good afternoon, everybody, i'm thomas roberts. we continue our breaking news coverage of the east coast blizzard right here. and here's what we know right now at the top of the hour a full travel ban is in effect for new york. it went into effect 30 minutes ago. we have new york governor andrew cuomo ordering that into effect and the order means that all bridges and tunnel into america's largest city from new jersey are closed. any portion of a train line that runs outside is going to stop

running soon at 4:00 p.m. and broadway shows are canceled. and the situation is pretty fluid. and it remains dangerous and there are now 12 fatalities reported as a result of this storm. for the very latest i want to check in now with nbc news meteorologist bill karins. what are you watching? >> we're watching d.c. it's still snowing hard 26 hours after the first flakes began to fall. isn't that incredible amount of time? that's how long the duration of the storm is and it's still lingering along the delaware coastline it's yet to begin it's push out to the ocean and after the evening high tide cycle and after the devastation this morning after the jersey shore and delaware and coastal areas we're concerned the winds are still to the northeast it won't be as bad but it's not fun either, still the full moon and the higher tides than normal. the storm itself producing an epic snow band from d.c. area now through baltimore this is the end of your heavy snow. the heavy snow lovers go outside the next hour or two if you want to and go shovel it because up

towards new york city. the dark blues really pouring snow in central portions of new jersey into northern new jersey and a pretty steady band over long island and southern connecticut. this is where we are so far, we probably added a couple inches to this so far and none of the big cities have hit 20 inches. but we're getting close. new york and d.c. at 15 each. redhouse, maryland, at 38 inches of snow which is pretty incredible for the highest totals and, of course, the winds are still whipping and you need a shovel and you have to come back and do it all over again. we're only expecting 8 to 10 more inches. i want to show you one thing. you did send me this image and i finally did get it into my weather system if you want to see what it looks like to have -- how many inches did we say? 38 in the redhouse? this is close to that. i have the image up for you here, this is monkton maryland and that easily looks like 2 1/2, 3 feet of snow there in the maryland area. >> i've been having lot of friends in baltimore send me

pictures. my friend kristen sent me this picture of her pasrents' house. >> thank you, twitter, for showing me what everyone's backyard patio set looks like. >> we've seen a lot of that via social media. we'll talk again shortly. want to check in with nbc's dylan dreyer she makes her approach via lincoln tunnel, the travel ban went into effect 20 minutes ago for nonemergency vehicles traveling in the city and also for nassau county. what are you seeing? >> reporter: hey, thomas, you know, for anyone who is not familiar with getting into new york city from new jersey via the lincoln tunnel, there's this helix that goes around, and it is usually filled with traffic and you can base how long it's going to take getting into new york city based on how much traffic and how far you're backed up on this helix. there is not a soul right now. it's the blue mobile and it's the chaser truck that is with the blue mobile. and there is no one on the helix

right now. at least from what we've seen. it will be interesting to see once we actually get to the toll booth and i'm wondering if they're still going to take our toll even with the lincoln tunnel being shut down. keep in mind we have press plates so that should allow us to i guess override the ban because we are considered an essential vehicle because, you know, we're out reporting what the conditions are so that everyone knows that we're serious when we say do not be out and about. we've been traveling a steady 25, 30 miles per hour, we've hit the heaviest stuff ever since we left trenton, new jersey, and we've been driving in really awful conditions, almost whiteout conditions because of the wind and the heavier snow so we are continuing around the helix right now very slowly obviously because it is a sharp turn. the toll booths are empty, there's a lot of cops around so i imagine we're going to run into some sort of identification post here so -- kind of waiting it out and seeing what happens, thomas. >> yeah, i want to wait it out

with you as we watch your approach there as some vehicles are going through. we see one of the police vehicles there on the right-hand side with their lights on. we'll see if you make it through as well. i'm not sure if your vehicle as the ez pass, dylan. we have ezpass and there goes the $20 toll, bam, they are accepting money even though it's close. nobody stopped us and i'm assuming because we're traveling with the blue mobile. this is a very fascinating vehicle that has the satellite built right into the back of it, so obviously you can tell we're with the news. we have nbc posted all over our truck, so we might lose the signal now that we get into the tunnel which a little slippery until we finally start to lose the snow and now we're in the tunnel with absolutely no one else, thomas, it's a beautiful thing. >> no. this is the first time you've seen blacktop in a long time, right, dylan? >> yes.

it's very reassuring we know we have 100% traction right now we'll enjoy the next five minutes in tunnel, that's for sure. >> where was the worst on the roads? do you recall what the worst section, where your travel was coming north? >> we were hitting -- we were hitting some pretty awful stuff right in secaucus, you know, right as we were getting towards elizabeth which is exit 13-a on the new jersey turnpike and then we got into secaucus and that's where the roads were completely covered in snow because the snow is coming down at rates of about 2 inches per hour, so even with the trucks out there plowing away the snow you just can't keep up with it and then it was windblown on top of that so there were drifts on the sides of the roads and you run into these patches and then on top of that our wipers keep -- the ice keeps freezing up on the wipers so you can't always see so it's the combination of the bad visibility and the road conditions, too, so northern new jersey is really when it started to get bad.

>> i'm absolutely amazed we're having this conversation with you inside the lincoln tunnel and you've gone through the shallowest part and you're starting to emerge. this is pretty wild. >> right? >> i like this. this is amazing reporting. >> who would have thought you would want to tag along on a trim throu trip through the lincoln tunnel but you never see it with brake lights in front of you. this is amazing technology we're still talking to you under water. >> a road trip with dylan dreyer is an amazing thing when we're traveling in blizzard conditions like this. if our joining us on msnbc we're with dylan dreyer as she and her crew are making their way back into new york city. they are traveling north, they left d.c. this morning and this is the cleanest road they've seen as they are submerged right now traveling back through the lincoln tunnel. and i want to see you pop up on the other side, so just bear with me, because i'm very curious as to whether or not you're going to see authorities on the other side or if it's

going to be as scarce as we saw it on your entrance. >> well, this is the fastest i've ever gotten through the lincoln tunnel and i can see the light literally at the end of the tunnel so we are about to open back up into the snowstorm. and i was surprised how easy it was, because we kept talking the whole ride, are the press passes going to be enough, are the press plates going to let us through, what happens if we should get in, should we say in secauc secaucus, we had the whole game plan and it was easy to get through the tunnel because of the blue mobile and it's obviously a news vehicle. here we are getting out of the tunnel and there is no one still to be seen anywhere. i don't even see any police cars or flashing lights so, yeah. we've made it successfully back into new york city. >> welcome back. >> we left washington, d.c., at 7:30 this morning so it is very nice to be back home. >> yeah, a long road trip for you and the crew. >> now i hope we don't get arrested. >> i certainly hope you won't and i don't think you will but

we'll continue looking at this. it's pretty amazing to see these streets as you come back into new york city and traveling through the lincoln tunnel uninterrupted. i think that's the -- the most connectivity we've had with you dylan, the whole time. overpasses were a bigger obstacle than the lincoln tunnel. >> there's been a little in and out. the lincoln tunnel worked great we -- thanks, thomas. >> we'll check back in with you shortly. our dylan dreyer and the crew safely back into new york city, again, just about 40 minutes ago the city went under a travel ban for new york city and for nassau county. obviously there's a grace period in check for certain folks that are trying to get home that are dylan's vehicle is a press vehicle so they're allowed to be on the road. we have the storm from several angles, and adam, let me start with you because we've got the mayor enacting that travel ban.

it's not stopping folks from coming out to where you are in central park and trying to enjoy some of this. >> reporter: no, certainly not, thomas. the snow continues to come down, thomas, just as hard as it was at 6:00 a.m. so far we have about 15 inches here in central park and by the time this is all over by tomorrow afternoon, when the blizzard warning is over, we could see at least 2 feet of snow. as you mentioned, the city virtually shut down, the travel ban went in place at 2:30. the mta shutting down bus service. the long island railroad, the mta into westchester also shut down, and laguardia and kennedy airports also shut down. the broadway sheeter ertheaters museums shut down. and where do people come to central park to enjoy the snow. maryann has waited for me, thank you. you said you were meditating while you were waiting. >> so i can stand here and not

feel the snow in my face. but it's a wonderful feeling and i'm grateful that we have central park and when the city closes down, we're the lucky ones. we get to walk in the middle of the street and enjoy central park and take great photos and tomorrow morning it will be just as beautiful. maybe the sun will be out even. >> reporter: so, you're really enjoying this and taking advantage of the picturesque beauty of central park. >> central park is a gem. we're so blessed to have it, yes, absolutely. i'm sure all our northern friends are jealous because we're here in the snow and loving every minute of it. >> reporter: all right, well, thank you for waiting. >> you're very welcome. >> reporter: continue to enjoy. i appreciate you waiting. thomas, even though this is so beautiful and everyone is enjoying it here the mayor has instituted a winter emergency and he wants people off the streets. a travel ban went in place at 2:30 they've got 6,000 miles of streets they need to plow.

they've got 2,400 plows and salt spreaders, 300,000 tons of salt, but, again, with all this snow a bigger issue governor cuomo said he's more concerned about the flooding than the snow, both he and governor christie keeping an eye on the coast this afternoon. but this afternoon these people are enjoying the snow here in central park. we've seen sledders, people in snowshoes, people in skis. i've actually seen people on bikes out here, thomas, if you can believe that. >> if this the height of the amount of folks that you've seen coming out of the park, this is the busiest that it's been so far today, or was it busier earlier? >> reporter: it's been continuous all afternoon there are couple hills, so a lot of the kids are going to two different hills. there's one just a couple blocks north of me, and then there's one on the east side. so, we've seen plenty of sleds and people are really enjoying it. i've seen a lot of tourists come in. talk to people from greece and argentina, people who don't get

to see snow where they live, and just loving this. but, again, there's serious issues that need to be addressed in terms of transportation and it's best to stay off the roads. but if you can walk to central park, certainly take advantage of it. >> yeah, if you've got kids in the house, it's a good light snow that will pack well if you are going sledding or on a toboggan. as we look at this from a different angle the blizzard bringing very severe coastal flooding to parts of jersey and delaware, this is in sea is, new jersey, where the high tide brought the frigid water flowing into the storefronts. nbc's rehema ellis dealing with it in point pleasant, new jersey, i know you saw pretty rough wind conditions, what are you seeing now? >> reporter: it continues to be harsh wind conditions along the coast. i can't show you the ocean now but i can tell you the waves are still surging up on the beach. one of the things that the governor and people here in new jersey are very concerned about is the fact that they're going

to have a lot of beach erosion as a result of the high winds and the blowing that's been going on all day long. you talked about some of the coastal flooding, atlantic city is one of those areas where people are very concerned about what happened because they have been flooded out in those sections. a short while ago i had an interview with governor christie about what is going on, about the fact that he says this is not nearly as bad as hurricane sandy was in 2012. because parts of where i am standing right now did not survive during hurricane sandy. we've been here all day and it's been pretty good all day. this building was rebuilt now to hurricane code. so, we feel pretty good. but going forward, listen to what -- said just a short while ago. earlier, you declared a state of emergency thinking you would get about 2 feet of snow. do you think that state of emergency will be lifted tonight or tomorrow? >> probably sometime tomorrow would be my guess. i want to see and make sure the plows have enough time to really clear our streets so that by

monday when we get ready for the morning rush that everything is fine. >> reporter: so, the governor has said in terms of the snowfalls here along the coastline where they thought it was going to be really bad with flooding in this particular area, he said they've seen something from, like, 8 to 12 inches of snow. further inland they're seeing almost 2 feet of snow and that's why they declared the state of emergency. in addition to that he says he's hoping that people will continue to stay off the roads. new jersey transit lines have been shut down because it was too dangerous to operate them. we should also tell you -- the height of the storm at one point something like 94,000 customers were without power throughout the state. they hope that that number is going to start to come down -- emergency crews and the linemen to get up on those power lines and repair the lines. but, thomas, the big problem is, as long as we've got winds gusty like they are right now, it makes it very difficult to repair any kind of power line. >> we can only imagine how tough

it is, and reappreciate you battling the winds out there and bring us the reporting thank you. further south in philadelphia up to 17 inches of snow has fallen so far, most rail and bus service has also been suspended in the city of brotherly love could see as much as 30 inches before it's all said and done. jacob, what have you been watching along the delaware river? >> reporter: behind us the delaware river is looking very choppy. we took a drive along philadelphia to check it out and it's essentially a ghost town. what we did notice in the residential areas where the snowplows for the city are not going because there's not enough manpower to make it there, you're seeing a lot of the neighbors coming out and helping each other and taking the snow away from the sidewalks but on most of the residential streets there's -- there is no change. it's just a foot and a half to two feet or whatever it is of snow there on top of the cars and on the streets and that will

stay there until tomorrow because as the city says the plows are not able to make it until that time. we mentioned 17 inches of snow. that was measured this morning at about 9:00. the snow has been on and off since then but is not expected to stop completely until midnight, so that number, 17, expeme pected to go way up as you mentioned and the winds have been on and off. we've had gusts as strong as 60 or 70 miles an hour in pennsylvania. another thing to mention motorists stuck on the pennsylvania turnpike, we've been checking in to that, it is still at a standstill. they're still not able to get out of there and we're checking on when that might change. we also know that in kentucky, there are also some others that were stuck and this is since last night. this is a very dangerous situation. philadelphia, another one of those big cities that is just -- just a black hole for travel. the airport, of course, is essentially shut down. no flights in or out all day

today. that will resume tomorrow. and you can expect that will be a nightmare. not just in philadelphia, of course, or the washington airports that are shut down as well, but across the united states it's a giant ripple effect. travel not expected to get back to normal really until the middle of next week. thomas? >> jacob, thank you, sir. we also have new video coming out of washington, d.c., where the national guard is patrolling the streets. nbc's luke russert is in washington with the very latest on this. that's the fresh video we're seeing right there. it seems it's gotten a little bit worse since the last time we talked to you. >> reporter: believe it or not, thomas, i've been out here since thursday when the preparations start and yesterday when it was coming down, this is the worst it's been when we've been on air and the reason why the wind gusts are really picking up. i just checked on them when i was inside of a shelter, averaging about 30, 35 miles per hour right now. this is in the center of

washington, in downtown d.c., where there's buildings in theer riff that could block some of that wind so you can imagine what it would be like closer toward the shore or out in the suburbs themselves. all that being said, though, you are now seeing whiteout conditions here in d.c. and we are really three-fourths of the way through this storm in terms of what the overall snowfall will be. expected to lighten up around midnight tonight and shouldn't be that bad getting into the evening. but this is why mayor bowser of washington said please get off the roads yesterday at 3:00 p.m. and continue to stay off the roads, you really shouldn't be there. i see a few folks walking down the middle of the road because the sidewalks are not plowed at all, imagine if you are a driver out there, which you shouldn't be, an emergency personnel or a plow, it's hard to see someone walking down the middle of the road now with these type of wind gusts so please, please, please stay home. the other thing we're starting to see thomas is the accumulation of large

snowdrifts, anywhere between 3, 4 feet, they are starting to be put together right now. that will be interesting to see how the city deals with that tomorrow and how the plows deal with that. lastly a bit of good news i can deliver, pepco, the local municipality here, they tell me they have not had the severe power outages that they feared going into this storm. this is as bad as it is, this is light and fluffy stuff. this is not the heavy stuff that breaks tree branches and can hurt those above-ground power lines which would lead to power outages for quite some time. it's nasty, let me stay out here and get pelted by it. you stay home. watch us here on msnbc, enjoy your comcast cable, don't come out in this, it's not fun. >> this storm will not beat you, luke russert, you are going to show it a thing or two. >> reporter: no, it won't. >> thank you, sir, we appreciate the hard work you've been doing since thursday, keeping us posted what's going on in

washington, d.c.? we've been watching it together and pretty amazing as we saw dylan dreyer and her crew driving live through lincoln tunnel despite the travel bans in new york city, and dylan's folks were giving us a birds-eye view on roads leading into new york city. their vehicle is a press vehicle so they are in effect not a part of the ban, but it was fascinating to be a part of that ride as we saw nobody on the streets. this is a different look as you see some cars that were left in times square. there you can see more of it now, a live look as it's pedestrians just taking up that walkway. we only see one vehicle with headlights. we're going to talk more about the situation for new york city as it is expected to get worse before it gets better. back in a moment.

and i'm still struggling with my diabetes. i do my best to manage. but it's hard to keep up with it. your body and your diabetes change over time. your treatment plan may too. know your options. once-daily toujeo® is a long-acting insulin from the makers of lantus®. it releases slowly to provide consistent insulin levels for a full 24 hours. toujeo® also provides proven full 24-hour blood sugar control and significant a1c reduction. toujeo® is a long-acting, man-made insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. it contains 3 times as much insulin in 1 milliliter as standard insulin. don't use toujeo® to treat diabetic ketoacidosis,

during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you're allergic to insulin. allergic reaction may occur and may be life threatening. don't reuse needles or share insulin pens, even if the needle has been changed. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which can be serious and life threatening. it may cause shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, and blurred vision. check your blood sugar levels daily while using toujeo®. injection site reactions may occur. don't change your dose or type of insulin without talking to your doctor. tell your doctor if you take other medicines and about all your medical conditions. insulins, including toujeo, in combination with tzds (thiazolidinediones) may cause serious side effects like heart failure that can lead to death, even if you've never had heart failure before. don't dilute or mix toujeo® with other insulins or solutions as it may not work as intended and you may lose blood sugar control, which could be serious. pay no more than $15 per prescription for 12 months. eligibility restrictions apply. learn more at toujeo.com/info or call 800-580-3421.

also, 9 out of 10 medicare part d patients can get toujeo® at the lowest branded copay. ask your doctor about the proven full 24-hour blood sugar control of toujeo®. all right. so in addition to the snow and the wind there is today's coastal flooding issue. right now we're giving you a look at stone harbor, new jersey, where cars are almost completely submerged. several towns along the new jersey coastline as well as in delaware are seeing some significant flooding and it's shutting down roads and disrupting transportation as you

can imagine. incredible video of this storm from all over the eastern u.s. continues to pour in via social media and cal perry has been following it all for us. what have you got? >> i got fresh flooding video from the coastline first and let me pull it up so you can see the coast that we're talking about. i've marked atlantic city, and here's the fresh flooding video from new jersey. this is coming from atlantic city. you can see the power of the water. this is why authorities want you to mind the evacuation orders. it's not worth it, don't put the police in danger either, because they've got to come and rescue you and that's not an emergency that they are paying attention to. scott kelly from the international space station bringing some of the most dramatic images of this storm. this is snow thunder here which i've never seen before. and this from noaa and we've heard from bill karins how this storm is going to back its way across new york city again, this is why the police in new york do not want you on the streets. there's going to be another sort

of major snow event in the next six to eight hours which they're watching and we've got fun stuff coming in obviously the panda, pandemonium, this is what people are trending online. it's just playing on a loop. it's now over 50,000 views and counting. and i've got here the use of a hover board, this is a man in new jersey using the hover board to snow shovel. i don't recommend it. it's probably not the safest thing, but there you go. >> wasn't there also a video of a guy in a dinosaur costume somewhere? >> that is making its way around as well. it's really weird. i don't know quite know what to say about it. >> had me enamored until i figured out what the heck i was looking at. but social media having fun and getting creative. >> i think tomorrow we'll see most of the fun stuff come out as the kids finally got out to sled. you saw in d.c. it's almost whiteout so people are inside. >> we'll keep you posted on that. thank you, sir. we'll give everybody a live look at times square. just look at this it's unusually

packed on a pedestrian walkway right now and the travel ban is in effect roughly started an hour ago at 2:30, a ban for new york city roads and nassau county, that means not emergency vehicles are not allowed to be out on the road. we also have broadway shows that were canceled today. some folks thought they would get good deals so they went out to get in line and then they found out most of the matinees weren't going to be happening today. the "today" show's al roker will join us after the break with the very latest on the forecast. welcome to the world 2116, you can fly across town in minutes or across the globe in under an hour. whole communities are living on mars and solar satellites provide earth with unlimited clean power. in less than a century, boeing took the world from seaplanes to space planes, across the universe and beyond. and if you thought that was amazing, you just wait. ♪

her long day as anne. hair stylist starts with shoulder pain when... hey joanne, want to trade the all day relief of 2 aleve with 6 tylenol? give up my 2 aleve for 6 tylenol? no thanks. for me... it's aleve. bis committed to truth on the label. when we say real meat is the first ingredient, it is always number one. we leave out poultry by-product meal, corn, wheat and soy. and, we own where our dry food is made - 100%. can other brands say all that? for grain-free nutrition you can trust, does your food go beyond? learn more at beyondpetfood.com legalzoom has your back. for your business, our trusted network of attorneys has provided guidance to over 100,000 people just like you. visit legalzoom today. the legal help you can count on.

legalzoom. legal help is here. [ scanner beeping ] sir, could you step aside? "sir"? come on. you know who i am. progressive insurance? uh, i save people an average of over $500 when they switch? did you pack your own bags? oh! right -- the name your price tool. it shows people policy options to help fit their budget. [ scanner warbling ] crazy that a big shot like me would pack his own bags, right? [ chuckles ] so, do i have the right to remain handsome? [ chuckles ] wait. uh-oh.

welcome back, everybody. we continue with our storm coverage here on msnbc and i want to show you what's taking place right now live in times square. so, just an hour ago that's when the full travel ban went into effect for new york city. it means that all vehicles need to be off the road in the city and in nassau county unless they

are emergency vehicles. but look at this in times square, basically shuttered now in terms of road traffic and just open as a pedestrian walkway as so many different tourists are trying to figure out what they can do in the city as different shops and certainly theaters have now closed down. so, folks are out trying to enjoy themselves here in the city. we can see all of the cars and the plow going through right now but the cars being the emergency first responders out there. want to check in with kristen dahlgren, she's been positioned at laguardia and that's a place that has brought some frustration and headache for people trying to get around which is now a ghost town, although you have made a lot of good new friends in the meanwhile. >> reporter: i have. that's right. none of them behind me, you can see, this is where people might normally be checking in but absolutely nobody even the gate agents have left at this point. take a look down this way, thomas, that's where security

is. they've got the gate down, no flights going in or out. these are my new friends over here, the same people that have been here all day with me. unfortunately they came to the airport, didn't get the text or e-mail from their air carrier and they are now stuck here. they've been trying to figure out other ways to get out, some of them said they were looking in to buses, looking in to trains, and that didn't work out. so, now they're really just waiting and they're not going to go out today. it's likely they may not get out tomorrow. we've already seen more than 2,000 cancellations nationwide tomorrow and so it's going to be quite some time before things get back up and running. the airlines would like to have planes flying by tomorrow afternoon but to get everything back into place and get the entire system running smoothly again is going to take several days so some of them are actually planning on sleeping here tonight, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next night. they are stuck here and not much they can do about it, thomas. >> that's one issue for the folks that are traveling but as

you talk about the gate agents, they've all left. what's been the mandate for laguardia staff? >> reporter: do you know what, there actually is quite a bit of staff around. i was surprised. i saw someone cleaning the floors before, some of the res straw restaurants are open here and nypd is around, port authority hasn't shut it down. it's up to the airlines whether they are flying in and out and today they made the decision not to. we saw the gate agents here until a short time ago trying to help people out. i imagine they're around here somewhere here. people obviously can call on the phone, check on their computer if you do have a flight, that's the best way to do it, just check with your carrier on when you're going out. but the airport is going to stay open, operational and, you know, then the airlines as soon as they decide it's safe they'll get things up and running, and there are crews now working on the runways trying to keep them clear, but at this point the snow coming down really faster than they can deal with it. >> yeah, we know this has been a

major ripple effect from charlotte all the way north for folks trying to get around and not a lot of options for folks as they are trying to make it back home or out on vacation, kristen dahlgren live for us at laguardia. thanks so much. i want to check on the very latest on this storm system and nbc's al roker co-host of the "today" show been working nonstop with the roker-a-thon. any storm system changes? >> we are starting to see a dry slot work its way between philadelphia and the delmarva, so -- but here in new york city the snow is still coming down pretty good. we just were watching dylan dreyer and she just came in and the blue mobile, it's still pretty heavy and washington, d.c., has been pretty heavy, too, we were watching luke russert's live picture, what a mess. as we zoom in and give you an idea what's happening as far as accumulations are concerned, we look around the new york area, you'll see heavy snow in

sunnyside, brooklyn, about 15 inches of snow. we go into hoboken, 14 inches of snow and that's pretty indicative of what we've been seeing. the snowfall amounts through tomorrow, here's what we're calling for. washington, d.c., and baltimore. generally 24 inches or more. wind gusts 50 miles per hour. the snow continues heavy today. philadelphia in that same ballpark, 18 to 24. wind gusts of 24 -- wind gusts of 40 miles per hour. and new york city yesterday we upped the amount. right now at central park it's about 14.5 inches of snow. but there's still more coming down. so, we very well may make that 2-foot range. and even this thing is overperforming we really weren't expecting much of accumulations in new haven, 8 to 12 inches and providence 3 to 6 and even boston, thomas, will get 2 to 4 inches of snow before it's all over and we've also got the

coastal flood threat. high tides coming this evening, annapolis, 5:12, 7:00 new york down to the chesapeake bay bridge and we could see more flooding pictures like we did although it will be nighttime so harder to see, makes it in a sense even worse. we're hoping it won't be quite so bad because the wind direction may not be quite so onshore and that will help mitigate some of that flooding, thomas, but, again, we're not out of the woods yet. not done. still have several hours to go at least down in washington and several more hours after that here in the northeast. once it gets out of the mid-atlantic. thomas? >> al, as you talk about the overperformance of this storm, i think a lot of folks would think it's so funny that in new england it's really not going to hit so hard, so what's going to stop this system, make it fall apart so that they don't get walloped? >> not so much fall apart, but direction, it's just not -- in fact, we thought it wouldn't move as far north as it did -- as it was and that's why initially our new york accumulations were lower than

they were. but it eventually is going to start drifting out to sea and as it does, it takes all that precip and circulation with it, so the -- our folks -- our friends in boston get a glancing blow and that's the worst of it. >> al roker, thank you, sir, appreciate your time. new york city's former mayor is also making news today in his own right. we'll check in with the political field, because this has nothing to do with the winter storm. but is it going to storm the field of the presidential race as a late bloomer? we'll talk about that, the details right after this. plaque psoriasis... ...isn't it time to let the... ...real you shine... ...through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months.

and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase... ...the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your doctor about otezla today. otezla. show more of you. text mom. i'll be right back. be good. boys have been really good today. send. let's get mark his own cell phone. nice. send. brad could use a new bike. send. [siri:] message. you decide. they're your kids. why are you guys texting grandma?

it was him. it was him. keep your family connected. app-connect. on the newly redesigned passat. from volkswagen.

welcome back, everybody. you know, been talking a lot about the snow but there's another issue with this storm,

the winds, and they've been gale force at certain points today and it's left nearly 250,000 people without power across seven different states, so the vast majority of those are believed to be in north carolina with nearly 150,000 homes and businesses without power. and most of those outages that's south of raleigh. then when we get to new jersey, nearly 45,000 customers in atlantic city are without power, and at least 12 people have died as a combination of different areas that have been walloped by this storm. and as we've been reporting, there are certain places where there's just whiteout conditions. take a look at this. washington, d.c., is living through that right now. as you can make out right there the shadowy dome of the capitol in the background. but it's hard to see. and we have the national guard now patrolling the streets there. joining us on the phone is christopher geldart, director of homeland security and emergency management for the d.c. area. and, christopher, tell us what you are experiencing for the folks that are out there on the

roads as we know the national guard they are out to help patrol, but how are things being reported back to you? >> sure. so, we have our emergency operations center activated, inside there we have representatives from all of the city agencies that reports everything from everything going on in the 9/11 center to the metropolitan police department and the fire department and the human services department and all of those engaged in the effort going on for the last two days. >> we know that the snow totals are above 16 inches for certain areas, and the storm is continuing as snow is still falling. so, explain to us one of the biggest concerns is about power outages. i know pepco has done a pretty amazing job in light of the conditions. one thing this is pretty light snow, so you haven't had to experience much of that, correct? >> actually not so much light snow. we have some pretty heavy snow

and pretty high winds so, yeah, i mean, we have been very fortunate in this storm that we have not lost power or any major power outages. we had about 1,500 customers go down last night, but that was quickly rectified within an hour it was fixed. so, yeah, the system is holding. our partners at pepco are with us and out with the street crews and all of that. we've been fortunate in that sense. >> i know this is a combined effort. one thing in new york city just at 2:30 p.m. eastern time the travel ban went into effect for new york city roads and nassau county, only nonemergency vehicles allowed on the roads. talk about the road issues down there and how people are getting around, mass transit,ish issues like that. >> the mass transit has been shut down since last friday. we've basically asked all of our residents to stay off the roads and we were doing good until we got a little bit of a reprieve

in the snow today and a whole bunch of folks came out not heeding the warning and then, of course, another ban came through and went right back to about 2 inches of snow per hour and about 35-mile-an-hour winds which kind of cleared up real quick right after that. >> so, when we think about this and the system continues to move through and snow is on the ground, do you think that they're going to have to be more national guard troops called up for response issues or do you think there's a handle on that? >> actually, we have the national guard troops partnered up with our metropolitan police department and our fire department. we need the transports, we need the high-center vehicles so we can get around. we're really using them in that capacity to help us get around the city. they're doing a great job for s us, you know, getting into areas that -- that they can't get into, and so, you know, it's been a real help. >> so, when we talk about critical areas, what parts of the city have been tougher to advance for those crews that you're talking about than others?

>> right now, across the city we pretty much have the same issue. but, you know, our northwest -- upper northwest traditionally gets more snow just being to the west of the city. but right now i think across the board we're getting pretty slammed here. we probably picked up at least another 4 to 6 inches just in the last 2 hours or so. >> have there been any issues with emergency first responders? we know d.c., you know, well known for the beautiful town homes and different row houses that it has. with first responders trying to get in for emergency calls, have there been any issues with that that has risen to your attention? >> you know, we've had -- just like you expect, i meanwhil, so our side roads and some of our not primary routes, secondary routes, are snowed cover and

it's hard for the snowplows to keep up with it no matter how good they are. as you can imagine we have ambulances and fire trucks that may have done a run down a certain road and now can't make a run down the same road they just did a couple hours ago. that can lead to mayhem and we've had a couple of those where we've had to dig out a couple of emergency response vehicles and so, you know, we've had that happen. it's just the nature of the storm. >> christopher, we're going to let you get back to work, but we really appreciate your time and all the hard work that you and the coordinated effort is putting in to keep everybody down in d.c. safe. thanks. you know, those downed trees and downed power lines, not to mention some icy roads are causing very dangerous conditions for north carolina, and, boy, oh, boy, it's a beautiful picture that we're looking at right now, sara, with blue skies, but what a mess it's been for a lot of the people

that have to deal with the damage left hend. >> reporter: exactly. you know, what a difference 24 hours makes. yesterday at this time we were really dealing with sideways sleet and today you're seeing the beautiful drone pictures of blue skies, but it doesn't mean the danger is over yet. in fact, when the sun goes down there's going to be a really big risk of black ice and that's because the ice here has started to melt. the snow has started to melt and the roads are really slick there's a lot of water on them and as soon as the sun goes down and the temperature drops the danger goes right back up and crews are still working round the clock to try to restore power. they've made quite a bit of headway. we're down now to 120,000 homes without power across the state of north carolina. meanwhile, six deaths now have been attributed to the storm within the state. and officials are still cautioning people to stay home today if possible, try to keep the roads clear, however, we are seeing quite a few more people venture out especially ever since the sun came out.

now, tomorrow, tomorrow is a big day as far as sports goes. the carolina panthers are taking on the arizona cardinals. it's a big game. that is scheduled to go ahead as planned tomorrow and they actually tweeted out a photo, the nfl network, tweeted out a photo showing the condition of the feel, all that snow and ice on top of a tarp. right now you are seeing the team practicing. there's the photo right there. the stadium not quite ready in that photo, but they say it will be ready tomorrow. the team took the field yesterday to practice. there's another game going on today, going on right now and that is the duke/north carolina state basketball game. that game went on, but, thomas, the fans were asked to stay home and watch it from television, so you had two teams playing on the court but some very empty stands. just one more indication of the impact that this weather system has had up and down the coast. back to you. >> better to be safe than sorry and folks can just enjoy the games from home at least for now and hopefully they will get an opportunity to enjoy their

favorite teams at another time. thank you. as the current mayor of new york bill de blasio is dealing with the onslaught on today's blizzard, on a different political note it looks like the city's previous mayor is making plans, get this, to potentially enter the 2016 race for president. "the new york times" is michaelg has instructed advisers to draw up a potential bid as an sbe independent. it's something he did before but he concluded he couldn't win as an independent and reportedly now he sees an opening. as to what the perceived opening might be a source close to his thinking it seems likely he would only run if cruz or trump were the nominee and bernie sanders were the democratic nominee. here to help us, the chief of staff to senator joe manchin previously.

nice to see you. you are in the confines of a san francisco studio well away from the storm. >> my wife is reminding me of that every minute right now so -- >> let's talk about how this could be a political storm shake-up when it comes to a potential bloomberg and this independent third party run. so, so how does this not hurt the democrats more than it would a republican? >> well, it's not clear, you know, who it may potentially hurt. if you have a billion dollars, you can have an impact on the presidential race. but the reality is you have to win enough electoral college votes. i don't see any realistic path where a bloomberg candidacy gets to 70. and that's where, you know, either sanders or clinton on one side or trump or cruz or whomever on the right. i think this ends up being one of those things where you have a lot of money and you can vent yourself or your advisers convince you that you can somehow win. running for president is difficult under the best of

circumstances. when you do not have a party apparatus, when you don't have the name recognition to be able to do that in a cycle that is, you know, this competitive, i would say is difficult. not to mention the fact that being a billionaire in an election where clearly people are concerned about economic inequality, there's a real profound economic anxiety out there, i don't see how that narrative helps him reach moderate democrats let alone liberal democrats. >> right. well, we've got bernie sanders rushing with the most small donations packing together to raise him to where he is. then donald trump the billionaire not spending a dime to get where he is. jeb bush burning through money. >> right. >> like you can't believe. but it's not buying him anything. it's, you know, keeping him down. so why would another billionaire get into this race thinking that money is going to be the way to buy an election? >> i think he's got advisers who

clearly are very determined to become very wealthy from his run. and i mean that actually very seriously. if money was the simple equation to be competitive, jeb bush would be leading this race in a walk. i think it is the epitome of arrogance and ego to be very frank that a bloomberg thinks he has a path here to win. or somehow if bernie sanders is on one side and donald trump's in the other he runs up the middle. it just doesn't work that way. i mean, the party apparatus is not going to move away completely enough to give a bloomberg candidacy to 70. the best case scenario i would say for bloomberg is he wins enough states where it's thrown to the house of representatives. it's not clear who wins. how is that better? again, i just don't see it. but you know what, i imagine if you've got that much money, what

else are you going to do? it seems everybody wants to run for president anyway so why not him? >> is this just a test balloon, chris? how does something like this get leaked to the "new york times"? advisers are whispering in the former mayor of new york the billionaire's ear about a potential run and where there's an opening and whether he can make it on fifty states and ballot by a certain time. how the hell does that happen? >> i think there's a lot of people who are sitting around him when he goes to cocktail parties with very other wealthy elite people telling him you should run, you should run. and you start believing it. your advisers tell you there's an opening here, we should run. and there's no one saying you know what you probably can't win so why do you want to run? but my guess is, you know, if he sees some kind of path, he probably can do it. in the sense of running in terms of winning it's not going to happen. he doesn't have -- if this was a candidate i think that had some type of unique message or was

tapping the kind of zeke geist of the country right now, maybe he'd have a path. but who he is and what he is i don't see it. >> we shall see if he truly has a calling and if this all pans out. chris, great to see you. we welcome you back home to the east coast soon. it will be a little bit snowy when you get back. >> stay safe. >> thank you. thank you. so for everybody at home you've been watching our coverage for the past day or two, you have seen the amazing work of nbc's meteorologist dylan dreyer driving up the east coast in the blizzard. amazingly she made it into new york city a few moments ago driving through the lincoln tunnel taking us with you and she didn't have any problems. dylan is now with me onset. >> hey. i was hoping this would be a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. >> is it cold? >> it's a cold glass of water. >> this is amazing. we got to travel with you through the lincoln tunnel and you and the crew have done amazing work reporting on this firsthand. we didn't have any interruption with going through the tunnel

which was very cool. >> which was pretty amazing. we were traveling with a lot of technology. we had the blue mobile, which is our big satellite truck. and if anybody was watching yesterday when we were trying to report using our blue mobile every time we went under an overpass we ended up losing our satellite signal. so then you see us in the lincoln tunnel and we never lost a signal at all. it's because we had a chaser truck that had more cell phone technology as our backup. so we were using cell phone technology to get us through the tunnel. we got a little -- there was a moment there where our tech guy in the back was saying i think we're going to lose signal and we never did. >> you're probably a little snow blind because i know you've been reporting on this and crossing different state lines and through different cities, but where did you see the worst of it as you were getting back to new york? >> when we first left washington, d.c. they were getting hit hard by the storm at that point. so it was a rough go leaving washington, d.c. and then we were fine. you know, in the philadelphia area we hit this little lull.

and then new jersey, elizabeth, new jersey, we followed the heaviest of the snow right here into new york. and new york city itself it is not easy to get around that's for sure. >> so for the different highways and biwyways you were taking, where did you see drivers struggle the most? >> there weren't many drivers on the road. there were some and they would actually drive past us and you would see them off on the side of the road a little later. it was more of a speed thing, i think, than the road conditions. because the roads were actually okay. but every once in a while you'd hit a spot. it was almost like as you went from different jurisdiction, through different towns. one town had it plowed nice and neat and another ten-mile stretch and it was just not good at all. and then you'd hit another ten-mile stretch and it was good again. >> what was the average pace of you in the blue mobile? >> we were probably doing about 25, 30 most of the ride. and when we got near philadelphia where it wasn't doing much of anything we got up

to 40. >> okay. really opened it up. >> for those who don't know it should take about four hours. with no traffic it took us about eight. >> welcome back to new york. >> nice to be here. >> we're so glad to have you back. you and the crew did amazing work. thank you so much. much more on our coverage straight ahead as we continue to follow this winter storm for 2016. live look at washington, d.c. this is one of the worst storms the nation's capital has ever seen. we're also going to get the very latest from the jersey shore. they've had some issues with some coastal flooding. and the governor, chris christie, had an interview with our rehema ellis and he gave a point by point description of what he's doing to help an already battered coastline how he can protect it. ♪ lost shipments, international regulations,

security breaches, lost revenue lost respect. well crafted solutions for today's problems in commerce. pitney bowes, the craftsmen of commerce. starts with arthritisg pain and a choice. this is sheldon, take tylenol or take aleve,.. the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. t...to help sense danger before7 was engiyou do. . back to the news. because when you live to innovate, you innovate to live. the all-new audi q7. a higher form of intelligence has arrived.

this bale of hay cannot be controlled. when a wildfire raged through elkhorn ranch, the sudden loss of pasture became a serious problem for a family business. faced with horses that needed feeding and a texas drought that sent hay prices soaring, the owners had to act fast. thankfully, mary miller banks with chase for business. and with greater financial clarity and a relationship built for the unexpected, she could control her cash flow, and keep the ranch running. chase for business. so you can own it. and clean and real and s. nowhere to be,o, and warmth and looking good, and sandwich and soup and inside jokes, and dan is back! good, clean food pairs well with anything. the clean pairings menu. 500 calories or less. at panera. food as it should be.

whfight back fastts tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue and neutralizes stomach acid at the source tum, tum, tum, tum smoothies! only from tums enses have a sunset mode. and an early morning mode. and a partly sunny mode. and an outside... to clear inside mode. transitions® signature™ adaptive lenses... ...are more responsive than ever. so why settle for a lens with just one mode? experience life well lit®. ...upgrade your lenses to transitions® signature™. receiving a transitions® lenses certificate of authenticity is your only guarantee that you're getting the worlds number one recommended photochromic lens. ask for it. and register your lens online today. hi everybody. good afternoon. i'm thomas roberts here at