there's still two ladder trucks from the back, firefighters from the rear of the building as well, attacking us from every side, and a local council member i spoke with a short time ago tells me as many as a dozen apartment units were likely affected as well. he says the flames have also spread to some neighboring businesses here and as we were rushing to the scene we could actually see the smoke from this blaze from several miles away. the heaviest clouds of smoke seem to be coming from the roof but at this point we are unclear as to what the cause the blaze did first break out around 4:40 this afternoon and it did begin as a three-alarm fire and quickly spread to four alarms about an hour ago. we've been receiving pictures and videos from several channel 7 news viewers and as you've mentioned, these freezing temperatures are definitely playing a part in attacking this blaze, possibly we

far as how many people may have been inside the structures when the blaze first broke out. a council member tells me on the bottom level there's a clock store and a bar. he's saying as many as a dozen apartment units were likely affected. as we get more information you'll certainly be the first to know. live in bayonne, aj ross, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> long way to go battling that fire. now to the weather. a fascinating drama unfolding about the weather, and whether we're in for a huge snowstorm or something less. lots of science nature. >> right now the cold is the big story. wind chills are in just how cold is it? lots of folks this guy is in newark and a tough day to be delivering mail in hackensack or really doing any type of work outdoors today. >> how about those tourists braving it in open air

shirleen allicot is in harlem but we'll begin with meteorologist lee goldberg in he's tracking the possible storm. soon we'll be able to turn our attention to the storm because the frigid blast is waning a little bit. we've actually been through the worst. it's still pretty uncomfortable outside. but the winds will back off lower manhattan under a clear sky is reading around 19. so it was yesterday. still bitterly cold but coming off the lows. 10 degrees the feels-like reading in white plains. still single digit wind chills in the suburbs. the wind gusts which were over 40 miles per hour just starting to back off a little bit but it will take much of the night for the wind to go down to 7 to 14 miles per hour. wind advisory in ulster county will expire in less than an hour. if you look at the futurecast wind chills, bitterly cold this evening. it actually won't feel as bad tomorrow morning with

and certainly not as harsh during the afternoon hours. that's when you notice it wednesday afternoon. on to our weekend storm. there's that area of low pressure. that's the building block to our potential weekend storm which will dive down in to the south about 48 hours. we'll definitely see it on the radar as with rain and snow down south then it starts to climb toward the northeast with snow approaching dc by late couple tracks to show you. one to the north that would belt us with lots of snow. one a little farther south that would put us on the northern fringe of the snow and both options are still viable at this point. we'll let you know which way we're leaning in the accuweather forecast. the bitter wind is backing off later tonight. certainly not as harsh later tomorrow. then it's tranquil till friday night when the winter storm is certainly a possibility. i put together some potential snow totals. we'll scratch the surface with that. that's coming up in accuweather in just a little bit. >> he's under over over under

those who wondered for the past month, where's winter, where are your mild temperatures now? this is the first elongated blast of winter, it is in fact top of mind. we send eyewitness news reporter shirleen allicot to harlem where it's 28 degrees as you can see on our accutrack app. >> 28 degrees, huh. it feels a lot colder than that. if you're standing in one place like i am, you start to feel like one big block of ice. new yorkers, we've been here before. and with winter's late start, they're as ready as they're going to be. >> if you were judging based on only the fashions, you'd know it is cold outside. for many, today wasn't about dressing to the nines. it was about one thing, staying warm. >> i have thermals on, a thick sweater, two hats, two pair of gloves. >> although we did find some people working fashion in to funk. >> boots with the fur. >> oh,

we saw it all. >> is it working? >> almost said a curse word. no. >> this isn't helping at all. i'm just trying to picture myself warm like miami or cabo or something. >> thinking warm thoughts. that's an idea. >> and walking fast. >> very fast, like a light jog. >> reporter: the mayor's code blue warning continues to be in effect throughout the city. the dangerous temperatures prompting more than 100 homeless people to be taken off the streets overnight. >> very vigorous outreach effort. it will clearly continue tonight and any night where it's bitterly cold. >> the mayor says if you see anyone in danger because of the cold, you should call 911 right away. if you see them but you're a little concerned, call 311 and they will send someone out to investigate. in harlem, shirleen allicot, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> thank you with your block of ice feeling. if you happened to miss any of lee's forecast, you can see what he's doing any time

app. an unusual and controversial trial starting today on long island involving the death of a nasa county police officer. he was hit by a car but what's unusual is the man charged with vehicular homicide was not in the car that killed the officer. long island reporter kristin thorne is at the courthouse in mineola with much more. >> back in 2013 dismissed the charges against james ryan for that exact region saying he was not driving the car which ultimately killed police officer joseph olivieri. >> reporter: eyewitness news has obtained video taken by investigators. it shows james ryan's toyota camry smashed in and next to it a black escalade.

officer joseph olivieri. he was in court today on several charges including aggravated vehicular homicide. prosecutors say ryan should be held responsible for olivieri's death because he started the chain collision crash which olivieri was responding to. >> our feeling is authorities jumped to conclusions, blamed the only person they thought they could blame which is james ryan because there had been evidence of his drinking. >> reporter: prosecutors say ryan had been drinking and driving on the l.i.e. in october 2012 when he hit a car. they say ryan fled the scene and was involved in another accident. officer olivieri responded and was walking across the l.i.e. to get to ryan's car when he was struck and killed by the escalade. >> his first grandchild that was born, 19 months old, will never know the grandfather. that's a shame. there's been a whole life that's been disrupted here.

the actions of the defendant in this case. >> reporter: ryan's attorney says the driver of the escalade is completely responsible for the death of officer olivieri. the prosecution disagrees, telling jurors in opening arguments today the only reason we are here is because of this defendant. he created this situation. the defendant forged a link in a chain of causes that killed officer olivieri. what will be interesting is as early as tomorrow the driver of the escalade is expected to take the stand. live in mineola, kristin thorne, channel 7 eyewitness news. jury selection begins tomorrow in the manslaughter trial of a new york cop charged with killing an unarmed man. nypd lieutenant in court today testifying officer peter liang told him, i shot him by accident. the bullet ricocheting off a wall and

liang indicated he might testify in his own defense. as we continue with eyewitness news at 6:00, a most disturbing situation. one of new york's most prestigious hospitals. a doctor tonight accused of sexually abusing patients. >> students and faculty at columbia university right now gathering to remember the three students killed in a bus crash in honduras. they were on a mission to help the poor. >> we continue to look at live pictures right now. breaking news that we continue to follow. bayonne. firefighters trying to tackle the stubborn blaze that's happening in these most

a physician at mount sinai hospital charged with sexually police say dr. david newman committed a lewd act on a 22-year-old patient last week after double dosing her with morphine. another 22-year-old woman said dr. newman fondled her breasts during an examination last september. mount sinai says he has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. students at columbia and barnard returning from their winter break to a campus in sorrow. >> right now a memorial service at columbia to remember the three students killed last week in a tragic bus accident in honduras.

fleischer is on campus with the story. >> at this hour inside the gates here at columbia university, hundreds of people have gathered for this special vigil for the three students killed last week in honduras. barnard college junior daniella moffson along with columbia students olivia erhardt and abigail flanagan were killed when their bus went off a steep cliff. hundreds have gathered to remember the lives of these special women who went to honduras to help the poor as part of the medical brigade program. we understand the presidents of barnard college and columbia university will be speaking at this vigil along with the chaplain and also some friends of the three students and we're told that members of the moffson and flanagan family are also expected to attend this vigil. we have a camera inside at the vigil at this moment and we'll have special comments and remembrances from this vigil tonight on eyewitness news at 11:00. reporting live in morningside heights, tim fleischer, channel 7 eyewitness

just ahead on eyewitness news, lee returns with much more on the cold and the potential major winter storm that is heading our way this weekend. >> and the cold giving firefighters quite a night battling this four-alarm fire in it is still out of control although

that firefighters hopefully wow. the internet is crazy fast here. i know, right? it's so nice to have everyone over. hi hey. mmm. i just laid an egg. does anybody want it? joey, you want some gasoline? yes, please. mom, guess what? i married a clown and we're having tiny little clown babies. mhm. i just bought a hammer. with internet fast enough for everyone, your guests might get a bit carried away. get out of the past. get fios. the common core rollout was a disaster. parents knew it. teachers knew it.

state tests don't unfairly count against students. and test scores won't be used in teacher evaluations. less testing. greater focus on learning. that's a start, but there's more to do. let's work together to support sensible and fair learning standards that help every child -- in every neighborhood -- succeed. in new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. all across the state the economy is growing, with creative new business incentives, and the lowest taxes in decades, attracting the talent and companies of tomorrow. like in the hudson valley, with world class biotech. and on long island, where great universities are creating next generation technologies. let us help grow your company's tomorrow, today

the scene of the breaking news in bayonne, new jersey, aj ross at the scene of the four-alarm fire with new information. >> for the last several hours firefighters have been attacking this vicious blaze here at the residential and commercial structure here along broadway and downtown bayonne. it seems the flames have lessened in the last half hour or so and i notice firefighters seeming to be gutting the lower level of the structure. what i'm told is on the bottom there are shops ranging from a clock store to a bar.

apartments on the top levels may have been affected. within the last 15 minutes i also noticed some people with the hudson ems task force escorting some of the people who i believe live inside the structure here to a nearby truck to discuss what arrangements could be had for them with these obviously very cold temperatures out here and where they may be able to temporarily stay but definitely less flames. the fire seems to be somewhat under control but it's going to be several hours before this stretch of broadway is clear. live in bayonne, aj ross, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> those firefighters dealing with really hardcore conditions with the cold. >> 20s and winds about 20, 25 miles per hour so it feels like the teens. it's pretty nasty there. on to the cold leaving the scene and the focus turning to our storm and what we know about it. we're trying to quench a thirst for all the details on the storm and want to give you realistic details this far out.

you a great looking sunset. clouds streaking across the skylines, choppy waters on the harbor, a chilly ride in the staten island ferry. that's a cold commute. our temperature at 6:00, 28. that's a slow go on the fort lee side of the george washington bridge. 28 degrees, northwest winds gusting to 25 and the high today, 28 degrees, running 10 below average. the record, 64 and 2 below. numbers holding in the mid 20s tonight. we'll go in to the teens and lower 20s and the wind chills will bottom out this evening and start to ease toward morning. if you notice, we have gusty winds that get lighter around this high that comes in later tonight. to the south of the high we're closing in on the freezing mark. that's what we'll do tomorrow. mid and upper 30s. notice the winds tonight which can still gust over 30 early but by tomorrow morning mostly sunny and a 7 to 14-mile-per-hour wind. we'll start out at 25 and be freezing by noon time. clouds will start to increase during the afternoon with the 6 to 12-mile-per-hour wind. patchy clouds over connecticut, long island, parts

will clear out tonight and the high will move in. there's a patch of snow right here through parts of the midwest. the bulk of that will slide to our south. i can't rule out flurries as we go in to tomorrow night. winds kick up a little bit on thursday. it's a little brisk. there's the make -- makings of our storm in to the pacific northwest. it's a combination of the rain and snow but also this disturbance going in to british columbia. this is going to dive down to the south. then the critical part for us, where is it going to exit the eastern seaboard? i think it's going to be to our south and east, close enough to give us accumulating snows and too early given the uncertainty for an actual snowfall amount. in terms of a complete miss, up to 3 inches. a very small storm, about a 1 in 5 shot. we're talking about 80% chance of an accumulating snowfall. with the heart of that being in the 6 to 12 inch amounts. when you talk about

they may tend to be 287 south by the way, earlier in the day i did have these numbers a little bit higher just based on some of the storm track just lowered them a little bit because of this tendency for the track to be a maybe we're on the northern fringe rather than right in it. you can see i'm definitely friday night. friday evening night. and the impact will go through sunday morning. 22 degrees. bitter cold tonight but less wind. not as harsh tomorrow. 37. and 25 tomorrow night. you can see we're brisk and cold on thursday. increasing clouds friday. and again the heart of the storm will be on saturday. one thing not to forget here, big winds, coastal flooding and beach erosion are going to be a big deal. see the edge of the accumulating snow. catskills and hudson valley. snow showers levering the scene around daybreak. then it's quieter as things melt down monday and tuesday next week. new

see you at 11:00. maybe facebook live after 9:00 tonight. rob is up next with sports. >> not a game night but a recovery day. 43 games in to the nba season, the knicks are feeling the pain. straight ahead, how does everybody feel? knicks have question marks for tomorrow's game. we'll head to practice, see who will be up for the challenge.

last night at 11:00 you said -- >> you said you were so sure. [ laughter ] >> said yesterday was no big deal, right? the knicks said today not so fast. chrisops porzingis is not a lock to play tomorrow night. he's not the only knick icing down today. lori stokes with an update.

double overtime win yesterday after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. how is carmelo anthony feeling today? >> still got a ways to get yourself going again. yerbd is -- yesterday is over with now it's about getting my body and mind right, getting ready for tomorrow. >> reporter: that's good news for a knicks team that is 0-4 without anthony in the lineup this season. porzingis feels better after suffering a bone bruise in his foot yesterday. >> i haven't really talked about tomorrow's game with doctors yet. it's going to be their decision again. but i feel better today. >> try and remind all of the players on the team that because of that you have to always be ready. because it's really one play away from the team needing you to perform in order to win. >> reporter: but no matter who's on the court, the knicks know what lies ahead. nine of the next ten games are at madison square garden, a stretch which could prove crucial in their potential playoff positioning. >> the energy we have at

amazing. >> we don't want to get too overconfident just because we're home. we still got to go out there and perform and play. we feel good about that. >> with the knicks in greenburg, laura behnke, channel 7 eyewitness news. second round playoffs australian open later tonight. novak djokovic, serena williams both played. late round losers included venus williams and simona halic. eliminated for only the second time in his career, nadal lost in five sets. he rallied from a 2-1 deficit, won the last two sets. came from a breakdown in the 5th to beat nadal in five sets. major league baseball opening day start times, mets in kansas city sunday, april 3rd. 8:35 at night. yankees host the astros monday the 4th at 1:05.

arbitration with gregorius. yoenis cespedes is still available on the free agent market. justin upton apparently is not. word is he'll get a six-year deal in detroit worth $132.75 million which should make cespedes' mouth water. the mets, maybe not so much. pete rose may not be eligible for induction in to the national baseball hall of fame but the doors of the cincinnati red hall of fame will swing open for rose this summer to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 1976 world series team, rose will be honored in june with the commissioner's blessing. he grew up a reds fan, then managed the reds. still on baseball's banned list for betting on games. >> i haven't given up on cooperstown. i'm not the type that's going to give up on anything but this is fine. i'm happy. i'm not going to sit here and say it's the second best thing. because it's not. finally from us, with pitchers and catchers getting ready for spring training, the

exchanging food for game tickets. mr. met in attendance. continuing his very busy offseason. look at this guy. he gets to meet mr. met, do his good deed, yeah! [ laughter ] isn't that great? >> left mr. met hanging though. >> he's always so friendly. starting to get a big head. >> he's a happy guy. >> 40 years since the big red machine? my kids are going dad, what's the big red machine? it's our job to teach them. for all you calling in to see what we're working on for eyewitness news at 11:00, we have the answer in the form of sade baderinwa. >> coming up tonight, a man found nearly frozen to death in a snow bank. for the first time we're hearing from the victim about how he survived. did you spend too much during the holidays and now the bills are coming in? we have easy ways to get out of debt and get your finances back on track. plus, a reason for pregnant women to eat fish. those stories and much

>> that's it for us.