>> that's right. you know what, i have to tell you, jim, things haven't changed too much in the way of our expectations for this storm, when it comes to wind, when it comes to snowfall totals, when it comes to timing. all of that has actually remained quite consistent. which makes it a breeze, at least, to help forecast. but, that said, there are still some things that may be tweaked or be fine tuned with this, as it gets ever closer. so, let's go on out there, show you what we know right now. storm scan at the moment, at least that's empty. so you have the quiet weather, call it, enjoy, or at least prepare for the time being. but, the tell tail signs of life off to the southwest on saturday light, the clouds beginning to thicken, and here it come. the leading edge of this storm, brink withing it some heavy snow already into portions every west-southwestern virginia, so really is only matter of time, the brunt of this storm system, likely hits the baltimore-dc area. but we are, nonetheless, now upgrade today both blizzard and winter storm warnings, here in our area. not into effect yet. actually got the rest of the entire day actually, before the first flakes even begin to

fall. but, 7:00 p.m. tonight, is when all of these take effect, and clearly, we're all in for something out of this storm. blizzard conditions, folks, they're nothing to mess around with. and that's basically what you will be dealing with for a good portion of saturday. in a nutshell, these are the headlines. heavy snow, gusty winds, talking as high as 50, potentially 60 miles per hour near the shore. that means, coastal flooding specially with high tide is going to be a very big concern. hazardous travel, obviously, that comes into play here. but, power outages, too, because if your dealing with heavy wet snow, not it mention extremely strong winds, that's going to potentially bring down tree limbs, power lines. so that will be something else we've got to keep a close watch on. for now though brinking it back to the here and now, if you are maybe headed taught work, and you are headed out to school, here's what you will face. low 20's, upper teens, generally, around the board at the moment, thankfully night enough winds. still cold. that will cold certainly sets the stage for things to come here. but at least it is tranquil,

for now, famous last words, right? eventually the clouds thicken, that's going to be the sign of that storm getting ever closer. right now, i would say, the window of the snowflakes to start falling here in philadelphia, and the immediate suburbs, it is probably seven to 11:00 p.m. tonight. but it may come little sooner the further south you are. much more on timing things out, walking you through the future track, all of that good stuff. specially snow totals coming up a bit later in the show. >> when i wake out the door this morning i could literally feel in the air it almost felt like that erie calm before the storm. it literally s good morning, everyone, happy friday to you. taking a look outside, it is looking good. roadways, right now, are nice and dry, enjoy it while it lasts, ben franklin bridge moving in the westbound direction, looking great. anyone thinking about hopping on the ben franklin bridge right now, it is looking nice, looking quiet. also, 95, tail light moving in the southbound direction approaching academy, looking good here, we are slowly starting to see volume levels pick up now, that's to be expected as we push through the 5:00 hour. holding steady, everyone, obviously, traveling still at

posted speeds. we have accident 422 eastbound near royersford, south trap road under pass, now, this is moved all the way to the shoulder. not causing too many slow downs right now, but i still want you to know that there is an accident there. also, downed pole, connestoga road closed because of earlier accident. that accident has been cleared out of the way. the downed pole however is still there between bacton hill road and spring valley road. also 42, 681, left lane block, blocked until 5:00 a.m. should be lifting any tune soon. water main repair in delaware, 202 northbound past naman's road, left lane is blocked right now. so busy morning already, erika, back over to you. >> meisha, a thank up. state of pennsylvania is under a state of emergency. >> and as katie mentioned, this is shaping up to be monday store storm. "eyewitness news" reporter justin finch live in center sit which more on how many the city is getting ready for the snow. good morning, justin. >> good morning, jim, erika, we know this morning that the city's operations center will take final look at the friday

forecast before deciding whether to call a snow emergency later today. and meantime, the snow preps are already underway. let's get you now to video thursday at city hall, mayor jim kenney, officials announcing their storm plan on wednesday evening, the city was already beginning to get into gear. dispatching trucks to brine the roads, first strike against this storm system, now forecast to carry upward of 10 inches of snow, and of course, those very strong winds. and beginning this evening, the streets department will roll out 400 plows, and call in some 600 staffers to get to work. the city emergency operations center expects to partially enact core services saturday morning, and then decide to go from there. and within hours, with guidance, from the latest forecast models, they will make the call on declaring that snow emergency. now, to those awaiting trash and recycling collection, thursday pick-up mover today for the king holiday still on. but, friday pick up, delayed

to saturday for the king holiday, are now set for next week. and drivers, be sure to look up and be aware of parking and snow emergency routes. cars found in violation will be towed and ticketed. and to all neighborhoods, the mayor says, this weekend, despite the snow, ice and more, will be time for all every just philadelphia to come together. >> when asked philadelphians to be safe, to look out for each other, try to help your neighbors when this storm is over. check on our seniors, and people who are shut in. just let's work together as neighbors and at as citizens together, to be safe and get out of this as soon as possible, get back to normal as soon as possible. >> and mayor kenney says the only way through this storm is to get through it rather together, we expect more updates throughout the day, we'll bring them to you on air, on line of course as we get them. live this morning in center city, justin finch, cbs-3,

"eyewitness news". >> we are watching this one, justin, thank you. new jersey governor chris christie is directing plans for the storm while he continues his presidential campaign. in new hampshire, at the shore, they're preparing for coastal flooding, as well as snow. businesses, along boardwalks, took their outdoor furniture indoors. some merchants will stay open, but emergency management officials say the best thing to do is stay home. >> definitely plan for flooding, high winds, there is a possibility we will lose electric. so along with all of that stuff, we encourage everybody if they have loose items, you know, outdoor furniture, trash cans, things like that, get everything tied up, put away. >> forecasters expect beach errosion, some property damage, and flooded roadways. we will get live report from the shore coming up in our next half hour. meanwhile, if you are trying to get out of town today, you may have a problem. more than 100 flights out of philly, already grounded today. on top that far american airlines, airport areas largest carriers, they say that all flights out of philly

tomorrow are just canceled, outright. amtrak is also scaling back service. some travelers are adjusting their plans to beat the snowstorm. >> we are beating your snowstorm. i would rather be snowed in than can't get in. >> there you go. well, right now, there are no major concellations on amtrak, but that could change. if you are trying to get out of town by train, go ahead, call ahead. and, what's the big snowstorm without a scramble at the grocery store, right? got to get the eggs, milk and bread. "eyewitness news" at wegmans in cherry little last night where a lot of folks are stocking up. understandably they don't want to be snowed in without food in the house. >> some peanut butter, whatever bread was left, some bananas, some ice milk, too, important. we should have went shopping earlier this week, because everything is almost gone. >> if you do plan on shopping today, do expect long lines at the check-out registers. when the snow starts to fall, we want to see what it

looks like in your neighborhood. snap a picture, share us your video, share it with us on twitter, facebook, instagram, using the #cbs3 snow. up might see your picture on tv later today. >> big plans, take a picture of sophie in her goloshes and snow suit. >> i promise, tomorrow. >> be sure to stay with "eyewitness news" as we keep our eye on the storm all weekend long, live updates all day today, then our expanded coverage of the major winter storm starts at 4:00 this afternoon, and as always, you can find the latest weather on cbsphilly.com. and we aren't the only ones bracing for more than a foot of snow this weekend. >> in the bull's eye, the mid-atlantic braces for one of the biggest winter storms in years. i'm don champion in washington, d.c. with a look at last minute preps coming up. >> ♪

>> by this time tomorrow, the roads will absolutely be dangerous. stay with "eyewitness news" as we get you ready for the first major winter storm of the season. we'll be right back. >> ♪

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>> welcome back, we are continuing to keep our eye on the storm, pretty quiet out there right now, but storm scan3, it shows in a snow, it is headed our way later this

evening. a blizzard warning for most of the area, it is going to go in effect at 7:00 tonight. katie is working on that forecast right now, she will have update coming up in just a few minutes. >> and misery will certainly have company for this blizzard. >> oh, yes. five states and the district of columbia, a all under state of emergency. don champion is joining us live right now, in washington, where mother nature already put the bull's eye on this storm. good morning, don. >> reporter: good morning, the bull's ion washington dc all week. you know there is region has not seen the likes of snow totals that we are expecting in many, many years. meteorologists hearsay all of the ingredients are finally coming to the for this storm, and once the snow starts falling, things will get intense, and quickly. >> people in the path of potentially paralyzing blizzard rush to super market and supply stores late into the night, gearing up to be snowed in. >> we have 700 shovels, been about two hours, all of the

sales are depleted. if i had a nickel every time a customer asked me for a shovel i would be a rich man. >> more than 77 million people will fill the effect of the historic storm set to cripple part of the mid-atlantic in just a few hours. >> i've lived in d.c. most of my life. and i don't know that i have lived through a forecast like this. >> in washington, d.c., federal offices, as well as the nation's second busiest subway system, will shut down this afternoon. in maryland, and virginia, where blizzard conditions are also expected, crews began treating roads with salt hours ago. hoping to avoid a repeat of yesterday's mess, when just an inch of snow caused accidents and delays throughout the area. >> what happened last night was not okay. that can't be repeated. >> along with the snow, the storm system will bring dangerous winds and ice that could lead to major power outages. in north carolina power crews began cutting limbs, hanging over power lines thursday,

most people in the storm's path are taking it all in stride. >> winter was coming, we had to know that. >> already, several airlines have pre pre-emptively canceled thousands of flights and provided waivers to travelers to re-book when conditions improve. >> in fact, there are already more than 2500 flight concellations in the mid-atlantic already today. many of the local government here in the washington, d.c. area are closed today, but few are open. but they will be shutting down around noon. the first flakes, we're told, should start flying here around 1:00. jim, erika, back to you. >> don, is it normal for them to shut down the entire subway system during a snowstorm? >> reporter: usually metro keeps some of the under gown stations going when there are snowstorms here. but ahead of the subway system here, the mass transit system here said that because of the real risk of power outages, he decided to shut down the whole system. he didn't want passengers and

workers stuck in the underground tunnels here, so it is not an usual decision that he's made for sure. >> best to stay home. thanks, don, appreciate it. >> katie, people start complaining about the snow here, think they could be in d.c. >> way to find the silver lining. >> i try to you. >> the other thing, the timing on there is it could be so much, so much worse. when it starts to actually fall here, the snow that is, you know, don mentioned little earlier, for the dc area, which makes sense, moving in from south to north, we are going to start to see our typical evening commute be dwindling by that point. hopefully peel can just get home and hunker down for awhile. going outside, dow want to show you right now with the winter alerts in effect across, i mean, you are talking a lot of real estate right now. all the way back into the lower mississippi valley. out to the mid-atlantic coastline, you have winter storm warnings, winter weather advisories, but we sit up here, near dc, and also in philadelphia, with a blizzard warning, now, in effect, so

we're essentially bearing the brunt of this storm, we're right on the northern fringe of where the worse will likely be. but, definitely, the bull's eye goes to our neighbors off to the southwest where we just heard don's report. we say blizzard, there is a specific definition that comes along with that, you need to have these things in place. falling or blowing snow at the time that there are winds of 35 plus miles per hour lead to go visibility under quarter mile. it is all going to take place for at least three hours, we think there will be nice long window of time for that to actually take place. so i completely get why the weather service upgrade in the to a warningment looking at storm scan3, it is a very well defined storm system. not only icing, snow, along with this, but heavy rain, severe weather potential, all going to be drifting north with time. now, steadfastly moving into even central virginia, and eventually getting here. so, let me walk you through future weather. here we go, 1:00 p.m., when it arrives in d.c. give or take we think more like 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. at the earliest for

southern most communities, i would say the window is 7:00 to 11:00 through the city and immediate suburbs, then just goes, and it goes, and goes, and goes for hours. all the way up to 4:00 p.m. before there might even be little break in the action. but notice there is a bit of mixing that takes place through the southeast most edge of this, and that's why we think you will be limiting the snow totals which justin will talk about in a second. precipitation-type though, generally all snow for most of us. but we will likely see the snow mix over a bit with some rain or icing, closer toward the shore point, for more on how much we're actually looking at, we send it out to justin on the skydeck with more. >> reporter: good morning, katie, that's right, not whole lot of change coming up in our snowfall forecast, as the storm still on target to arrive later tonight as you saw and it is developing right now over the gulf states. check out the snow map again, official cbs-3 snow map again, looks like the hardest hit areas, the i95 corridor, 12 to 16 inches every snow, then go little farther south and west, into cecil county maryland, part of extreme western chester county, potentially 16

to maybe up to 20-inch of snow, then the amounts drop off the farther north you go, as you get away from the heavy snow, then across southern new jersey, where we are anticipating mixture every sleet and rain coming in along the coast. still got to mention wild cards could impact the snow ability. watch that northwest cut-off zone. there will be sharp edge to the heavy snow, how far north does it go? and also, you get the band, a lot of dynamics with the storm system, so there could be heavy bursts of snow, some isolated higher amounts also possible, and again, sleet line, water temperatures off the coast, running about 10 degrees above average. so some warmer air going to get pushed in then the more sleet would cut down snowfall amount. today just chilly, increase in clouds, 35 for the high temperature, then tonight in a snow arrived late in the evening, turns windy low of around 25, and we have the all-out blizzard like conditions during the day saturday. out of here hat saturday night, early sunday morning, sunshine returns for sunday afternoon, good news behind this storm, guys, not really that cold.

typically coal air behind the storm, not happening with this one. that's the latest here, checking the road conditions, good morning, meisha. >> good morning, justin, thank you so much for that. all right, so, i think the over arching theme if you can stay off the roadways when it starts to come in friday evening, you certainly want to if it is unavoidable, pass that emergency kit, pack that extra blanket, pack some salt in your car, a flashlight, your car charger, everything that you might need. going to the roads this morning, though, they are nice and dry. we do have accident out there, as you can see, all of the flashing lights, the schuylkill westbound, past south street, looking okay, as go past this, but it is blocking that right lane. so we know anywhere on the schuylkill early in the morning when you have flashing lights moving in the westbound or eastbound direction, it can slow you down little bit. right now though looking okay. ninety-five south, approaching cottman, looking okay. you can see right now, we're just starting to build ever so slightly, headlights moving and expect that anywhere on 95 specially on a friday and specially as we push toward that 6:00. overall things looking pretty

good on 95. vine st. headlights moving in the eastbound direction looking good. looking good in both directions at the vine actually. no overnight construction that i saw this morning which is great news for a lot of how take the vine. erika, back over to you. >> we are continuing to keep our eye on the snowstorm coming our way. we will check in with septa for their plans to handle the snow coming up. also? >> really want to live life now as much as i can fully. >> he nearly died in a hit-and-run accident. but now that actor's back where he's most comfortable, we're therefore his triumphant return to the stage, and he tells us how his life has changed. stay with us.

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>> we're continuing to keep our eye on the storm. down the shore bracing for the snow and the threat of major flooding, as well. going live to the shore in a few minute to see how they're preparing for the storm. >> meanwhile, a heroic taxi driver risks his life to save a passenger from his burning

cab. check out the cab right here, engulfed in flames, in a parking lot outside boston. the driver managed to escape when the taxi caught fire, but, the elderly passenger in the back seat couldn't get out because she uses two canes. that driver went back and pulled her out. they're both okay, but does not want to talk about the frightening ordeal, but just true courage right there. >> amazing video, look at. that will philadelphia actor makes a triumphant return to the stage, seven months after a hit-and-run crash that nearly killed him. >> as "eyewitness news" reporter greg argos shows us, michael toner lost a leg, but not his spirits. >> you may never even realize just seven months ago, he was an intensive care at thomas jefferson university hospital, fighting for his life. >> i was walking across the street. >> that's about all michael can remember back on june 9th. a car hit him, the driver sped off, and left him for dead late that evening.

>> i was in the street. they asked me for couple of hours. found by a homeless person. >> by that time michael had lost most of the blood in his leg. >> he said i had the shad/of death across my face, was how he put it, and that was probably true. >> it had to be amputated, and the actor who has performed on stage for more than four decades was told he had a very long recovery ahead. >> what i new already as an actor is you work with the body, and you work with your voice, then you're motions. women, i still have vocally, you know, i have my voice, i have my basic set of emotions still there over 40 years, you know, i have to work with the body in a new way, but you can still work with the body and do a play as a disable actor. >> with the help of his physical therapist, prosthetic leg, and a positive attitude? >> look at the situation as if the cup is half full, not half empty. >> michael is back on stage. performing at the walnut theatre in eugene o'neill's a

moon. >> (acting). >> and that's absolutely the truth for michael amazing recovery. >> i really want to live life as much as i can now fully, because i came so close to this dose experience, so i consider myself very, very lucky to be alive. >> in center city, greg argos, cbs-3, "eyewitness news". amazing story. and amazing recovery. i remember when we first reported that news. i thought oh, this man has a long journey. amaze to go see how well he's done so far. >> and he could have gone negative, instead found this to be a positive, grateful to be alive and back on the stage. >> go see him at the walnut theater. >> coming up in the next half hour, live team coverage of that major winter storm really bearing down on the northeast, justin? >> erika, we are just hours out from the city's first big snowfall, i'm justin finch, coming up a look at the snow plan, and why the mayor wants neighbors to pitch in and help.

katie? >> and justin, you're right, definitely looking ahead to some significant snow out of this storm. but it is not just snow. we're going to be also dealing with some significant wind out of the storm, and much different slew of coastal impact. we will break everything down for you, including timing, coming up, jim. >> and the roads are dry for now. but there is still some back-ups for the friday morning commute. we'll check in with meisha up next. stay with us.

so are you ready for some snow? no? >> who is? >> calm outside in center city, but by this time tomorrow the city will be burried under snow as a blizzard hits the area. >> my goodness. at least it is a saturday not a weekday, bus you don't have to worry about kids trying to get off of school, people going to work. >> hopefully, you know, stay home, make french toast. >> ever a good day to have a snowstorm, it is over a weekends, i can tell that you much right now. >> absolutely, i feel like the time being could be so much more than it is, but this will be brutal storm system. so, i really want, we joke about that stuff, but i want to make sure you know, guys, don't go out in this if you don't have tonight we'll be out here full storm coverage mode for you, to get you through everything, but it is a doozy, put it that way. you know? this will be a big one. so, not just snow, it is wind conditions, it is also coastal