trucks are treating roadways. and school districts are already canceling activities, including a football game that has been delayed until sunday. >> brad bell bill: that is going to be an interesting day around the area tomorrow. first, the focus on the beltway, we are fine. we don't have any snow coming down. if you have friday evening plans, that is all fine, but right now, we have snow in our comingnd some of this is down pretty good. richmond, they are in a winter storm warning. county, calvert county, seeing some of that snow working down, and the radar is picking up snow all the way down. it's not just confined off to the west. this thing extends all the way

radar is picking up snow, in two parts of louisiana, texas, new mexico, in mexico itself. inse are all the shades pink, and the winter weather advisory is up for the d.c. metro. it will be out until 4:00 tomorrow. you are going to need your code tonight. 40's. going to be in the a few flakes are possible, but it is mainly tomorrow and into the day tomorrow. we will talk more about those totals and how cold it is going to get coming up in a little while. >> we will see you in just a minute. anytime snow is in the forecast, it quickly becomes the talk of the town. what are people saying as we prepare for this first wintry blast? we sent maryland bureau chief brad bell to district heights to find out. hey there, brad. brad: hey there. people are talking about it. there are preparations

underway. prince george's county, 200 pieces of equipment are ready to go tonight. most of them have their plows on but probably are not going to use those plows. if anything, they are going to use their salt spreaders. snow is predicted, so that means it is time for last-minute trips to the grocery store, right? we check in at the store in largo. it's busy, but everyone says it is routine shopping. jerry mccoy has mrs. mccoy's > she told me i needed to stop at the store and pick up some things. snow, but it like told her i wish we would get about seven feet. brad: lester williams knows the forecast but is unconcerned. >> there's nothing you can do about it. brad: that is a nice thought, but it's not true. plenty is being done. many roads show the pretreatment stripes. plows

loaded. crews will hit the roads later tonight, but like the others we spoke to today, they are looking forward to it. >> yeah. this is our first mobilization of the season. it is a celebration. >> of course, we will be watching the snow for you. it is creeping its way north right now, and that video was in richmond a short time ago. the same system dumped snow from the deep south all the way to our front door. you can track the forecast anytime by downloading the stormwatch 7 weather app right now. >> turning to that developing story out of california, take a look at these images. it almost looks like a volcano erupting, but that is the smoke from one of those wildfires burning in

shattering records with one twice the size of the district. omar gimenez has been covering these fires for us and joins us live from ventura county. firefighters have been making progress, but we are hearing new fires are burning. new fires have been popping up throughout the day, spurred on by wind gusts we have seen throughout the region. it is something we saw yesterday, as well. the lilac fighter -- fire started at a half and went to 500 acres in just 20 minutes. it's the fifth day in a row we have seen wildfires blazing across the region, and the thomas fire, the biggest of them, is only 10% contained. the: the sheer fire of wildfires paired with unfavorable conditions is creating a tough environment for officials. the thomas fire, the biggest of the six blazes in southern californ

size of d.c. at least 190,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. >> we are with you all the way. it is a long process to recovery. it's very painful. it's very emotional to be losing your home. omar: 5700 firefighters, working to contain these blazes. friday, president trump approved an emergency declaration. 1300 california national guardsmen have been activated, and officials warn come even when the fire is out, the danger is still there. >> you have burning stumps and logs, and all it takes is one amber to jump the road. omar: it doesn't get any easier from here. with wind gusts in the region up to 60 miles per hour and dry conditions continuing, the potential for the fires to get worse before they get better is very real. destruction,

in the los angeles area are at but wet 20% containment, are expecting wind gusts of 35-55 miles per hour through the rest of the weekend. the thomas fire is within the top 20 most destructive in the state's history. nancy: thank you. breaking news, the search for pamela butler's remains -- butler's brother tells sam ford that dogs were used in today's search and got a hit for human remains. this point, police believe it would be too difficult to recover those remains because of a nearby highway, and sam will have more details coming up. >> now we turn to the district where police say a few between bus drivers ended in murder. the crime scene, the old walter reed campus in d.c. brianne carter is there with this story. brianne

take a look -- it is in a dark, isolated section of the walter reed campus. you can see two shuttle buses that have been here all day, police telling us it was to bus drivers involved, and tonight, the investigation continues. >> all i heard was pop, pop, pop, gunshots. brianne: a deadly fight between coworkers on the former walter reed campus. morning,ce say this two men got into an argument in this parking lot when one of the men pulled out a gun and opened fire. hisce say the victim was in 20's. the other man who has yet to be identified, in his 50's. both worked as shuttle bus drivers, bringing workers onto the secure property. >> there are very few people appear, and it is enclosed. to gain access to this

facility, you have to come through here. yasmin heard the shots. she says it happened as kids and her cousin were walking to a nearby school. >> there are so many kids around here, and my cousin, just to know she saw that, it was scary. tonight+, checking in with police in the last hour -- no word on whether any charges will be filed. brianne carter, abc 7 news. isson: a metro employee being credited with helping arrest a man on a gun charge. that worker saw the 19-year-old of washington show a pistol to another man this morning. he alerted police who arrested roberts at gallery place. police say roberts had a loaded nine-millimeter pistol. they charged him with carrying a gun without a

license. nancy: new developments in the middle east where is really warplanes have bombed targets in gaza after palestinian militants fired rockets into israel. those exchanges follow a day in which is really troops killed two palestinian protesters. crowds there were angry over president trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. as protests took place in israel, u.s. ambassador to the u.n. nikki haley telling the security council she believes the decision will increase the chances of peace between israel and the palestinians. enrichment groups, challenging president trump's latest travel court to asked the consider the presidents retweets of anti-muslim videos. the u.s. supreme court allowed the band to go into full effect while legal challenges continue. alison: a handwriting expert says alabama senate candidate

yearbook of a woman accusing him of sexual misconduct. however, beverly nelson admits to adding the date and location of the signature below his message. she is one of eight women accusing moore of sexual harassment and assault. mysince i spoke about experience with roy moore when i was only 16 years old, i have been the target of threats and lies. i have had to live behind tintedlocked doors, windows. i have had to have security a company me when i went to a doctor's appointment. alison: president trump sent out another tweet in support of moore. nancy: we are learning that the gunman who killed two students at a school in new mexico yesterday was disguised as a student. the fbi interviewed william at just and last year after he posted in an online gaming

forum about what weapons might be used in a mass shooting. investigators say he planned yesterday's attack, leaving behind a note that said he hated work, school, and life. alison: coming up, the hunt for pamela butler moves 50 miles from where she was last seen alive. the challenge investigators face in trying to close this decade old case. nancy: also ahead, the cia's newest recruit. how a fairfax county recruit fought to join the pack after a late start. >> it has been a deadly week fairfax county with overdoses. i will have that story coming up. alison: we are on winter weather alert for you as snow starts to move into our area. this right here is in spotsylvania county along i-95. chief meteorologist bill kelly shows us where the jackpot will be just ahead. you might take something for your heart... your joints...

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wise high school on december 1. an investigation is underway to determine if any disciplinary action will be taken. nancy: grim evidence of the opioid crisis in america. fairfax county police say six have died from overdoses in the past week. amy aubert just spoke with police and joins us outside police headquarters with new information. absolutely a deadly month so far in fairfax county. the numbers are troubling. the fairfax county police department, calling it very sad. they responded to 10 overdoses in the past week, six of them deadly. breaking those numbers down further, they believe five of those deaths to be from opioids. detectives believe there are batches of heroine currently on could be lacedch with dangerous synthetic opioids. the department tells me they

short period before. to let everybody know, this is what we are seeing, and we want to save another life. we don't want to see anybody else to i from overdosing on this bad batch of heroine. amy: again, the department wants to spread the word from keeping this from happening again. aey are asking people to have plan in place. tonight until 8:00, the chris atwood foundation is giving out narcan for free. amy aubert, abc 7 news. nancy:nancy: police say the drug card fentanyl was found in three recent overdoses. they say dealers have been using it to cut heroine, greatly increasing the risk of death.

alison:alison: in texas, a somber sane in the midst of a texas rarity. on withht, police went a vigil for a fallen officer despite the snowfall in that area. the snow blanketed much of the state on its way north and east, and of course, on into our area. we are seeing snow in places it hardly ever -- that hardly ever see snow. bill: in mid february, you open up the door for some snow. for us, our average first occurrence of snow is december 17. the last three years, we did it in january. this is a little bit on the early side. nancy: are we expecting a lot? certainly not a 17 to 30-inch snowfall, but the record tomorrow is only 1.6, so we have the possibility of having a record day. for the time of year, yes, there could be a moderate amount of snowfall.

that it is the first one. whenever you have the first snow, it's very different from later in the season. the first one of the season generally tends to be a little dicey. 41 degrees, the current temperature. i don't expect any weather-related problems for the d.c. metro. is currently snowing, and i will show you that in just a second. notice letter town at 32 degrees. we are getting snow that is sticking in parts of our area, but from the metro and up to the north, it is not currently, and i wouldn't expect it for the next couple hours. charles county down to st. mary's county, areas farther south, that is where it is snowing.

that is a heavier snow. with the temperatures as they are, the atmosphere the way it is, the snow that comes down is going to be a wet, heavy snowflake. this extends all the way up to the deep south. that is where we are going to be watching. there are winter storm warnings up, and that includes our area, as well. 8:00 tonight, futurecast is doing a great job picking up where that snow line is. 11:00, if you have outdoor plans, i think a majority of you are going to be snow-free. then we look off into the future, say 3:00 in the morning, and now it starts to creep up. are,arther west you

farther north, cumberland, hagerstown, the shenandoah valley, far less know from what we will get around the metro. here is 10:00 in the morning. tomorrow afternoon, things start to taper off. p.m. timeframe, that is going to be the heaviest window, and by tomorrow evening, just a couple of snow showers. it has that possibility of bringing up to two inches of snow to the western side. on the grassy area, this is not two to four inches of snow sitting on interstate 95. it is snowing heaviest in the mid to late morning around early afternoon, only into the 30's. if you want to get out and about, maybe you have to cut your christmas tree down --

do that. a little bits up as we get into next week, but our second cold front, technically our third one, comes in tuesday, and that is going to drop us on wednesday. i am always on the fence with systems like these. generally, they are not these whoppers, but man, they can snag traffic. they can cause problems, but they can also be a little fun at the same time with the kids around christmas. alison: it will put you in that festive spirit. nancy: on saturday, it's nice. we will see you in a few minutes. alison: just ahead, a look at the major projects just completed at a d.c. landmark. where a closer look at the winter weather we are getting has already been. that rare snow in the south. that is ahead. they are some of the nation's most talented students in science, left, and

nancy: some of the nations top math, science, and technology students are in northwest d.c. alison: kellye lynn takes us to this national competition. >>

the brightest and best students in science, math, and technology. >> i worked on a problem that has puzzled the mathematicians for nearly 100 years, and i have brought it near completion. >> i built a protocol to help secure them online. two are competing in the national siemens competition in math, science, and technology. >> these students are a great representation of young people in high school doing original research. they are doing great work and finding cures and solutions to some of society's ills. kellye: each finalist has already won $3000. now they are vying for the top prize of $100,000. >> it is intimidating to see what other high school students are doing. kellye: 20 students chosen from a ol

competitors will take center stage. cuomo, silver springs, maryland. a i'm so happy i want $100,000. i am part of such a distinguished group. kellye: talented young people, changing the world through stem. at george washington university, kellye lynn, abc seven news. franklin alison: wong, the other local competitor, took home a $50,000 scholarship, and in the team category, three high school girls from new york won a $100,000 scholarship. nancy: speaking of graduations or things to celebrate, there was a graduation at the cia. the spy agency welcomed new .anine recruits this is no walk in the park here. among the dogs, harry who joined the program late but still gradua

fairfax county police department. you might remember lulu dropped out. harry is all income and the other new canine stash it also meant other dogs were being retired. all were adopted by their former handlers to live out of their golden years with plenty of treatment. alison: i know that is your favorite story of the day. us, a major break in the search for a woman who disappeared nine years ago up your the hunt for pamela butler that has now moved into virginia, ahead. nancy: we are going to try to get your mind off winter and talk about summer camp. we will show you the camp transforming shy kids into stars. bill: that's fun, but for the moment, back to winter. we have sn

>>

news at 5:00 -- on your side. alison: we are back in the stormwatch 7 weather center with chief meteorologist bill kelly, and we are talking about what everybody is talking about around town, and that is that winter is here. bill: so much better than a wednesday morning commute time. we don't have anything around the metro, and that is worthy of mentioning. we are going to be watching this tomorrow.ht and into the heaviest time period is going to be tomorrow during the mid to late morning, but that is not for everybody. we are already seeing some snow and have been down into our counties. that is where the blue is on the map. that is where i expect our heaviest totals. it is where the national weather service has issued the winter storm warning. that is the winter storm warning that is in effect. winter weather

purple spots, that goes into effect tonight and will be up into 4:00 tomorrow afternoon. toerally speaking, a two four-inch snowfall. surface temperatures are up. that is something we are going be watching very closely around our area, and we will break down that time in coming up in just a bit. we are to the first part of the snowfall fromg the system to josh knight shows us those spots that generally do not get snow. alamo? thist the was just the beginning of what is shaping up to be a massive storm system. in el paso, people were making snow angels and making snowmen --houston and cowboy boots in cowboy boots. winter weather, moving east, falling across the gulf coast states, these flicks piling up north west of

now flakes are starting to fly in virginia as the winter storm strengthens along the coast. warnings extend all the way into new england. bill: submit your photos, as well. share with us. download our stormwatch 7 weather app. just click on see it, send it, get us those photos, and we will put some of those on the air. nancy:nancy: developing now, police believe they may have found the location of pamela butler's remains. the d.c. woman disappeared over nine years ago, and her ex-boyfriend has admitted he killed her. police spent the day hunting for her remains in stafford. sam: i'm along the i-95 right here in stafford county, as you said. i just talked with

who was the brother of the woman who was killed, and he said he talked with d.c. police who said they believe her remains are here, but they are never going to recover them. it's been a long day. what was a wooded area like this eight years ago is now the express lane of interstate 95, but the place where confessed toldr jose rodriguez cruz authorities he buried his then-girlfriend pamela butler in 2009. >> he buried her in a shallow grave. brother wastim's among those watching the cadaver dogs search. a and his mother agreed to 12-year sentence for rodriguez pleaded guilty and produced their loved ones remains. this area, while secluded then, was accessible. >> and the vicinity of the 147 mile marker, there used to be a crossover

sam: for derek butler who struggled to keep his sister's disappearance in the public, much hope and apprehension. found theink they spot for sure. whether they can find remains, you are talking nine years, and do.know what animals butler went here and went to meet with d.c. police who said dogs hit here. there were human remains. because of all the construction here, the change into rain, and the dirt, they believe they will never find them. there will be no more searches, he told them. he said he is extremely disappointed. i am sam ford, abc 7 news. on that note, we want to take a closer look at what may be complicating the search. this is what that part of i-95 looked

there was a lot of construction nearby and no i-95 express lanes.compare that to what it looks like today. you have the express lanes with the entrances and exits, as well as a home development nearby, but we will continue following the search for pamela butler as it develops. alison: a disappointing day for that family. montgomery county police are looking for the four men who robbed a gaithersburg apartment. investigators say the men forced their way into the apartment around 11:30. the victim was not hurt but told police the thieves stole his laptop, cell phone, his wallet, and two guns. the thieves strove off in a white crown victoria. nancy: coming up, the klansmen turned priest. his victims are saying sorry isn't cutting it. alison: in working women

transform children from being shy to taking center stage. nancy: here's a question -- would you stay in a hotel room personalized for you? coming up at 6:00, how it works

bill: so much talk about the snow through the day tomorrow. let me show you what is going on for the rest of this evening. 40 degrees at 6:00. 38 at 10:00. temperatures are going to stay above freezing, and we will see a little bit of snow, but it is mainly going to be late tonight and into tomorrow. 39 is expected sunday. both of those days have the windchill temperature well below freezing, so you will need to lay rep if you are headed out this weekend. that snow during our day tomorrow, we will break down the timing for you coming up in just a little bit. we may be talking about breaking a reco

alison: if you can believe it, many parents start planning with the kids will do over the summer tonight's working woman has come up with a creative summer camp for kids interested in drama,

>> e, e, e. >> this is barbara l wilson at her happiest, teaching children about acting, singing, and how to be a sugar foot. what is a sugar foot? >> a sugar foot is a term of endearment. when i was little, my daddy used to call me a sugar foot. it's a term of endearment. alison:alison: for wilson, a d.c. resident, a former teacher at duke ellington school of the arts, the sugar for brand began with handmade dolls. > this is what we call our specialty dolls. alison: she made her first for a friend that was looking for a ragdoll like her. created the dolls. cinnamon.ginger, and >> i still wanted to make a mark color,here are dolls of and they are in different

all walks of life. alison: she has sold more than 1000 of these dolls. each one takes four hours to make. next, she wrote storybooks about sugar foots, and in 2009, she turned the concept into a theater summer camp on capitol hill. it focuses on creed of storytelling, songs, and dance. wilson says this drama camp turns shy kids into stars. >> when they say sugar foot, i want them to know that there is something warm and loving that is going to last forever and will bring memories forever. alison: we met with several parents who just raved about this summer camp. learn more about the dolls, the books, and the camp at sugarfoot.,. nancy: those kids were just adorable to see. alison: she said she loved watching them develop friendships throughout the summer.

sugar foot. alison: me neither. us, a coming up for dedication that reaches for the heavens. >> you can tell me, here's a piece of paper, and i'm saying, i'm sorry. nancy: why a maryland family want some inspirational stories for a change? you gotta check out the american dream. saturdays, 1pm, newschannel8

nancy: 40 years ago, an african-american couple living in college park looked outside their window and saw a burning cross. the man who confessed to it is now an ordained priest who this past summer admitted he was a part of the kkk. the couple is now suing the catholic church. >> for barbara and philip butler, this fight against father william aitchison is not over. >> father forgive them, they know not what they do, but you knew. >> last august, aitchison admitted it was he who left a burning cross at the butlers' front yard. >>

>> the priest admitted he was a kkk member in college. a sent the butlers handwritten apology -- >> are you to tell me, here's a piece of paper saying i'm sorry -- you don't mean this.the >> couple >> also received $23,000, money from a decades old settlement with aitchison that he never paid. >> 30 pieces of silver is not going to buy the butlers. >> the arlington diocese said it found out about the settlement only last summer. father aitchison had no legal for restitution, and he had no obligation under church law either.

even after this, williams says he is considering taking legal action against the diocese. richard reeve, abc seven news. nancy: a shutdown has been avoided, but the clock is ticking for congress to keep the government running. president trump signed an extension keeping the government open another two weeks, and congress has until december 22 to reach a budget agreement. of the the first week express lanes on i-66 has seen a lot of news surrounding the tolls, but it has also seen some fake news. from acle circulating site called real news right now claims that vdot plans to ban cars worth less than $60,000 from the express lanes. [laughter] bill: it is going to be vacant. alison: vdot calls the article 100% false. real news right now is listed on media watch list as a hoax site.

ferraris and bentleys. bill: we have been talking about the winter weather. we've got our lunch box weather tonight. this is oakton elementary school. meteorologist josh knight was out there. way, runam, by the from bennett white. there's josh talking about the snow, talking about how things go. fromuestion tonight came garrick kaplan. on the fourth grader at open elementary. my question is, how did you find predict the to help weather, and what materials did you use to make your prediction? how much time do we have for this segment?

i'm going to answer the second part of that question. what materials do we use? tonight for example, we use forecast models. tonight, i looked at no less than seven different model runs to see where they are lining up, and they are doing a pretty good job now. that has a big element as to what the forecast is going to do. on a day like tomorrow, it's pretty easy. that is what we do. it's one of those rare jobs where you predict the future, not easy, but fun. nancy: whatever model you are looking at, we are looking at snow somehow. ll

snowflakes of the season tomorrow. nancy: speaking of snow, some fun images coming from the south. [laughter] here is some snow. bill: what is the deal? did he put his tongue on there? it's a rare occurrence out in baton rouge. how rare is this? the last time the university had measurable snow was seven years ago/ i think mike have gone a little bit crazy. bill: it looks like "a christmas story." alison: it's time for a look at sports. scott abraham is here on this friday. yout: a feel-good story for friday. are rising star series rolls on. toare going to take you indoor track. we've talked about wrestling and basketball last several weeks, and we have to give some love to indoor track p richard george mason university features a para brothers turning some heads on the track. they are also

a purpose. we take you to fairfax for tonight's a rising star. a friendly sibling rivalry on the track. >> i can't let my smaller brother beat me. >> he never wants me to beat him. scott: dustin is a senior. hunter is a sophomore. >> dustin has more of a free spirit than hunter, but they both bring a lot of energy and passion to the program. scott: it's a passion from within. their older brother, army richard dillon do truck, was killed in 2005 serving our country in iraq. >> he was someone who taught us so much. the biggest thing was he taught us to have fun. scott: it's an emptiness that will never be filled. loss is a big part of our family, a very important part of our lives. scott: gone but certainly not forgotten.

passing. the brothers miss him every single day, but their big brother is with them with every stride they take. they both have a bracelet and tattoo. >> everybody loves him. we just want to keep that alive, and whatever we can do to honor him, every little thing matters. a void in their hearts, living life the way dylan would want them to. >> you've got to take advantage of all the time he didn't get and try to make the best of it. scott: a life taken to soon but a brotherly love that will last forever. really heartfelt story, and you talked about snow -- a little news for high school football -- virginia state championships, postponed on saturday, will be moved to sunday down in norfolk. alison: ne a

>> i am mark carter in northeast washington outside the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate

alison: nearly a century after its groundbreaking, the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception is finally reports, and my carter that the archbishop of washington dedicated this mosaic covering the basilica's main dome. mike: at the very top of the basilica, trinity dome features this intricate mosaic with millions of pieces of venetian glass and gold using the original 1953 design, but because this is the largest and most prominent catholic church in north america, the artist added 13 american saints. >> saint john paul ii,

mother teresa of calcutta who visited here many times and is in an honorary american citizen. >> it's a beautiful thing for people to be able to look up to. >> i think that's really cool. mike: over many months, the like awas assembled jigsaw puzzle. the scaffolding alone took a year to construct and deconstruct. dome was finally dedicated with a special envoy of pope francis in attendance. >> i wish to extend the greetings of our holy father. the archbishop says he sees the dome as a reflection of the many and diverse colors of the parishioners below. >> you can see in the thousands of people gathered for mass the faith of the world. dome the dedication of the marks the official completion of the basilica.

>> to that great vision a century ago, amen. mike: it's a work of art and a work of faith 100 years in the making. nancy: the first snow of the season, moving in. chief meteorologist bill kelly is breaking down the timing of the storm. a terrifying scene. a car on fire, two people trapped inside. see what it took to finally get these folks out. nancy: a hotel room personalized for you, all through your cell phone? it is all in the works. is it secure? the answer is next on abc 7 news at 6:00. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> now abc 7 news at 6:00 -- on your side.

>> ready or not, here it comes. snow is falling in virginia and maryland. nancy: this is our first snowfall of the season, and everyone wants to know, how much are we going to see? >> bill kelly is in the weather center with answers. bill: how much snow are we expecting? we will get to the map in the d.c. metro. a general range of two to 4, 1 to three. that is primarily going to be on grasses, bushes. the roads have fortunately been treated. .reat job i just tweeted out a county around leonardtown, you can see it sticking to the grasses but not the roads. on, wes of what is going have clouds.