you are watching storm watch coverage of blizzard 2016. >> blizzard 2016 really starting to kick into high gear. what we are watching is the area of high pressure really getting into the coast and started to strengthen. for us, that means it will be flowing a lot of moisture our way coming down in the form of snow for a lot of us. the only areas we will really see the changeover for somewhat of a wintry mix will be southern maryland, with a little more warm air building in. check out just how dark blue those colors are. these are the heavy bands pushing across the area, and we will get a bit of a break, some of that getting to the west. some dry air is getting pushed in. but just out of ocean city, it

will wrap and plenty of moisture. so even if you do see things slow down briefly, you can expect to see them build back up.to the other part of the story but the snowfall will be the wind. that is also one of our biggest concerns, because that is what will bring the power outages or the chance for power outages in your area. so 26 mile-per-hour gust in annapolis, 32 for annapolis, 30 in ocean city. along with the winds, keep this in mind. we only made it up to the 20s for highs today, and it feels like, outside, 10 degrees in dc, 12 for anders, 16 in annapolis. single digits for manassas. and if you, like a lot of people, or try to keep up with the snow without a whole foot to shovel, keep in mind that these are the temperatures you are stepping outside you. make sure you are bundled up. the wind will be brutal. as we work our way into

tomorrow morning, most of us are looking at wind gust right around 40 miles per hour closer to the dc area, to the coast, you can see 63 miles per hour in ocean city. approaching tropical or excuse me, hurricane force wind as we work through the area further east. we will hang on to this breeze all day long. that is why it will be tough to get out there. about a foot and half to two feet of snow. by this time frame, the kids will want to enjoy it. but the windy weather sticks around with gusts up to 40 miles per hour. finally, by sunday evening, we will see the land back off. that will happen for us about the day, but it will still be on the windy side. 32 degrees with us tomorrow, we will deal with snow pretty much all day long will start to break down after seven or 8:00 in the evening. as we work our way into sunday, finally, more sunshine but still breezy. back into the 40s, and by sunday, we will melt with a little more snow. take a look at the projected totals, and, some other totals we have already around the area

coming up here in just a bit. back to you guys. >> those totals are really impressive, aren't they? >> yes. we were waiting for that happened. >> well, abc 7 and news channel 8, we are your blizzard headquarters for this weekend. we have you covered and will be on the air nonstop. we started on the air last night, and we will be here with you all the way until it is over. >> we will stay with you until things are done. the metrorail has shut down completely, at about 11:00. 90 minutes, or so, ago. they will not really get running again until sometime monday, and less of course it opens earlier. we are hoping for that. kevin lewis reports from the silver spring metro office with more on the agency's controversial decision. well, it is official.

the metrorail system is shut down, at least for the weekend, will possibly reopen on monday. of course, that is all contingent on how much snow and how rough the conditions are on saturday and sunday. not a soul on site at the platform, except for those two gentlemen dressed in orange test with her moving snow from the platform here. that is a tough job because these platforms are very long and the snowfall has been considerable. it is also continuing to come down. a lot of people had questioned metro's plan to shut down not only the above ground stations of the underground subway stations as well. they say it is twofold. they are planning on and a party planned on putting many trains underground where they will be free from the blizzard conditions, but also they were fearful of a power loss with writers stranded underground on a metro rail car. that is why they said it that they decided it was best to shut down the system for the entire weekend. and rockville, i am kevin lewis, news channel 8. >> anchor: that is a

controversial decision for metro.>> it really was.>> a lot of people were disappointed the underground stations were not open, at least a little while longer. >> you can see the logic behind it, that metro is giving us.but, it has also forced off a lot of people to change her plans. >> it disrupts lies around here, that's for sure. >> that is for sure. >> well, metro is just one part of our picture as far as the transportation goes. let's go to julie right now and see how people are doing on the roads.>> hey, jules. >> yeah, the walk from the hotel was kinda dicey, we did the penguin what, a little black and white. but that is what we're finding on the pavement. we have seen that from a lot of reporters on the scene. as quickly as they clear, there is another back to back the comes on. even some pedestrians at this hour, walking to and from, it is quite tricky and very slippery. careful. we pulled up the bay bridge mat for you just to let you know what's happening. the lanes are still open at this time, but with

restrictions are in effect. no empty trucks or box trailers allowed at this time. no wind gust, and that is what we will keep an eye out for. sustaining 15 mile-per-hour winds are greater, they may have to close the bay bridge. so again, you can get across, but this is deafly something that we are keeping a close i-4 you. no empty box trucks, no house trailers. must take a close look at what it is out. again, those elevated passages are taking a beating, very slippery out there.i've only seen one to two cars, depending on the cameras and checking out, which is good that people are heeding the morning and staying home. that is likely what we want. if you do have to be out there, if you are essential personnel, make sure you have plenty of wiper fluid and have the battery. this cold will zap a battery just like that. we do not want you to be stranded. make sure you have the car

emergency kit just in case. ramps and overpasses again, very, very slippery. turning lanes, where the roads are less travel, that will be the hangup. if you can stay put it hunker down for the next couple of days, that is what i strongly suggest you do. right now, heating the warning, not too many people added about which is a good thing. i do not have a slew of accidents to give you, which is a good thing. the winds are gusting, and we have heard from the weather team that that is becoming an issue. so again, hunker down, and we will keep you posted. that is traffic wise. >> that you made it over from the hotel julie. walking like a penguin, i would've loved to have seen that. [laughter] [indiscernable] [laughter] >> we were doing the same thing, by the way. [laughter] >> road crews, and we have seen them in the pictures, they are working right now and they will be around the clock. it is 12 verizon, 12 hours off, trying to at least keep up with

the snowfall. apparently though the good news is that drivers are also listening to the advice and staying off the roads. >> we have raws at the salt plate in maryland. she has more. >> reporter: here and st. george's county, we are really in the thick of it with winds, blowing snow, and temperatures dropping, all that making it extremely hard for the plow trucks to try to get ahead a little bit of mother nature. inside of prince george's county's transportation team they are monitoring road conditions round-the-clock is the snow piles up. >> woman: what we found differently from this particular event is that a lot of the precipitation and accumulation has accumulated more in the south as opposed to the north. >> using a fleet of some 3000 traffic cameras at a time, workers can see the condition of major roads. if there is a problem area they can redeploy crews where they are needed the most. >> woman: we have been able to make some progress on the roadways. the big worry here is about the

wind. upwards of 50 miles per hour and more could create whiteout conditions. >> woman: if that were to happen, we would have to stand down temporarily for the safety of our drivers. >> so for now, the plow trucks keep at it, trying desperately to keep ahead of the snow coming down fast and furious. now, to give you some idea of the challenge they face, 350 plow trucks and 1900 miles of roadway in prince george's county. they had to prioritize and do the best they can for now to keep the major roads open. district height, abc 7 news. >> it is still coming down out there. >> yeah. >> is supposed to pick up anytime now. >> it is getting bound up now, it sounds like. we are watching the effects of the 2016 blizzard

at 12 before 1:00, a

little sports. or more correctly, the sports to did not happen tonight.it is a shutout locally because of the blizzard. the cats originally push their game up a few hours to drop the puck at 5:00 instead of the usual 7:00, but then the game was postponed. the same goes for the wizards who are scheduled to play tomorrow night, but they were going to play the brooklyn team that would've had to have gotten here from brooklyn, and that would be difficult. no word on when the wizards will make up that game. the cats game has been rescheduled or the cat scan schedule for sunday afternoon, we are still trying to decide if they will be able to play that hockey match. any updates when we get them, we will of course bring them right to you. and when you are a sports reporter, you cannot let the snow or the fact that none of the cities teams were playing

keep you from having a little fun. scott abraham shows as he found all kinds of entertainment at the verizon center, even if there is not a game going on inside. >> scott: not to make light of the situation of blizzard 2016, but to put it in perfect perspective, am literally sitting in a chair at the middle of downtown dc, six street northwest. it is completely quiet, not a soul to be seen. and you know, that is why i can have a seat right here in downtown as the snow continues to come down, and we are just outside the verizon center. the big news to look out for on saturday morning, the washington capitals, they are scheduled to play on sunday afternoon at 12:30 against the pittsburgh penguins. right now, the game is still on, but the nhl is supposed to make a decision sometime saturday morning as to whether that game will be played or night. when that information becomes available, we will certainly let you know. for now, i will continue to sit

here without any disturbance in downtown dc. for now, scott abraham, news channel 8. >> he has the best seat in the house, does he? >> provided a plow truck does not come roaring by and cover him up with so, as you have to think some of the drivers would be able to give anything to do. >> and some sunglasses and some sunscreen, wouldn't it be nice to have sun and heat right now? but that is not happening. >> to we get when burned, and that is probably the only real threat right now, devon. it hit me smack in the face from the hotel this morning, and if you happen to be up late, just think about tomorrow afternoon when things are winding down a little bit and the winds really ramp up. there is no great. the next 24 hours to get outside and enjoy some of this. and michael all the way to sunday, and of monday, if people are still home, that is when things will calm down so maybe we can get some sledding at that time. 11:00, in maryland at 9:00.

reports of nine inches going on in maryland. then back to you, if i got your last name right, seven and 6.2 in arlington is what we are measuring here. and 17 miles per hour winds gusting up to 25 and 30, as we discussed, right in your face. doppler radar, there are intense rates in northern dc. we will talk about what's going on south a little bit.one and half inch snowfall rates in frederick, and even in letting county as well. what is going on in washington south? we are getting reports of sleet makes him. i want to see and hear from you folks in washington. even up to southeast dc, even to old town, are you getting any mix as well? we can see it on the radar, but it's hard to tell. we will go back and look at the data, and maybe it will confirm it is. we are in the heart of the storm the low-pressure moving over the ground and over the water. we are getting these warmer south winds working into the

storm, pushing in the colder air, melting the snow that is refreezing to sleet as well. a real close look here at our future track forecast here, we are really in the heart of the storm with the heaviest rate and the winds really kicking in. there's a look at 9:00 a.m. until about noon. that's when we see the storm start to wind down, then we are done tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow evening. we will get through it, and do it as well. the road crews are doing their job, and we will keep you updated. gone over to abc 7 starting at 4:00. >> you said a mouthful there, devon. >> that is true. >> are a speech full, maybe that is the word. >> we are here with you all night long. we invite you to join us. in the meantime, here is a live look outside of our studios and rosalind. two things now, looks

right now is not the time

for out door activities. but maybe by this afternoon, you will enjoy a time honored tradition, sledding on the west front of the capital. >> i've never done that, but it sounds great. >> i have been doing it for years. we added an amendment to the 2016 taxation bill that allowed sledding in general wintertime enjoyment in a place. the capital police bandit several years ago, but it has always been a case of historic snowfall. >> that will be fun, but i'm not sure about this afternoon. i think maybe sunday afternoon. >> it depends on the win. >> after it stops, >> that will probably be the actual tipping point, if you will, for sledding. >> and for a little kids have no recollection of the last time we had a foot or more of

snow. this will be like being in a candy store for them. >> we have a puppy at home that is never seen snow before, and he is in for tomorrow.>> he cannot wait to render a. >> he was running around with it was not the. it will be over his head by tomorrow morning. [laughter] we want to point out in our studio, we have a camera right behind our shoulders here, following our every word and every move. it is streaming, because he was going on during the breaks, listen to dave and me as we ad lib.,

we continue our nonstop coverage of the blizzard of 2016. now 1:00 in the morning, and things are picking up out there. >> you can see the wind, you can see the snow, and you can also see that there are no cars on the beltway right now, and earlier when we were looking at this there was a plow in the right-hand corner. that seems to have gone now. just about the only traffic out there right now, the plows in the official vehicles, as it should be. >> depending on where you live, you can see 729 inches on the ground, things already getting treacherous out there.

we will head to the weather center right now with josh and i to have a look at the forecast. hey, that is right. as we get through the overnight hours into tomorrow, that is when we will see the worst of this. the heaviest snow band will come through, and the winds will pick up.as a matter of fact, the high wind warning just went into effect at 1:00 a.m.. we are just learning that the area of low pressure as it moves of the coastline, that will wrapping the burst of this weather. zooming in, you will see the dark blue area with a lot going on on the radar. what you'll find in the greens and yellows, that is falling down as rain. there is too much warm air for that to fall as snow. so for norfolk, virginia beach, over to ocean city, we are looking at rainfall, and heavy rain at that. the pink area is where the radar indicates we will see

rain, snow, and sleet. and even in the very dark blue color, even here in southern maryland, we're picking up on sleet as well. the farther north you go, that will fall down as all snow. that is where we will see the highest totals. so here is a quick recap of the blizzard warning, everybody in red. everyone empty, that does not mean one area is getting more or less snow. the blizzard warning is just about the wind and because of the wind, very poor visibility. 33 miles and an apples, 33 in nantucket. as we get the new reports, we expect those to go of through the morning hours, and at times, 50, 60, even 70 miles per hour at the beach. keep in mind with the breeze, the cold temperatures feel more like 10 in dc, six in manassas, for in hagerstown. once again, if you try to state warm through the overnight hours, make sure you are really layering up.that starts for

us at 1:00 a.m., does last through 12:00 p.m.. for the next 12 hours, we will be in that for everybody through the western side of the bay, and are counties along the beaches as well as the windscreens in from the northeast.that is why it will be these counties that are part of the wind gusts, 65+ as a possibility in those spots. we just want to show you the hotspots still in this area right here. will we see exactly 3.8 inches of snow in leesburg? no. i just want to highlight these regions. that is where the low-pressure system continues to throw snow bands into the area. as we work our way through the next three days, 36 for use of the snow is not going anywhere for saturday. it will stay windy so it will always feel cold. finally above freezing by the time we get into sunday, and by monday. back in the 40s. so looking for the warm-up to

slowly take over. we should actually be above average by the time we work our way into the middle of next week. it's been a while since we've seen that. >> and it has come back to soon. and i feel it force come because i was looking at the live shot, and it is like the wind, the rain you know how he said the rain comes down and up? [laughter] >> it comes out sideways?>> is like oh my gosh, the snow comes in and get you. on the roads, we are taking a first look if you're traveling westbound on 56, unfortunately, we have an incident with state lays out right now. everybody is just following the direction and orders to get by. we have reports on stalled cars making their way to the shoulder, but with poor visibility, it is hard to see and hard to see the lane markings. so in some areas where you have three or four areas of traffic, you may be narrowed down to one. which means the cars on the shoulder are very much a vulnerable situation because you can't see them you don't want to clip them as you think you're getting by.

then there you are causing another accident. so stay put if you can. this is before he reached 286 at the fairfax parkway. a lot of flashing lights to keep an eye out for. again, if you're traveling eastbound, there are a few lanes open with no incidents reported in the eastbound lane between manassas and oaks. this will be on 95 and gail city. the state police are out involving an incident of the traffic trailer. again, traffic is able to get by on the north the less.but these crews are out here working diligently to clear a path for you. here come the plows through the area, and as soon as i get by, they get covered up again with the snow and the slushy mix causing the slick spots. especially on ramps and overpasses. tractor-trailer incidents, state police are behind it. but you can see, typically we would see the roads, the lane markings, but you cannot. that is what we are talking about it. anything that has stopped will make its way to the shoulder, and it will be very difficult

for you to figure where the shoulder is. again, if you don't know, you can easily clip somebody especially with poor visibility. so we go back to the emergency car care kit. if you happen to be disabled on the side of the roadway, you can put out a flare or an orange triangle, something to help alert the people that you are there.and with visibility down to less than one quarter of a mile, that will definitely be a saving grace for you and to help generate. now, again, if you're traveling on 95, so far this is the only incident i find between stafford in the capital beltway. actually, a lot of people are heeding these warnings is staying put. that is a good thing. and again, we want to update you at the bay bridge. right now, no empty boss trucks or house trailers. those high profile vehicles, they just get to tipping back and forth. we will keep a close eye on this at 55 miles per hour and more, they may have to close the papers. they have not done yet, but we are keeping a close eye on that and will keep you updated.

right now, lanes closed both ways. >> anchor: you reckon that is a white knuckle drive across that bridge right now? >> oh my gosh, definitely! >> and it is, nevermind the wind is blowing 50 miles per hour. [indiscernable] >> there we go. >> hi mom! >> if mom and dad are watching, hi mom! >> it is streaming, and if you have pictures, we want to see them it picks at wjla.com. >> julie, we will watch you on the computers. [laughter] >> and talking about the wind, and makes it brutal. and what is coming sideways at your faith, let's check it right now. >> how better folks in it right now? we have kelly lynn and cheryl connor out in front of the building here. so what do you think? >> reporter: all my goodness guys, honestly, what i think? i cannot even see you. >> i know. i was just looking at you, and i was thinking you're becoming sort of a snow person here. your whole face is covered with little flakes. buwe were asking each other, is it coming down harder now,