. more rain on the way for tomorrow night and that is not the only storm we are tracking. i'm meteorologist wyatt everhart. your christmas forecast coming up. why are you spending so much for christmas. coming up, we will have some answers. >> 3 million people in the registry and we still can't find a match for save yeah. >> we told -- save yeah. xavia. >> we told -- xavia -- we begin with a live look over the inner harbor after a washout day. solid, the skies are clearing but that clearing may not last too long. meteorologist wyatt everhart is joining us now. he is tracking two storms. wyatt. yeah. we have a couple of different storms in the pipeline here, kelly. one will arrive tomorrow night. we are clearing out from the storm we had today. if you count today's rain, it is really three different systems to finish the week. we are in the last hours of fall

2011. at 12:30 tonight, the winter solstice will begin with record warmth. we hit 62 today out at bwi, breaking the old record of 61. that was set back in the 1950s. so, yes, a very warm night in progress. remember, your average high temperature on the day should be about 44 this time of year. went e begin -- winter begins tomorrow but no snow. temperatures pushing back to near 60. maybe a little afternoon sunshine before that next rainstorm comes in tomorrow night. remember this, tomorrow night's storm number two of three so to speak because we have one-coming in christmas eve night into christmas morning and that will be a colder storm system. we will talk about what that might mean coming up. thanks, wyatt. it is crunch time for all you folks waiting until the last minute to shop for the holidays. the statistics are varied from many sources but they all show modest gains for retailers.

how much and how high will the shopper numbers be. roosevelt leftwich joins us with more. >> kelly, remember the figure, 469 billion. that is what folks are expected to spend this holiday season on shopping. but how you shop, where you shop and when you shop are the factors that seem to be changing this time around. so, what are you buying this christmas? is your list long? >> oh my gosh. i have a big family. so i have like 7 aunts. i had to buy for them, my god daughter, my child, my cousin. >> you walking down the avenue with bags in your hand or sitting around waiting for ups and fedex. >> a lot online this year. >> because it is convenient? >> yeah. the free shipping and sometimes the better deals so you don't have to shop around. >> i like shopping in stores by myself so no one can see what i'm getting. >> consumers here at nationwide are keeping pace with the season that the national retail federation should show modest gains this year. trending up in an economy that

still has a lot of volatility and uncertainty built in. overall, sales are up 3.8% over last year. online shopping is up close to 8%. marketing the largest gain and largest year for online shopping ever. close to 11% of you are waiting to shop, however, over the next 3 days. thursday, friday and christmas eve. >> the later it gets, the pricier it gets because the normal stuff is out of stock. sometimes i have to end up at tiffanies on christmas eve. >> what shoppers are spending is another matter. the average person is going to spend about $515 this year on gifts alone. that is down about $25 from last year. but people are spending more on food. $96 up about 3%. but some of the real holiday shopping isn't done for the benefit of others. more than 60% of folks shopping this season are buying things for themselves. adding things like holiday lights, wrapping papers and other assorted holiday expenses, they predict this season will surpass last year, although

gift-giving expenses are kind of flat. >> same thing i always send. >> not too much but just enough. >> just enough. just enough to go around for everybody. >> and here's another figure to remember. 3 out of 10 people that own smart phones and computers have used them this year to make purchases online for the holidays. this is the trend being recorded for the first time this year and it is expected to grow tremendously invest year. just more -- next year. roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. thank you, rose ki. a state trooper is -- rosie. a state trooper is recovering tonight. it happened around 4:15 on ballenger center drive in cedric. sean mccarty was on the side of the road investigating a crash when he was hit by another vehicle. he got pinned between that vehicle and his patrol car. he was airlifted to shock trauma. state police expect he will survive his injuries. tonight a north baltimore community is mourning the death of one of their neighbors after a horrible fire yesterday.

85-year-old charles francis lived in this home. neighbors next door and three men from a near bye business grabbed fire extinguishes to help. they are taking it pretty hard. >> he was trying -- [audio indiscernible]. >> we couldn't help. we couldn't get in the doorway it was so hot. >> francis had burns over most of his body by the time firefighters arrived at his home in hamden. paramedics took him to bellevue burn center. the cause of the fire is u investigation tonight. he died. police want you to take a good look at these surveillance camera photos to see if you recognize either of these men. they need your help. they are looking for the two men in connection with at shooing that occurred in a barber -- shooting that occurred in a barbershop. if you recognize either man or have any other information about the incident. baltimore police ask that you

call the eastern direct, 410-396-2433. -- district, 410-396-2433. earlier this week, we told you about xavia pirozzi. a high school sophomore in need of a bone marrow transplant. none of her family were a match. >> tough. it is heart breaking for us. >> reporter: words from a concerned grand moth who are has a simple -- grandmother who has atism wish, that her granddaughter finds a donor. >> not even drinking since her last infusion of chemo. her mouth is so terribly sore. >> reporter: 15-year-old xavia pirozzi was in great health a few months ago. but medication side affects from a hard transplant she had 5 years ago have dampened her

road to recovery. >> 3 million people in the registry and we still can't find a match for her. >> reporter: tonight's bone marrow drive was spear headed by kelly of the ryan foundation. her 15-month-old son passed away from leukemia and she hopes her story will encourage all of you to join the registry. >> we need everyone to be a don nor. this is one -- do nor. >> reporter: it only takes 20 minutes to save a life. fill out paper work and go over your medical information with a nurse, swab your mouth and that's it. you are just one q-tip away from making a difference. >> if there's any chance to find a cure and a bone marrow transplant might be it, then it is important to get the word out there. >> we are looking for a christmas miracle. 5 years ago we got a heart. maybe this will be another christmas miracle for us.

>> that is preston mitchum reporting. we are going to have to wait and see if one is a match. if you want to join the registry to see if you are a match for xavia or someone else, log on to our website at abc2news.com and click on the story. well, a group of very lucky puppies is resting comfortably tonight. just south of here in washington, d. c., all 100 of them are alive today. many pure breeds. they are rescued last month from a kennel in arkansas. officials say the pups were living in filthy conditions and suffering from some serious medical problems. a lot of them need to be treated for parasites and skin issues and as soon as they are healthy they will go up for adoption. >> as soon as we medically clear them, make sure they are spade, neutered and dewormed and healthy to go out, we will. >> we will give them a christmas holiday with us and take care oh of them here. let them settle. maybe right after christmas. >> now, if you are interested in

adopting one of these puppies, the washington animal rescue league is taking care of them. you can call them at the number on your screen. 202-726-2556. a man in california is apologizing for a very serious threat he made against the first family. in a facebook posting, drew said someone so assassination president obama and his children. he used much harsher language. the secret service showed up at his mobile home and he admitted he was mad about a bill the president signed and says he learned to think before he speaks or writes on facebook. family and friends many maine held a -- friends in maine held a vigil for a toddler. relatives say she was staying with her dad while her mom was in rehab. the 2-year-old was reported

missing. search crews searched a river and pond. they expand their search area tomorrow. up next, is it letting your child -- if letting your child nigh alone isn't enough, you learn they didn't make it to their destination. >> it was the scariest moment of my life to think they didn't know where she was. >> find out what happened that left a 9-year-old stranded in baltimore on her way to new york. plus, the faa is cracking down on airlines that let pilots fly tired. we will tell you about some new guidelines that will keep you safer in the skies. and using your debit card online can have real unexpected consequences. we will tell you what retailers are doing that could leave you in the red. happy holidays. i'm with the united states army command airborne out of fort bragg, north carolina. i want to say merry christmas and happy new year to my friends and family back in westminster,

maryland.

rj new tonight, a lit -- now, tonight a little girl flying by herself wound up stranded alone in baltimore. she was supposed to fly from nash ville to new york. her plane made a stop at bwi and an airline employee took her off the plane to rebook her but they didn't notify her parents. her mom found out about the mix-up when her sister called to tell her she didn't get off the mroen plane in new york. >> she is not going to say no you can't rebook her. >> reporter: her mom called southwest and it took about an hour to straighten out the mess. a spokesperson for the airline admits the situation was not handled well. the family was reimbursed for the ticket and issued another travel voucher. by the nature of their 24-hour day of business, airline pilots often work swing shifts

with little rest. there's evidence that tired pilots make some mistakes. now the faa is trying to keep that from happening. abc 2 news duarte jer dan no explains. >> reporter: flight 3407 crashed into a buffalo neighborhood, killing 50 people, including one man on the ground. susan berk's sister was one of the passengers. >> we could not sit back and say oh, well. we needed to do something. and we felt motivated by the memory of those people who died in that crash. >> reporter: now nearly 3 years later, the federal aviation administration is issuing new rules to keep fatigued pilots out of the cockpit. >> this took too long. it took too long beyond the air crash. but these things take a long time. we wanted to make sure we got it right. >> reporter: the ntsb sited

pilot fatigue as the cause. their flight time is limited to 8 or 9 hours. they must get a minimum 10-hour rest period between shifts, which must include a chance for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. not everyone is convinced the new rule will help. in a written statement, the chairman of the transportation and infrastructure committee said pilots must take personal responsibility coming to work rested and fit for duty. the government can't tuck them in at night. the new rules are expected to cost the airline industry nearly 3 $3 billion over the next decade. the new rules don't go into effect for 2 years. abc news, new york. now, if you and your family are flying over the holidays, be sure to check out abc 2's travel guide. we have posted tips to help you and your family's trip go smoothly. check out the traffic section on

our website at abc2news.com. in our consumer alert, it is the thought that counts. but the gifts we get aren't always a perfect fit or a perfect match. so, we have got some tips to ensure a happy return. now, if you plan to take something back, it is best to have a receipt. that could be a gift receipt or a regular receipt. if you don't have a receipt, the store will probably give you a store credit for the lowest amount that the item sold for. that could be less than what you paid for. want to return something you bought online? check the policy on the website. a lot of stores will take back items bought through their website. and if you plan to take something back, do not destroy the packaging. keep all the stickers, labels and all that stuff intact. >> you want to be sure not to open the packaging if you are not sure you want it p. because again, if you -- you can leave the tags and labels on the item. but if you destroy the packaging or rip it apart, again, you will have a much more difficult time returning it. >> make sure you watch out for

the hidden fees. some stores charge a restocking fee, especially on electronics. each year more are apt to shop on the internet. but there's dangers to using the debit card online. some stores charge your account twice and if you are not expecting that, that could leave you in the red. consumer reporter john matarese explains authorization holds so you don't waste your money. >> this time of year, most shoppers are looking for online bargains but a great deal is no deal at all if it causes you to bounce your checking ing account. gary vaughn wanted to avoid the craziness of black friday so he is doing much of his holiday shopping online. but he says he almost bounced his bank account when he shopped toys "r" us.com and his deb wit

card was dinged twice. >> as they ship each item they hit you with that amount again. >> as soon as he placed hiss $175 -- his $175 order they put an authorization hold on his checking account for the full amount. then when it was shipped it was charged again. >> they held my money $350 for four to 5 days. >> toys "r" us is the subject of a lot of online complaints on this. it even happens on amazon and gas stations when you first swipe your debit cards. toys "r" us explains it is simply to ensure the funds are available to complete your order. the funds are released in 3-7 business days. but gary says that could lead to a bounced checking account. everybody is looking for a bargain this time of year and nobody wants to be overdrawn and that could put some folks in a pinch.

toys "r" us did nothing wrong. but this is a risk with using a debit card online and is why using a credit card for online shopping is often a safer idea. that way you don't waste your money. i'm john matarese. all right. it is a warm and breezy night. the rain is done. 60 degrees now out at the airport. man, unbelieve by warm conditions out there today. in fact, check out the record set, 63 late this evening at bwi. the old record from 1956, back during the korean war was 61 degrees. all this happening on the eve of our first day of winter. the winter solstice coming 12:30 this morning and it means the sun has been focused on the southern hemisphere. it has been summertime in south america, australia. we have been getting the

shortest days of our year and they have been getting the longest days of their year but it is going to reverse. slowly the sun will creep northerly and creep back. the days will begin to get longer after tomorrow slowly. take a look at gaithersburg today. rain was the story throughout most of the afternoon. tough to see out there. tough to drive into. makes traffic worse. especially if you are anywhere near a mall. all these last-minute shoppers. ocean city, man, not fit for man or beast on the boardwalk though it was warm at least. maryland's powerful radar, clear. very active earlier tonight. closest rain up in central new jersey right now. these numbers unbelievably warm. mid-50s to the west. lower eastern shore you are still in the 60s. patuxent river still 63 right now. as we zoom in look at some of the highs today. 65 in annapolis. unbelieve by warm. 64 downtown. tomorrow we are back at least to 60.

and maybe a little above if we get enough sunshine midday. we will be conservative and go right around 50 tomorrow. because again this will be way unseasonably warm for canton, near 60 in locust point. the weather pattern still very active. we are getting a break in the rain now but the clouds still streaming in. still an active southern branch of the jet stream which you can make out on the satellite view. that high speed river of air, thousands of feet up really helping to track storms in our direction. we will see several more in here. the next one of which will come in with still relatively mild air around as this storm tracks in out of the texas coast. we look for rain to arrive beginning tomorrow night. so, decent day. rain comes in tomorrow night. probably after the rush. goes overnight to about 3, 4, 5 in the morning on friday. there will be snow up in northern new england. here it will be rain. we clear out friday. things look good but then another system developing down in east texas. that will come up as a primarily rain maker we think christmas morning. but yes there could be a wintery

mix early christmas morning. there could be a few wet flakes that fly but that won't show up again until sunday morning. overnight tonight down to 46 with a stray shower. other than that, things are dry tomorrow. tomorrow as winter begins and we switch seasons, 60 degrees with some sun breaking through. what a way to start wenter. 2011-2012 and tomorrow night down to 43 as the rain moves in wet overnight and colder. turning colder but not frigid. friday 54 with clearing skies in the afternoon. saturday starts out okay at 48. but it does appear that although the game may come in dry for the ravens on saturday at 1, by saturday night, late overnight into sunday, another chance for rain maybe mixed in with snow as well. kelly. thank you. tomorrow is a big day here at abc 2. the finale to the kinder time toy drive. abc 2 is teaming up with centers to make the holidays special for local kids in need. toys will be given to the family

in honor of our fallen firefighters and police officers. >> i am richard huff and we are here if our first kinder time toy drive. we have collected over one thousand toys from parents and children. give all our parents thank you. [singing we wish you a merry christmas]. . a lot of that tomorrow. and the organ will be playing in the studio here. live coverage at 5 and 6:00 as the police and firefighters are all over the state stop by our station to pick up the toys that you donated. coming up, the president gets a little last-minute shopping. we will tell you what he bought for his daughters. first here's a look at what is coming up after abc 2 news at 11:00. coming up, fraud prevention tips from inside the secret fortress where visa monitors your every purchase and the shocking truths about the gift cards you have been buying.

and the latest in our year long investigation in airline pilot fatigue and your safety coming up on night line right after abc 2 news at 11.

all right. even the president of the united states waits until the last minute to do his christmas shopping. president obama and his first dog, beau, ducked out of the white house to pick up a few extra gifts for his daughters. a video game he can play with them just in for the wii. >> the girls beat me every time on these various dance games. and you guys will never get a picture of me doing it. [laughter]. >> because i get graded f every

time. >> first lady and her daughters already in hawaii. the president is still in d.c. trying to hash out a deal with republicans on that tax break that expires in january. when asked by the press if he will be in hawaii for christmas, he didn't answer that question. work it out. >> kelly, a little correction here. our korean war vets, ending in '53. our record was from the 1950s but it was '56. 3 years later. we did hit 66. anyway, tomorrow winter begins and i love to show the snowy winter begins graphic because we are back to 60 tomorrow with some sun. what a way to start the winter season. things do change into the weekend. colder and even a few flakes by christmas morning. stay tuned on that. we will be tracking it all week. >> all righty.

and brings in the cold. because of our economy, millions more will feel that chill than ever before. they're the forgotten ones. the big boys have abused the system to enrich only themselves, while workers are still hurting. it could be a layoff after 22 years of working for the same company.

or choosing between food and heat for a sick child. or after working your whole life, you don't have what you need to stay warm. you played by the rules, but who changed them? even though oil prices are soaring to record levels, in washington, fuel aid for the poor was cut in half. citizens energy asked big oil companies and oil producing nations to help. they all said 'no,' expect for citgo and the people of venezuela. for the last 7 years, citgo has helped struggling families in the united states in good times and in bad. so if you need help staying warm this winter, give me a call. because no one should be left out in the cold.

so, 60 degrees shopping. >> yes. and kinder time toy drive we are shipping them tomorrow night. so get them here during the day tomorrow. >> thanks for joining us. have a great night.