first winter storm of th season. >> it will make a bit of a mess to the commute. it is not so much the snow, harv, but the fact that it is a mix. harvey: absolutely. it is not the snow amounts that will knock anybody's socks off, but there will be a lot of sleet involved with this and that can be nastier than the snow. how is this all happening? the warm air we had is not far away. just look how warm it is to the south. it is 74 right now and you can see knoxville, tennessee is 10 degrees in quebec and 16 in bangor. the clash of air masses is starting to take place and we are starting to see the moisture. severe weather through the southeast and this is it in here. that strip of snow is the leading edge of the action that will be here late tonight. here is how things look to timeout. we are looking at dry weather this evening, but at midnight or 1:00 a.m., the first of the flames should be reaching the area. what will happen is there will

by the time we get to the morning commute sleet will be on the doorstep of boston and then we get into that sleet for a good chopping of the morning commute as it is snowing in the ma you are raw mac valley. merrimack valley. one to three inches of snow and sleet is possible around boston and just to the west and northwest, less to the south. but two to five inches of snow and sleet from route two northward. much more in a little while. jc? jc: the t is getting ready for incident system. it was put in place to avoid a repeat of the brutal delays caused by last winter's snow. reid lamberty is live at the t stop that is sure to be packed in the morning. reid? reporter:yeah, jc, not a lot of snow is expected, but it will amount to a test for the state and the t as they usher in new tools and a new approach for this winter season.

a de-icing spray that douses the third rail with a chemical preventing ice and keeping power running from it to the train. >> this is something we have implemented as part of our review of last year. >> it is one of several overhauls administered by the t. it is in an effort to prevent a repeat of the debacle due to snow totals and temperatures. >> i would hope with the first snowfall being so delayed that we would have a lot of time to prepare. reporter: state leaders are confident. >> we have done a ton of work to prepare for the winter, and i anticipate that that work will be put to good use starting tonight. reporter: also new this season, storms will be categorized from tier one to tier five. five being the most severe. mass dot will prioritize the storms based on how much snow is expected to fall, how much snow is already on the ground and if temperatures will warm up causing snow melt. >> there were numerous trainings .

every supervisor knows what information they need to give about the staffing plans. reporter: mass dot has created a storm desk. it is where department heads will monitor the storm and manage any changes that need to be made. >> this will be a test for us to make sure those systems work. reporter: 10 miles worth of rail on the red line have been replaced and the orange line, the heating system there, have been upgraded. big changes to prevent even bigger delays for commuters this season. live in boston, reid lamberty, wcvb, newscenter 5. phil: thanks. the eye opener will have you covered at 4:30 a.m. mike will join cindy to keep you up-to-date on the storm and the traffic conditions it produces and if you can't be in front of the tv you can still stay one step ahead of the storm with our free wcvb mobile app. you can get the latest forecasts and live radar and realtime closings and delays.

app store. jc: breaking news in webster. they are in the hospital after you are aring into a burning home. the woman serious injuries and was also taken to the hospital. a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report the fire on granite street this afternoon. >> police got here on scene first. they made a pretty dramatic rescue on the first floor of the building. two police officers were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and are being evaluated as we speak. >> as many as eight people live in the multi-family home, but only two were home at the time. phil: no charges in the shooting of 12-year-old tamir rice. a grand jury denied to indict timothy loman and his fellow officer. it happened in 2014. the 12-year-old was holding a pellet gun which the officers say they thought was real. we will have much more on the response from tamir's family and the community at 5:30.

under way to make sure everyone stays safe as we ring in the new year. just today boston police are investigating a noncredible threat. newscenter 5's todd todd is live in cop -- todd was was is -- todd is getting started. >> you can see the fencing getting set up with the stage and the ice sculptures. every year in boston first night celebrations bring with them tight security and the same is very true this year. it will be no different than a year that saw deadly terror attacks in paris and san bernadino and mass shootings in other parts of the country. this afternoon governor baker emphasized the security planning here began months ago, and it is continuing to be modified given the current state of affairs. >> we have been talking about first night for awhile now. those con veer -- conversations will continue into first night. our message to people has

message we have had out since paris which is constant dialogue and constant conversation and significant presence at any large gathering. >> and first night is one of the large gatherings. boston police got a call from nypd warning about a nonspecific threat that was called into new york's 9-1-1 system. it was later determined to be bogus after they realize the caller was not in the boston area. at 6:00 why there is still reason for vigilance. reporting live from copley square, wcvb newscenter 5. >> the search is on for the driver involved in a deadly hit-and-run. the victim was hit when she was walking in a crosswalk near her home. julie mcdonald is live with more. julie? >> this crosswalk is where the hit-and-run happened and it leads to an assisted housing complex and the victim lived there.

home when she was hit and killed. >> i tried to cross the street several times, and i have had problems with people not stoping. >> police are still looking for the driver who hit and killed a 71-year-old woman in a crosswalk last night and then took off. today at that assisted living facility right beside the crosswalk residents and staff are remembering their sweet neighbor. >> she had a very, very warm smile. she was very, very, very -- she would light up a room and she was just a gentle woman. i just feel terrible. >> when something like this happens so close to home and, you know, we knew her so well it shakes you up. >> she lives down the hall from chen. she says they didn't speak the same language, but were friendly to each other regardless. >> she was a nice lady. >> i was shocked. i didn't believe it.

>> malden police believe they found the dark suv seen leaving the crash last night. late this afternoon they were still filing paperwork for a search warrant of the vehicle. and we spoke to other neighbors in this building who said they are unfortunately not surprised that this tragedy happened right here on pleasant street. you -- ahead at 6:00 what changed on this street that they say made it less safe. live in malden, julie mcdonald, wcvb, newscenter 5. phil: a teenager is under arrest after crashing a stolen jeep into a coffee shop overnight. police were pulling over the jeep after the report of a vehicle stolen out of beverly. the driver ran off, but the suv kept going crashing into the walnut street cafe. police eventually arrested igor cruz. a judge set bail at $5,000 and cruz will return to court in january. phil: a tough ride for drivers on the mass pike in charleston this morning. 24 is why. a -- this is why. a car carrier carrying three

it closed two right lanes. the mess was quickly cleared up, but it still caused traffic back ups. jc: commitment 2016 and donald trump is visiting new hampshire and topping polls in the granite state with six weeks until the primary. trump's rally is set to start at 7:00 and newscenter 5's john atwater will be there. trump has been taking aim at rivals especially hillary clinton on twitter. the latest attack focused on her husband, threatening to bring up the past. donald trump going after not just one clinton, but two. tweeting "if hillary thinks she can unleash her husband with his terrible history of women abuse and then playing the woman card on me, she's wrong." digging up the old scandals after hillary uh us coulded him of sexism. neither clinton has responded directly to the new threats, but hillary clinton has reposted this video of her

>> we shouldn't let anyone bully his way into the presidency. >> republican rival carly fiorina briefly defended trump on fox news. >> bill clinton is fair game, but my point is attacking bill clinton won't defeat hillary clinton. >> a flattering new poll for the trump chief nemesis. a survey of americans found hillary clinton tops the list of most admired women in the world, a spot she held 20 times. donald trump tied with pope francis for second most admired man in the world, but

was, quote, totally unimportant. phil: an important lunch guest as chough pote -- chough -- chipotle was reopened after people were sick. he said he has faith in the inspection system. >> how was it? >> excellent. i will be back. the food was well prepared. the staff was really pleasant and they are concerned, and i think we have done the right thing now. phil: for now the restaurant will be subject to random inspections every three months in assisted of once a year to ensure its safety. phil: a welcome guest for bay state drivers ahead of the new year. if you have gotten gas anytime soon you know gas prices have dipped below the $2 mark for the first time in almost seven years. a gallon of gas averages $1.98. that's 10 cents less than last month's 48 cents and lower

the national price average is $1.99 a gallon. jc: an important win in the fight against isis. phil: the key city the troops are taking back. jc: distracted walking turns deadly in california. what the man was doing that sent him over the cliff. phil: and then a mother and daughter facing a judge over the hopes that rescuers searched the merrimack on christmas eve. jc: and what people think about the hover board now that the wrapping is off. phil: and we go out to the bunker hill bridge. lets take you to the maps and look at the drive times. starting south of the city as we usually do you know what? nah, sorry, wrong map.

you're watching newscenter 5 at 5:00. phil: iraqi troops declaring victory after taking over a main complex in ramadi from isis. reel yes, sir iraq -- earlier iraq said militants were driven out saying 30% of ramadi was still under isis control. ramadi fell to the terror group in may marking a major setback for iraqi forces and the u.s.-lead campaign that fought back with hundred of airstrikes. phil: iran is closer to a landmark nuclear deal. they transferred most of then itch ared uranium to russia. the country has until july 14th to shift all nine tons of uranium it has stockpiled to moscow. a key move to make nuclear weapons as part of the deal

including the u.s. most international sanctions will in fact be lifted. meantime iran and saudi arabia are engaged in discussions to strengthen bilateral ties. an iranian foreign ministry spokesperson says there have been some movements, but will not discuss details there until there are results. the talks stem from on going power struggles between shiites in iran and sunnies in saudi arabia. jc: police are not saying much about a shooting that left two people dead. it left a 19-year-old suspect and 55-year-old woman dead. the woman was an innocent by stander and they won't say how many officers fired or why they fired. mayor rahm emanuel wants the entire police department to review its crisis training. jc: residents of northern texas are picking up what is left of their shattered homes. tornadoes left 11 people dead and a thousand homes destroyed or damage. flights in and out of dallas

the twisters were spawned by a weather system hammering the heartland with snow, ice and heavy wind. phil: a man distracted by technology falls 40 feet to his death. this happened out in san diego. 33-year-old joshua burwell died while walking on a beachcliff. he was looking at a device before it happened. >> i heard the guy falling yelling help, please god save me. and my mom ran out and someone yelled at her and pointed at her can you please call 9-1-1? >> he was taking pictures when he sliped and fell. jc: the transformation turning the football field into a hockey rink incomplete. they will face-off in the day. you can see the rink is assembled and the field transformed. today's work focused on preparing for tomorrow's weather.

you can see we are getting ready for the weather and trying to lock up the things on the field. tomorrow will be messy in the morning. but once we get through that we will start to really get down on the field and start to get the decor around the rink. we will see if mother nature stays with the real snow or if we have to put down some hollywood snow. jc: the nhl will host the first ever outdoor women's clinic including boston pride on new year's eve. and boston's first ice sculpture of the season making its first appearance today. that's myrtle the turtle. new england aquarium's most famous turtle. myrtle is a 560-pound green sea turtle who lives with thousands of other creatures in the aquarium's four-story giant ocean tank. phil: which is where she will be more comfortable over the coming months. we are getting our first blast of winter weather. harvey: this is not going to

it is a complex storm and the timing can be problematic for folks. phil: and the first time people are driving in it too. harvey: absolutely. especially folks who have to be out early to midmorning. that's where it will be the most dicey before the liquid part of this takes over. here is the deal. 8:00 p.m. tonight is really for the extreme southwestern portion of new england. that's when the winter weather advisory goes into affect at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. the reason it will end at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow is the thinking is most of sour area, most inside of 495 should be above freezing at that time. it could be tricky even then along the 495 belt. we are talking about some snow and sleet. there could be a good number of hours of sleet and some areas are even going to have some freezing rain well inland for a few hours too. the snow and sleet is for the morning commute tomorrow. that's the timing issue. there is a winter storm warning out for maine and central new hampshire. that's where the snow amounts will be the highest, six

ice on top of the snow near the end of the storm. and we are thinking that the east slopes of the birkshires have the most significant amount of freezing rain out of this where there could be as much as half an inch of ice secretion and that could lead to power outages. it is multi-faceted. 2:00 a.m. the chances are high that the snow is underway. but by 6:00 a.m., it is transitioning to sleet. and then by 10:00 a.m. it is sleet and rain, and then just rain by afternoon and early afternoon. that's for most of eastern massachusetts. we will try to get more specific as we go along. it is cold finally. 30 degrees in boston. important. right now it is out of the north, northeast and cold air is funneling down. notice what will happen tomorrow especially along the coast when the wind turns more easterly. ocean water temperature is 47

that's why this will wind up in the end being rain, but after a period of snow and sleet first for the coastline. now, the farther inland you go, the harder it will be to dislodge the low-level cold air. that's why it is a snow to sleet to freezing rain transition for areas from 495 north and west especially. here you go. notice the wind direction right now out of the northeast. as i mentioned tomorrow it will be more easterly. for now the north, northeast wind is dragging down the very cold air that is getting established across maine, new hampshire and vermont. only 19 right now in vermont, 33 on nantucket. it is the battle between the cold air in the north and the warm air in the south, that's what's producing the storms. and right now the cold high pressure is over us, but as it leaves it does allow the precipitation to move in. by the time we move to tomorrow morning's commute, going from snow to ice and eventually rain along the coast. as the storm exits late tomorrow we might be left with

change to freezing drizzle overnight tomorrow night and first thing on wednesday morning. another system likely to impact us overnight on wednesday night, but for most of us it looks like it will be rain. woven:00 a.m. the snow is -- 1:00 a.m. the snow is moving in and 5:00 a.m. sleet across rhode island, connecticut, southeastern mass. the sleet area moves north. that's a wide area of sleet. that's ice pellets and that can be nasty even on the roadways. then we get into the straight rain later on tomorrow morning. this is what i'm thinking for snow and sleet accumulations, one to three inches boston west, a coating to an inch well to the south. two to five inches of snow and sleet along and north of route two which means extreme hampshire. seven days. you have the nasty stuff tomorrow. nasty in terms of iciness in the first part of the rain. heavy rain in boston for the midto late morning to about noontime or early afternoon. wednesday it is such a freezing drizzle early and otherwise a period of rain on wednesday night and 40s for

before new year's and then new 30s. it may drop into the 20s in some spots. cold and dry seems to be what is in line for new year's weekend at this point. phil? phil: harv, thanks. fans are mourning the loss of met toe lark lemon. he died in arizona yesterday. he played 24 seasons and more than 1600 games with the globe trotters entertaining millions of fans all around the world. the clown prince of basketball as he was known was arguably the best, most popular player for his tricks, slapstick comedy, no look behind the back passes. he was so good he actually started ahead of nba great wilt chamberlain when they were globe trotter teammates. jc: both commenting we didn't know. i didn't know that wilt chamberlain was a globe trotter. phil: he started before chamberlain. he will be missed. up next, kids and asthma. jc: after an increase in patients in the 90s the

will talk about that change. phil: and a coast guard chase caught on camera. this one is covering hundreds of miles and lasting 20 hours. jc: a show of support for a local teacher fighting to raise money for cancer treatment. why her insurance company won't cover them.nter is hard on your nose. r from first sniffles to endless runny noses. they help soothe irritation by locking in moisture better pso you can face winter happily. t a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. p

blue cross/blue shield across massachusetts is about to offer new benefits from the end of life care. it will happen on january 1st. the state's largest insurer is set to expand options for patients providing more choices beyond hospital care. that includes paying for more counseling sessions and increasing access to hospice services. many of us reach for the diet soda thinking it will help watch our weight. but it may have the reverse effect, the opposite effect. people who fill up on diet drinks tend to eat more and

like chips, cookies and ice cream. they say if you are looking to lose weight you should consider what you drink as part of your overall eating habit. jc: mixed news when it comes to children and asthma. asthma rates have slowed after a decade long increase spes -- specifically in kids under the age of five. but rates are high in children who live in the lower income areas of the u.s. they blame pollution from factories and areas where many poor children live. phil: coming up at 5:30, the woman accused of prompting the search of the merrimack river on christmas eve is in court. jc: the hoax that called outdoesens of first responders. phil: and a grand jury decides not to indict two police officers for the shooting death of tamir rice. you will hear from his family. jc: and staying safe on your new hover board.