something fun to do, when you are cold. that is not the where my mindings. >> it is a thing around minneapolis and surrounding areas. it is funny. >> you can dip that in water and you have your walking pants. >> i think i might. >> you know what katie, because, you know, 3536, 37 degrees it wouldn't hold up. it will start to flop. >> yes. >> because it sound like 30's this weekend. >> i'll give it a try. >> i'll take a picture and send it to you guys. >> roads are looking good you guys. we will take you outside. we're freezing our pants off to the interstate. all right. here we go. blue route, past route , looking g we are seeing

taillights and headlights out there right now. things are heating up. i will say they will heat up around this time yesterday as well. if it is anything like it was yesterday this is what we are seeing. with that being said blue route all morning has been looking g it looks good yesterday at this time as well. we are seeing headlights out there schuylkill eastbound direction approaching blue route is looking good everyone, still traveling at posted speed which is what we want to see on a busy thursday morning. no the that we are in the heart of it yet but we are progressing to that point. delaware county i-95 north at 452, all the way up to the airport this is what we're looking at. by the way in delays at the airport which is great news. we have construction on the northeast extension north bound between lansdale and quakertown that right lane is still block, i'll let you know when and if that lifts anytime soon. not causing too many slow downs but it could. construction overnight road work on the pa turnpike eastbound from valley forge to bensalem that left lane is still blocked in that area, erika, back over to you. oreos, they are mixing

things up again we will let you know about latest flavor of the cookies to dip in that milk. all she wanted for christmas were holiday card but her wish does not end with the the holidays, incredible response to this one simple request. we will be right back.

you may remember this story a little girl who asked for a christmas card after losing her family in the fire. well, she's still getting them. eight year-old sapphire terry now has mountains of card, piling up at a local warehouse in upstate new york. look the at all of those. a fire in 2013, killed her father, two brothers and her sister. it left her in critical condition with severe burns. in one expected her, simple request to make it around the world. >> to see the hope that she has given me and now she has given the world. that is all we want is people to believe that no matter what

you can get through anything. >> so true. volunteers already sorted through nearly 2 million pieces of mail. just wonderful. with toys for tots asking for more volunteers. great to see that. another inspirational girl she's collecting 1,000 barbie dolls for a great cause. nine year-old guillen i graham of virginia made it her new years resolution to collect the dolls to donate to 1,000 young girls. she started with five but then in just two weeks she has accumulated 500, there is more pouring in. she shares her message to those in need. >> unaudible. >> her mission went viral and has been shared by ashton kutcher on line. the donations have been pouring in from across the country. i love that. coming up in the next half an hour of "eyewitness news", hey score one for ladies, historic hire in the nfl.

jan? >> reporter: as south jersey is getting ready for an impending snowstorm possibly snow and coastal flooding all the way. i'm jan carabao reporting from ocean city where we have a bit of snow on the boardwalk. coming up we will look at all of the storm preparations. >> jan, thanks. also when snow starts piling up you could lose electricity. what power companies are doing to prepare for this major winter storm which i know you are tracking, katie. now we are fine tuning those details. while we knew storm watts coming all week long we can give you more specific information about who gets what, when it all gets here and when it is leaving, and how much clean up we will

good morning. are you ready for the first major snowstorm of the season? we have a little time before it comes. we found penndot crews brining major highways before that snow. salt yard in south philadelphia is bus think morning as they get ready for first real test of this winter. we will also show you how they are bracing for historic flooding down the shore but roads are looking okay right now. >> we're looking good. >> katie, you are still busy in the weather center. >> yes, we had so many time. >> guys, this is what we want to you use once the the snow begins to fall, we want to see your pictures, hear your