justice antonin scalia unexpectedly passes away. but first, a deadly 50-car pileup on a central pennsylvania highway. cleanup continues 13 hours after sudden whiteout conditions likely caused this crash. but we begin with near record cold surging into our region tonight. i'm denise nakano. nbc 10 in center city tonight where people braced freezing temperatures and it's only going to get colder as the coldest air mass of the season settles in overnight. we are also tracking strong winds and you can see that as we take a live look at a flag blowing atop a building in center city. our meteorologist joins us with her freezing first alert forecast. you are tracking the storm and another on the way. >> that's right. the coldest air mass of the season overnight and then we

will feel the dangerous wind chills gusting to around 35 miles an hour across a good chunk of the area and we extended this into tuesday for snow and heavy rain now in the forecast as we head into monday and tuesday. first things first still tracking the wind chills feeling like 2 below in philadelphia, 10 below in allentown. wilmington at 23 below. these conditions continue through the overnight hours. 8 below in philadelphia. 15 below in allentown. dangerous conditions if you do need to head out, make sure you don't forget the scarves and gloves. in the afternoon, conditions do improve, of course, i use that lightly. 12 degree wind chill is still very, very cold. a little bit of improvement is expected. we do keep things dry through sunday afternoon. looking at a good amount of sunshine. on monday, check out the storm system that is gathering to our

south and west. we have snow to uc that about and a wintry mix that is going to bring in a good amount of rain. this is a complex system with a lot to talk about. tonight's bitter cold is causing trouble for crews trying to clean up a massive deadly pileup on a central pennsylvania highway. the highway is still clogged tonight 13 hours after 50 vehicles collided at least three people were killed but state police have not given a final number. about 40 other victims were taken to hospitals. state police are asking drivers to avoid the scene until tomorrow morning. it's the eastbound lanes of i-78 in lebanon county. and that's where randy gyllenhaal has been tracking the crash all day long. >> reporter: you can see they have to get these giant tractor trailers out of here.

drivers say a sudden snow squall blinded them and caused a massive chain reaction. the 18 wheelers were flipped nearly up side down so crews carefully lifted tons of metal to clear the highway but this will take hours. >> one was folded right in half. >> reporter: drivers told us the snow squall came out of nowhere. >> hit the brakes and didn't stop. >> ken morse and his kid were headed to harrisburg. their pickup slammed into the back of a semi while cars crashed around them. >> we had to dodge them. >> the cars were still coming and crashing? >> yeah. >> reporter: multiple people died here. some victims were trapped and more than 40 were taken to hospitals by helicopter and ambulance and the bad weather was clearly to blame. >> reduced visibility and

drifting snow across the roadway. >> reporter: a deadly snow squall, a massive pileup as temperatures now plummet making the cleanup even harder. in addition to the injured i'm told 70 people without serious injuries were taken to a fire station to warm up. they have to clear the cars and trucks out of there they say hopefully by the morning. randy gyllenhaal, nbc 10 news. the nutrition mourns the death of antonin scalia. president obama called scalia a brilliant legal mind. >> he influenced a generation of judges, lawyers, and students. and profoundly shaped the legal landscape. >> justice scalia was born in trenton. governor chris christie said he is proud to call him a native son of new jersey. legal experts are remembering his influence on the nation's

laws. we are live in the digital operations center with a look at his legacy. >> justice scalia's death comes during a tense election season. it sets the stage for a fierce political fight ahead. >> i am not going on to the court with a list of things that i want to do. my only agenda is to be a good judge. >> approved unanimously in 1986 antonin scalia was one of the most influential supreme court justices. he based his opinions not on the evaluati evolution of the law but what it meant at the time of adoption. >> no one ever thought they had been included in the rights of the bill of rights. >> he was highly opinionated. >> reporter: he was noun for his colorful and strongly worded dissented including opposing

abortion rights and using affirmative action in school admission but his majority opinion that affirmed the right for individuals to bear arms remains the most important gun case in history. >> and turned it into an amendment on the right to bear arms. >> it sets the stage for a political battle that could turn the court into a more liberal one. the supreme court is currently in session and his vote could have made a difference on cases involving abortion rights, the immigration plan and portions of the affordable care act. the court may suspend ruling on those cases until a new justice is sworn in. the unexpected death of justice scalia, a fiery conservative now splits the supreme court justices evenly,

four apointed by republicans and four by democrats. president obama is vowing to appoint a new justice before he leaves office but the candidates argued he should leave that responsibility for our next president. >> it has been over 80 years since a lame duck preponderate has appointed a supreme court justice and it reminds us of this, how important this election is. >> a democratic president would guarantee liberal control of the high court and a republican victory would cement the conservative majority for another four or eight years. from our south jersey bureau tonight, the red cross is helping a family whose home was destroyed by a fire. firefighters were called out to a home early this afternoon. by the time crews got that fire under control, the interior of the home had collapsed.

it's not clear what caused the fire. and tonight, investigators want to know what sparked this fire at an auto body shop in frankfurt that sent three people to the hospital including a firefighter. nbc 10 there as dozens of firefighters spent several hours battling the flames with bitter temperatures. the fire started at 10:00 at joe's auto body and transmission. no word yet on the conditions of the firefighter and two others taken to the hospital. up next on nbc 10 news at 11:00, a cruise ship that just survived winds of 120 miles an hour is going back out to sea tonight. and the temperatures might be near zero but it's the perfect time for a swim. we'll head down the shore for this polar bear plunge. the flyers lose a game and a defenseman. and villanova against st.

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a cruise ship forced to return to port after it took a beating during a winter storm has set sail once again. the anthem of the seas left for the bahamas today after being cleared by the u.s. coast guard. the cruise ship made headlines when it sailed into a powerful storm on sunday. video captured chairs flying in high winds and rough waters. four passengers suffered minor injuries. the journalism community is mourning the death of a philadelphia news icon.

he died friday in his home. he was the first black reporter at the philadelphia inquirer. spinal surgery in 2010 left him paralyzed. he was 75 years old. things get testy at the republican presidential debate. >> that's a matter of principle. >> you are probably worse than jeb bush. >> we'll recap all the fireworks in decision 2016.

in decision 2016 tonight, the republican presidential candidates are trying to win over south carolina voters with their ninth debate tonight. they faced off one week before gop voters in that state head to the polls. chris pallone has a recap. >> reporter: the six remaining republican candidates for president on the debate stage in south carolina. the candidates heaping praise on justice scalia. >> he was one of the great justices in the republic. >> many of the candidates are urging the senate to block the next appointment from president obama to the court. >> the senate has to stand tall for the next-generation. >> while donald trump and ted cruz have been sniping at each other online and on air it was

trump and jeb bush who got in the most heated debates. >> jeb is so wrong. jeb is so absolutely -- just so you understand, you know what that is? that's jeb special interest. >> vladimir putin is not going to be an ally of the united states. when donald trump was building a reality tv show my brother was building a security apparatus -- >> the world trade center came down -- >> marco rubio needed a bounce back performance after stumbling in new hampshire but he disappeared from the discussion for long stretches until finally clashes with ted cruz over immigration. >> ted cruz supported legalizing people in this country and only now -- >> that is absolutely false. >> the first in the south primary, a week away, a chance for the front runners to

solidify their positions and those trailing behind to gather much needed momentum. chris pallone, new york. and you can hear the screams. thousands of people sprinted into the icy atlantic ocean for the polar bear plunge. authorities brought in extra rescue crews to be safe. it's part of a weekend full of events aimed as raising money for a number of causes. it's chilly today but colder tomorrow morning? >> the first alerd continues through tonight and into tomorrow morning and actually into tuesday. near record cold and dangerous wind chills and potential for snow and heavy rain monday night and tuesday. some of the records challenged here, 2 in philadelphia, 6 below in atlantic city. the coldest of the air mass will

be moving in over the course of the next several hours. zero in philadelphia. 8 below in allentown. 27 below in the poconos. and the coldest will be in place into the early morning hours. the wind chill warning expires in the poconos around 1:00 p.m. and the advisory in the philadelphia area extending southbound expires at 9:00 in the morning. dangerous into the early morning hours. looking at the radar and satellite picture looking quiet. it's not until monday that we are tracking significant precipitation. the storm system will develop to the south and west with the cold air in place until monday. it will start off as snow for just about everyone. this lifts to the north about 7:00 monday evening. that wintery mix will be moving across the philadelphia area around rush hour. that is something that will need to be watched.

it looks like the wintry precipitation will continue longer there, perhaps across the poconos into the lehigh valley. that's where we have the bigger chance for accumulating snowfall before it turns into rain. here is rush hour tuesday. heavy rainfall before this starts to depart tuesday afternoon. a complex week underway starting as snow and turning to sleet and freezing rain before we finish as heavy rain monday night into tuesday. still dangerous cold tonight and into tomorrow morning hours. 2 below in philadelphia tonight, if we reach that, that would be a record. plenty of sunshine in the forecast. still frigid out there, 14 degrees is the projected high north and west. and it's going to be sunny but not quite as windy. the wind chills won't be as low into sunday afternoon. we extend the first alert into

tuesday. sunday is quiet, very cold. and monday snow moves in in the afternoon and it turns into rain and becomes heavy and continues into tuesday. number one ranked villanova hosting st. johns. could they pick up a win against the wildcats? josh hart empty on the three. still up 1 at intermission. but the wildcats had a difference maker. a big slam here. and gets the and one. a career high 25 points. nine boards. nova wins on the back of their big man. lasalle-st. joe's. isaiah myles led the hawks with

19. a triple here. hawks have won ten of the last 11. drexel lost its tenth straight to northeastern. the flyers entered the game six points out of the wild card. this blast finds its way through traffic. what a shot. 11 game point streak now and new record for a rookie defenseman. the goalie suffered a wrist injury. he will be out weeks. this one went to overtime and that's your game winner. the one-timer as the flyers get a point and the devils get a pair. kobe bryant will play as a starter in his final all-star game. kevin hart final three ball from

nba range ties draymond green in a personal battle. in the real three point competition. the dunk competition the highlight of the night. aaron gordon in a dunk off with zack levine gets an assist from the magic mascot. he finished second. here's the winning dunk from zack levine. he takes the title for the second is straight year. that's sports. we'll be right back.

really going to have to get through tomorrow. >> bundle up. >> for all of us here, i'm denise nakano. an all-new "snl" is next. have a great night.

have you guys been watching the primaries? >> yes. hillary got her but kicked in new hampshire. >> we're all still voting for her, right? >> yes. >> absolutely. >> sure. >> cool, cool, cool, me too.