a state of emergency in pennsylvania. right now we're under a blizzard watch and in less than 24 hours now snow will be falling across our area and getting heavier as the night goes on. >> down the shore, we can see

the worst flooding since superstorm sandy. the national weather service says this storm could cause $1 billion in damage on the east coast. investigators say the storm is already responsible for four deaths elsewhere in the country. tonight we are under an nbc 10 first alert as we help you prepare for the storm. good evening, i'm jacqueline london. >> and i'm jim rosenfield. we have live team coverage as this winter storm approaches. we begin with the question everyone's asking -- how much snow can we expect to see? for that we go to nbc 10 first alert meteorologist sheena parveen. sheena? >> well, we had the first alert out starting tomorrow night into saturday, into sunday morning so this is because we do expect a lot of snow but not just a lot of snow, blizzard conditions are possible. we have a blizzard watch up for a majority of the area, snow around 10 inches or more through a good portion of the area and we expect the major coastal flooding which we'll talk about in just a minute. right now where you see the purple shaded area, that's the blizzard watch, almost all of

new jersey, almost all of delaware, philadelphia area and surrounding counties to the north and west. the blizzard watch is because we expect areas of heavy snow and possibly a quarter mile visibility or less. these are whiteout conditions, especially when you combine those 55 mile an hour wind gusts we can see so outages are possible. if you're in the lehigh valley or the poconos, this is a watch. heavy storm expected, low visibility, wind gusts near 30 miles an hour here. outages possible in these kind of conditions. so the snow forecast, here it is. we haven't changed it too much but we have extended the 10 to 14 area into other parts of montgomery and bucks county. but 14 to 18 closer to parts of chester county, northern delaware and through the i-95 corridor. 14 to 18 inches there. 10 to 14 philadelphia up to trenton. much of interior new jersey, 6-10 a little closer to atlantic county and cape may county. closer to the shore where we could see mixing maybe two to

six inches and that would be heavy, wet snow. and that would be, i think, one of the biggest problems across the area right near the shore in the delaware beaches where we, i think definitely, will be seeing power outages. we'll talk more about the shore and the rest of your forecast coming up. crews are already out brining the roads in philadelphia. this is jim kenney's first major snowstorm as mayor and it could be a big test. >> nbc 10's lauren mayk continues live team coverage in north philadelphia. where do preparations stand right now? >> the city is leaning toward issuing a snow emergency. that would affect where you can park, this spot right here, this is where preparation is under already way. trucks ready to hit the roads that could soon be covered with snow. on the dark philly streets, it's an early layer of protection, the salty mix of brine dumped here to stave off the freeze that's coming. >> i want to ask philadelphians

to be safe and look out for each other. >> reporter: it's the first show storm of major jim kenney's administration. >> let's be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. >> reporter: when the snow comes it's major thoroughfares that will get attention first. then there's the challenge of philadelphia's smaller narrow streets where residents have learned to wait. take this street in south philadelphia. look how narrow it is. just getting two cars through here is tight. >> basically you're block eed io your house. yo you are car, everything, is plowed in. >> reporter: joanna tells me her family has been here for more than 90 years. do the plows make it? >> if they send a smaller plow. if not, we have gotten our streets not plowed. >> reporter: giving her confidence this year, knowing the new mayor is from south philly. >> we'll get to the small streets as we have in the past. we have smaller vehicles with smaller plows and i lived on a small street for -- oh, god, almost 40 years, i know what it's like to live on a small

street and how frustrating it can be. >> reporter: the mayor encouraging people to take care of each other, something dan tells me they already do on annin street, ready with a shovel when the snow comes. >> we don't depend on the city, we do it ourself. >> reporter: as for the city itself, it could ultimately deploy 400 plows, more than 600 people to deal with this snow. live in north philadelphia, i'm lauren mayk, nbc 10 news. del dot is getting out ahead of the snow. crews were brining the roads up and down the state. officials say 450 pieces of equipment are ready to get rid of whatever falls on delaware road. dell dot will debut its new plow-tracker app tomorrow night. >> reporter: when the storm hits new jersey, governor chris christie won't be there to see it. word from the campaign is the republican presidential hopeful has no plans to leave new hampshire where he's been campaigning ahead of next month's primary. christie's camp says they will monitor the situation.

republican this scene? ice and snow led to power outages in 2014 leaving some people in the dark for days. >> utilities are making preparations hoping this year won't bring a case of deja vu. aundrea klecline-thomas continu our coverage. >> reporter: this service center is where peco will help coordinate thousands of crews and make sure customers don't stay in the dark. the dockerties haven't had to use a generator since hurricane sandy where they lost power for five days. >> it allows us to jest hang out. >> reporter: but brian is keeping it close just in case. >> i think we're at the end of the line so when we lose power we're low on the priority list. >> reporter: tomorrow night 2,400 peco employees are on stand by. toot that, 500 contractors is will be ready to respond to

outages. >> we've secured local contractors and support from our sister utility, commonwealth edison, in chicago. >> reporter: it's the heavier wet snow and high winds that are most problematic. both can snap branchs that down power lines. >> have bottled water ready. make sure you have fresh batteries for your flashlights. >> that's while whole lots hardware store is staying open an hour later so customers can stock up. from bags of calcium chloride to spending hundreds on a generator as possible snow totals increase, more items are flying off the shelves. the dougherty's generator has gas and is ready to go. no matter what happens, they won't be left in the dark. you can report power outages and downed power lines at peco.com or call this number: 800-841-4141. live tonight in plymouth meeting, aundrea cline-thomas, nbc 10 news. >> let's hope it doesn't happen,

but if the electricity goes out, nbc 10 and telemundo 62 and comcast have you covered. >> plug in and power stations will be set up across the region for you to add juice to your cell phones and tablets. you can see a complete list of plug in power stations on our web site. download the nbc 10 app to find the location closest to you. let's take a live look at cape may down the shore. snow isn't the only concern here. they're worried about the possibility of the worst flooding since hurricane sandy. >> let's head back to nbc 10 first alert meteorologist sheena parveen. sheena, a lot of people concerned about this. >> yes. and you know what? they're concerned because of the fool moon at the same time we have a strong on shore wind. so different factors here across the area. this is noon saturday. this is when we expect to see some of the highest winds and a lot of concerns along the shore. 60 miles an hour wind gusts. we have high tide times along the shore that are going to happen about three times during this entire event combined with a full moon that makes tides a

lot bigger than they normally are and the rain/snow mix we'll watch for these areas as well. if you are in delaware, here are your high tide times, saturday 7:00 a.m. then 12 hours later another high tide, 12 hours after that we'll see another one sunday morning. if you're in cape may, the first high tide is 7:17, another 12 hours later, another 8:00 a.m. sunday and for atlantic county, pretty much similar thing, atlantic city seeing high tide times close to 7:00 a.m. that happened n 12 hour intervals. so take a look at the future wind gusts. starting friday look how the wind starts to increase. not just saturday evening but overnight and watch the peak of the storm noon saturday. we could be seeing 70 mile an hour wind gusts along the shore, near 40 mile an hour wind gusts inland. it will get windy and this is where we'll see the most problems because, again, heavy wet snow along the shore is also expected. so we'll talk more about snow totals, we'll zoom around the area, i'll show you more

specifics on those coming up. >> people down the shore taking action hoping to protect their homes. >> nbc 10 jersey shore bureau reporter ted greenberg has the story from ocean city. >> reporter: well, tonight, officials are urging people here at the shore to get ready for three rounds of worrisome high tides starting saturday morning. on beaches in ocean city and other jersey shore communities, sand is being moved to build makeshift dunes to help hold back the ocean once the nor'easter starts slamming the coastline. the storm is expected to bring moderate to major coastal flooding, potentially the worst since hurricane sandy. officials are reminding folks to bring things inside like lawn furniture and garbage cans so they don't become air born in high winds and to also move their cars out of flood-prone areas. officials tell us one of the biggest challenges they expect to face is back bay flooding on top of the snow that's also expected to fall here at the shore. in ocean city, i'm ted

greenberg, nbc 10 news. while you're preparing your home and family for the snow, keep in mind the nbc 10 app is the valuable tool. >> you can get a lot of things, the latest forecast, hour-by-hour live radar, blogs from meteorologists, black says to live cameras and weather alerts as well as personalized notifications about school closings and delays. keith? it's a philadelphia tradition in most parts of the area, you get your shovel, go to the street, dig out the snow for a spot and then you reserve it with an orange cone just like this. well, philly police don't want you do this and they have a creative way to get the message across. thousands of flights canceled around the country and it's all because of this storm. still ahead, what else you need to know about the impact on travel. we are watching updates coming in on the timing on the snow. what time it will get here and what time the heaviest snow will fall. coming up, i'll show you a look

at that and also some updated snowfall totals in your neighborhood straight ahead. also ahead, more problems from indicted congressman shaka fattah, why his lawyers want to quit his case. this price can't be right... that's the right price! it's that low. what other things on this list "can't be right?" looks like a list full of "can't be right's." seriously? at giant, prices are down. savings are up. my giant.

if you have travel plans this weekend, you probably want to rethink them, especially if you're planning to fly. american airlines will be reducing operations tomorrow night in philadelphia and all of american's flights saturday are canceled. some airlines are waving their change fees so you can switch your flight for free. there's some restrictions to that so it's best to check with your airline. amtrak is making changes ahead of this weekend's snowstorm, too. here's a live look at the station. acela express, northeast regional will operate with fewer trains. the same goes for keystone service between harrisburg and

new york. most northeast corridor service between washington, d.c. and boston will operate as scheduled. >> septa officials will hold a news conference tomorrow morning at 9:30 to reveal their plans. we'll bring you that information as soon as we get it. tonight fill fiphiladelphia are trying to stop one of the city's winter traditions. they say you're not allowed to dig out your parking spot and save it with a chair or cone. >> it's a hot-button issue that's led to violence in the past. keith jones live in manayunk with a new idea to save spaces? >> we've seen it happening all the time and philadelphia police are getting creative. you dig out a spot, you mark it, it's tradition in parts of philly but this winter a warning

from phil lly police has people spinning their wheels ♪ you need to call us from your cell phone late night when you see that cone ♪ >> reporter: this is a real thing, philadelphia police parodying drake's "hotline bling" warning residents if you reserve a parking spot in the street, you're breaking the law. it's attachy tune but the message might not be catchy on. >> respect the cones. "hotline bling" or not, even if drake tells me, respect it. >> reporter: jessica foley takes it a step further in manayunk. >> i wouldn't call police, i don't want to get my tires spot. >> we've had people in fights, all kinds of things. >> reporter: mayor kenney admits it's frustrating but street parking is for everyone. >> a few times i had to move people's chairs. >> reporter: rickey wallace says philly police are right on. narrow streets, especially in manayunk, parking is tough enough without chairs and cones. >> the older citizens here don't

like it, the more cars that move into the area here in roxborough, manayunk, it's a problem. >> reporter: so if you see a cope, a chair, a tire, even a grill, i've seen a picture of that, philadelphia police want you to call th. ♪ call them on your cell phone, late night when you -- ♪ that's enough, i won't say it. call them, report it to them, okay? hi, youtube, keith jones, nbc 10 news. >> oh, my. all right, keith, you did it, you really did it. we appreciate it. keep your day job, keith. >> i need drake to see that. we need to tweet that out. >> definitely do. seriously speaking, sheena, a lot of people will be out having to dig snow out, aren't they? >> yes, hopefully you won't be singing that song at the same time. the snow will be moving in starting late tomorrow. here's the storm right now across the southeast. we have snow on the north side of it, a lot of rain, a lot of moisture is getting picked up in the gulf of mexico. here is future weather. this is the timing of the snow.

this is very critical to our snow amounts, the evening commute, obviously, and this is what we've been getting updates on. 9:00 a.m. friday, tomorrow, the morning commute fine. you will be just fine. it will be dry outside and then look as we go into the evening. a very close call here with delaware. so this is 6:00 p.m. friday. that snow will be in sussex county by then so you want to stay here in tune with nbc 10 because in the morning tomorrow we'll have more updates on this timing and it could shift for a couple hours here. the storm may speed up or slow down so it's really kind of a close call with the evening commute in delaware. otherwise, the rest of the area seeing that coverage by noon tomorrow. so that's -- sorry, by midnight saturday, i should say. that's when we'll see more snow coverage across new jersey, delaware, even areas north and west through philadelphia, this is accumulating snow and look what happened saturday, 6:00 in the morning. a lot of these dark purple shadings, that would be heavy wet snow closer to this rain/snow line. snow accumulating north and west

by 6:00 a.m. saturday and a lot of this really falling very quickly with very strong winds creating whiteout conditions in some spots. but in rain/snow line still hanging offshore. that's very critical to the forecast. any slight shift in the track could shift to this rain/snow line. so if it shifts farther inland into new jersey and delaware we would be tweaking those totals because we would have mixing and more snow would push up north and west toward the poconos. at this point we expect snow by 10:00 a.m. saturday. there you see it's still falling. we could have breaks in it, though, we expect periods where the snow may be lightigh lightn. snow continues by 11:00 p.m. saturday, snow continuing and not clearing until after midnight going into sunday. snowfall forecast for the area, biggest amounts through parts of chester county, northern delaware, into parts of new jersey 10, to 14 in the philadelphia area including

trenton. possibly 6-10 in the lehigh valley. 6-10 in parts of new jersey closer to the shore so we'll watch these numbers closely to see if we need to tweak them again but here's what you can expect in delaware. right now we're looking at newcastle and kent counties. 4-18 inches here. heaviest snow starting at 6:00 a.m. and the strongest will be in parts of southern delaware through sussex county along the delaware beaches. now we're looking at chester county and delaware county. all snow expected, heaviest at 3:00 a.m. then we'll see snow falling in philadelphia. the heaviest snow at 3:00 a.m. low visibility for everyone with that blowing snow around so we expect that. now we're looking into interior new jersey where we could have the highest snow fall totals, the heaviest snow starting at 4:00 a.m., the strongest winds will be closest to the shore gusting near 60 miles an hour. so it is going to be very windy along the shore, that's where we have the flooding concerns. montgomery and bucks county we could see 10 to 14 inches,

heaviest snow around 6:00 a.m. tonight, though, we'll stay dry, 22 for the low in philadelphia, 15 areas north and west. tomorrow we'll see a dry day to snow at night. 33-36 degrees through the afternoon and then we see snow moving in. again, a very close call for the evening commute as we go into delaware but for the rest of the area we'll see that snow really covering by midnight and 3:00 a.m. and the he i have snow falling into early saturday, heavy, wet snow along the shore, power outages possible with this, too. we're under a blizzard watch. it will be snowy and windy saturday, i would not recommend you be driving around and it will be clearing up sunday with a big chance of icing across the area, too. local colleges are rescheduling basketball games because of this weekend's snowstorm. saturday's villanova/providence game has been moved to sunday at 1:00 at the wells fargo center. temple is moving its game against smu from saturday to sunday. no time has been announced. and saturday's game between

lasalle and st. joe's will be played sunday at 5:00. we'll be right back.

developing tonight, a legal shakeup in the racketeering conspiracy case of congressman shaka fattah. fattah's four attorneys are asking a federal judge to let them withdraw from the case saying the congressman habit paid their fees. >> when nbc 10 asked about the claims today he said his reelection, not the legal case, is his focus. nbc 10 investigators george spencer with the story. >> we have told them that we can't keep up with the pace of the payments and they know that to be an honest fact. >> reporter: congressman shaka

fattah says the money simply isn't there to pay legal counsel defending him against federal charges alleging misuse of taxpayer and campaign money. in a motion to withdraw unsealed today, those attorneys sta s sa continuing their work without pay would present a "insurmountable kwfinancial burden." fattah says he's spend $300,000 litigating the case. >> i'm not donald trump, i'm not writing my own check. >> reporter: so the congressman says he'll focus efforts on raising money for his unanticipated primary election challenge, hosting an endorsement event with a number of philly's elected leaders and fattah insists the pre-trial motions those withdrawing attorneys have already filed will make a lasting impact. >> we've done an extraordinary job. i think they have probably irrevocably crippled the case against me. >> reporter: the reality of that claim may become clearer as his

case returns to court next tuesday. for the investigators, george spencer, nbc 10 news. congressman fattah is married to renee chenault fattah. renee is on leave from nbc 10. up next, our first alert coverage continues. nbc 10 first alert meteorologist sheena parveen is tracking tomorrow's big winter storm. don't miss her updates next.

♪ i had an injury to my neck. it wasn't as serious injury it was a herniated disc. anything that could go wrong went wrong. i've been in the hospital twenty three times since. the bills started to pile up. i had nothing to give. we had nothing in the refrigerator. i would be dead and not sitting here right now if it wasn't for pond lehocky.

tomorrow is the big day. >> yes, most of the day will be dry. the snow will get here tomorrow night. look at future weather if you missed it earlier. here it comes for the evening commute. 6:00 p.m. delaware, approaching new jersey, there you see it. this is midnight now overnight into early saturday, look at all that heavy snow and close to the rain/snow line in delaware and new jersey, you can bet some of that will be heavy wet snow saturday at 10:00 a.m., still snowy with breaks and through the afternoon we'll have breaks

around. but 5:00 p.m. there you see it's still snowing so tomorrow meteorologist bill henley will have updates on the timing which is very important and the totals. >> thank you, sheena. >> have a great night. see you tomorrow. stay warm and safe. jeer o. i get that it can be overwhelming, because i'm living it. but i always tell people - saving's not that complicated. you just have to work with what you have. if you have a question about saving, ask me.

sincerely, alex payne. fellow dad and fellow citizen.

[ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> steve: from studio 6b in rockefeller center in the heart of new york city, it's "the tonight show starring jimmy fallon." tonight, join jimmy and his guests -- sarah silverman, republican presidential