be really nothing over the eastern shore. but you go from 95 on to the north and west, just about a coating to an inch of snow, and then beyond that to the north and west, fredrick and they aremont two to three inches. heavy, heavy snow up to the north of that, five to 12 inches. we'll talk more about this storm and give you the hour by hour coming up in a just a little bit. lauren cook is in the traffic center. good day to buy me the christmas present you didn't give me yet. >>reporter: after the show, mike, after the show. if you are traveling up in hartford county, 95 nice and clear. there are no delays from mountain road all the way down to white marsh and it will remain clear as you do head into the city. and if you are traveling on 83 this morning, here's what it looks like up in hunt valley, warren road. no delays whatsoever, as you make your way into the city, it's going to take you the normal 11 minutes right now from the beltway all the way down to fayette street. and as we check in and take a look at the abc 2 time saver traffic drive times, no delays on 695. it's going to take you 11 minutes from the outer loop

from 95 up to 83. and the west side nice and clear right now, 11 minutes on the outer loop from 795 down to 95. megan and charley, over to you. as you look out your window this morning, it might be hard to bheef that we are in for another winter storm possibly. >> unbelievable when you think about it. but as the day wears on, things could get much messier out there. abc 2 news' linda stow is out on york road this morning with how it could be impacting some people's drive, especially the afternoon commute, linda. >>reporter: yeah. luckily we're going to be okay for the morning commute. all is quiet right now along this stretch of york road in baltimore county, but as the day wears on, we could see a burst of snow at around 9:00 this morning, then things will be changing to rain. so for the midday and evening commute, things could get a bit more dicey. it'll be what we saw on christmas eve, about an inch of snow and then some heavy rain. that means later today things could get messier, and with a lot of people heading back home after christmas, this wintery mix could pose a big problem, especially if your travels take

you through western maryland which could get up to a foot of snow and an ice storm. for those of you venturing out this morning, things should be okay for the morning commute. pu it's going to be around 9:00 this morning when you're going to see that burst of snow and then things changing over to rain, so more tonight where it could pose a bigger problem. live in baltimore county linda stow, abc 2 news. taking a look at some stories making headlines around the country this morning, more on that deadly christmas eve attack that killed two firefighters and three others were hurt in a quiet town in upstate new york. still this morning two of those injured firefighters are in intensive care. a third has been released. police say a convicted felon, a man named william spangler is responsible for the deadly attack. police found a gruesome note, but his motive for killing two volunteer firefighters is still unclear. during the christmas holiday, community members gathered at the webster fire station

showing support for the victims. >> [ indiscernable ] [ voice crackling ] >> police believe that spangler may have also killed his sister. they say a person's remains were found in that burnt out home that the two shared. the 62-year-old shooter has also served 17 years in prison for killing his grandmother with a hammer back in 1980. news time now 5:33. people in newtown, connecticut are also dealing with devastation this holiday season. people there observed christmas with heavy hearts. it's been less than two weeks since the shooting happened at sandy hook elementary school. and in that killed 20 young children and six duments. a candlelight vigil was held all day long in newtown. 26 candles were lit monday at midnight. volunteers spent three hours in shifts making sure those candles stayed lit and remained burning. many people are now turning to their faith to help get them through this difficult time. >> as we feel our hearts are

broken in 26 little pieces, but it's the birth of jesus and we find strength in that, and so we're mourning, but we're also thinking of god at this time, that he'll give us the strength of his son. >> police officers from neighbors communities filled in in newtown for police there so those men and women could have the holiday off. people all over the nation kement the survivors and the victims of the sandy hook shooting in their minds, the youngest victims of the school shooting are being remembered in the nation's capital. 20 child-like angels adoshed the altar inside the children's chapel at the washington national cathedral. this happened on christmas day. the head of the cathedral's alter guild says that the angels were made in loving memory of the children that were lost so tragically. the sandy hook angels will be on display through sunday, january 6th. showing solidarity with newtown, connecticut. in practices for the football team's upcoming russell athletic bowl, the players' helmets feature a sticker honoring the victims from the sandy hook shooting and the

2007 virginia tech shooting. the stickers are in the shape of a ribbon with the word prevail and the number 58. that number represents the total number of victims killed in these two tragedies. sadly too many children are victims of gun violence every single year in this country, and according to the fbi's most uniform crime reports, between 2006 and 2010, 561 kids under the age of 12 were killed by firearms. that number does not include gun-related deaths that authorities ruled as accidental. the 2011 numbers on how many kids were killed by guns, that's expected to be released in the spring. this morning severe weather hammers the southern u.s. on christmas morning. >> yeah. stay with us this morning, we're going to show you the aftermath of a huge storm that included heavy rain, snow and tornadoes across that region. we are expecting a burst of snow across the baltimore metro area in the next couple of hours. i'm meteorologist mike massco. we'll time that storm and another storm coming up by the weekend. that's coming up after this.

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news time right now 5:38. thanks for joining us. it may not have been a white christmas for everybody, but it certainly was some crazy weather for this holiday season. take a look at this. this video is coming out of mobile, alabama, a dangerous

tornado touched down in the city on christmas day and authorities say the tornado wasn't very wide and that it was only on the ground for a mile or two, but that was enough to cause some serious damage in part of downtown mobile. now, more than 20,000 people were out of power, but thankfully nobody was hurt. people in alabama weren't the only ones experiencing the christmas day tornadoes. it's believed one of two apparent tornadoes caused this damage in east texas. in houston county, debris is everywhere and some buildings are unrecognizable. authorities say one person was killed when a tree fell on him during that storm. utility companies report thousands of people this morning still are in the dark. to louisiana now where dramatic video was caught on camera. check this out. someone in a car crossing a bridge, captured a video showing a water spout and it was forming over the lake. now, according to reports, this crossed the causeway, stopping traffic there and luckily there was no damage, but much of southern united states was under severe weather and

tornado watches last night. it was a mixed bag when you think about it, mike. you had the severe weather, the tornadoes and then the further north you went, it turned into snow and ice. >> snowstorm in oklahoma city. we were talking about this earlier, yeah, a snowstorm in oklahoma city parts of the lower ohio valley, could be eight to 10 inches. fortunately we're -- unfortunately we're on the rain side for the snow lovers. take a look at what's going on right now, we are at the freezing mark in many locations. so anything that comes in during the morning will first fall as snow and then turn over to rain. the d.c. suburbs are starting to see some snow, and this is just about an hour and a half to two hours away from us. so this is what's going to end up coming in from south to north. futuretrend doing a good job on this, showing clouds right now, and, again, a burst of heavy rain this afternoon, one to two inches of wind-swept rain and ice ekreetion could be a problem in krairl county,

northern -- carroll county, northern fredrick county. a dusting to an inch just beyond the beltway, just to the north and west of that and higher amounts toward the pennsylvania line. we'll talk more about the weather in just a couple of minutes. lauren cook in the traffic center. how are you, lauren? >>reporter: good, mike, can't complain. if you are traveling on the roads around 9:00, that's when that burst of snow could very well fall. so prepare yourself for some slick conditions. 83 right now nice and clear. no problems getting downtown. and if you are traveling on 695, it's going to be clear all the way around. for those of you using 95 this morning, as we check in and take a look here in white marsh at route 43, no problems to report whatsoever heading downtown. you're looking at a normal 14- minute ride traveling southbound from the beltway all the way into the city. that's a look at your traffic. megan and charley, over to you. the numbers are in from the holiday season and apparently they're not good. >> not good at all. we're going to pri you the figures from the shopping season and tell you where they compare with years past. the grinch makes off with a family's puppy this

christmas. see how they got him back. details straight ahead.

in news around the world this morning, egypt says 63% of the pop lace has vote today approve a controversial referendum on a new constitution.

that vote sparked a violent protest between the muslim brotherhood and the opposition. liberal, secular and christian groups have accused that president mohammed morsi of a power grab, reminiscent of his pred ses armubarak. they claim the new constitution will undermine human rights and open the door to sharia law. and this is the scene in egypt after the referendum passed, hundreds of angry protesters set tires on fire in one of cairo's main bridges. the demonstrations blocked traffic along the bridge. those opposed to the new changes, they are pledging right now to continue their fight. news time 5:45. and if you want 2013 to be your healthiest year ever, you can lower your blood pressure, you can boost your immune system and feel just good about yourself. you don't have to go to the gym. all you have to do is unplug. doctors are saying that being on the go all the time puts a lot of stress on your body. they suggest that you actually take some time out every single day, spend some time away from the computer, eat your food slowly and cut out the

multitasking at least while you're at home. news time now 5:45. and you're used to getting soda and snacks from those school vending machines, but high schoolers in philadelphia are now being greeted with a new machine when they return to school for the new year. condom dispensers. free condoms will be offered at 22 of the city's public high schools. the schools chosen for the pilot program had the highest rates of students infected with sexually transmitted diseases in the city. students, even though as young as 14 will be eligible to buy three condoms unless their parents sign a form, forbidding them from taking part in this program. today is the first day of quanzza. this is to strive for un family in the community. it is a happy and spiritual holiday for african-americans and it runs for seven days. playoff football is back and soon you can get your hands on some tickets. a few thousand tickets will go on sale beginning this friday at 10:00. the raiives are hosting the game -- ravens are hosting the

game. it will either be january the 5th or 6th. you can get those playoff tickets through ticket master. get ready for some round- the-clock gaming action at maryland live casino. starting tomorrow customers will be able to enjoy nonstop action 24 hours a day, seven days a week. the casino doors will open at 8:00 a.m. visitors heading to d.c. for the president's second inauguration will not have too many problems when finding a place to stay. about 800,000 people are expected to show up for the january 21st inauguration. city officials say hotels are filling up more slowly this time around. they say rooms are still available and prices are slightly below where they were four years ago. retail sales in the united states were the weakest this year, this according to a newly- released report. bad weather and concerns over the economy disrupted this year's shopping season. last minute discounts weren't even enough to get people into the stores. a number of you will be heading back out to the malls this morning, not just to shop, but return some of those gifts and take advantage of some

great bargains. retailers are expected to offer even steeper discounts than usual this year. the goal is to get rid of items left sitting on the shelves after the christmas rush. the best things to buy this time of year, winter clothing, especially coats, jewelry, fitness products and linens. january experts say is the month, the best month for winter sales. 5:48. former president george h.w. bush spent christmas in houston in a hospital. bush's son, neil, and his wife visited on christmas day. doctors have not set a discharge day yet because they don't want to send the 88-year- old home too early. they want him to build up his energy. bush has been hospitalized for about a month after getting bronchitis. one family gets a wonderful gift just in time for the holidays. >> this is an amazing story. a puppy stolen from an oregon humane society is now back in the hands of its rightful owner. chris woodward tells us how social media played a big role in bringing that puppy home. >>reporter: back in the arms of his new family. >> i fell in love with him when

i first saw him. >>reporter: it's likely this 3- month-old puppy has no idea what he's really been through. >> i started tearing up a little bit. i was excited. >>reporter: moments earlier this family got to see john for the first time since he was stolen. >> he was in my arms when i first met him, and he's very good now, so it's good. >>reporter: saturday morning the belzer family was here to adopt john and had just finished the paperwork to make it official. >> the staff went to retrieve the puppy from the kunl, doors opened, puppy's gone. >>reporter: john had been stolen. >> i was confused. i was, like, are you sure they don't have him somewhere else. >>reporter: the oregon humane society put out a plea for help and monday got a tip that led them to a home in gresham. >> folks in oregon care deeply about pets and the social media pressure was outstanding. i think when they realized they had a hot puppy so to speak, they were eager to return him to the shelter. >>reporter: the belzers got the news and couldn't wait to get here. >> i brought him in and our eyes just lit up and we were just really happy. >>reporter: for all he's been

through, john is certainly exhausted but will probably never know just how special he's making this holiday. >> best christmas ever! >>reporter: for his new family. >> merry christmas. >> and that was chris woodward reporting. >> the oregon humane society says so far no arrests have been made, but we'll keep you posted on that one. time now for a check of that forecast. you heard him right there, meteorologist mike massco keeping his eye to the sky and keeping his eye alsoin' the clock. it's getting closer. >> it's getting very close. take a look downtown right now, we are dry, we are chilly. 32 degrees at the airport. 75% humidity. dewpoints still on the dry side at 25 degrees, but we are starting to see the atmosphere moisten up a bit. it's 30 outside the beltway, 30 in monkton, bel aire you're at 31 degrees. so anything that moves in over the next several hours will fall in the form of some snow. and you'll notice just outside of d.c., that's where we're starting to see some light snow. it's a burst of snow beyond that, and this is just about an hour and a half to two hours outside of the city limits. so everything pushing in from

north to south during the course of your afternoon. so here's your hour-by-hour forecast, 33 degrees for the course of this morning. snow developing through the mid morning hours and that'll linger to around lunchtime before the changeover begins. 1:00, 2:00, into 4:00, steady heavy rain develops. so it's a snow to rain mixture in this gray shading. just about a dusting to an inch outside of the city limits. everyone could see just a taste of some snow. and to the north and west of that two to three inches before the changeover to a wintery mix and rain. well outside of town, out towards garrett and allegheny counties, back towards washington county, could be five to 12 inches of snow. here's storm number one we're going to be dealing with today. how about storm number two? that could be a snow event for baltimore as we go into the weekend. take a look. coastal storm developing saturday afternoon. if it hangs closer to the coast, could be a significant storm that just -- that goes just offshore, well, not so significant. 42 today, 43 as we go into thursday. friday we'll go 42 with a blend of sunshine and clouds. storm number two arrives saturday mid morning into the

afternoon hours. we'll be into the 30s. so we'll just keep an eye on that. we'll talk more about that coming up. but all in all this is a pretty chilly seven-day forecast and certainly active. let's get a check on traffic and lauren cook over in the traffic center. what is that, plasma, traffic plaz? how are we doing out there? >>reporter: time saver traffic center. well, mike, as you said, we are going to be dealing with a little bit of snow and rain later this morning. so definitely prepare yourself for some slick conditions. here in anne arundel county, though, interstate 97, nice and clear. no problems getting down to route 50 or if you are heading up to 695. and if you are heading downtown, this is what 95 looks like at 395. normal eight-minute ride right now, traveling northbound from the beltway all the way to the fort mchenry tunnel toll plaza. as we take a look at the other abc 2 time saver traffic drive times, 695, no delays there on the east side, just 11 minutes right now on the outer loop from 95 all the way up to 83. and normal conditions over on the west side. it's going to take you 11 minutes as well to travel the outer loop from seven 95 down to 95. megan and charley, over to you.

if basketball is your game, you certainly got your fill on christmas day. everywhere you turned, there was an nba game on. >> all over my house, that's for sure. a special half time guest may have stolen the show. you're going to see the high- flying st. nick who was a big star in the windy city.

santa took a break from delivering toys to dunk some basketballs at the rockets/bulls game yesterday. guys dressed up in the old st. nick suit used trampolines, springing themselves high in the air. a few of them got pretty high, even doing a few twirls before smashing it through. now one of them, yeah, miscalculated. easy. he went down face first but is reportedly doing all right. stay with us this morning. actor/director, activist and politician, there are rumors swirling about ben affleck's political ambitionses. >> he is now setting the record straight on what he is going to do. why he says there's no senatorial race in his future. a newspaper in trouble it

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