area this evening monitoring conditions as the storm continueso dump snow on our region. but we begin night with our team of news4 nemeteorologists. bob ryan kicks things off tonight to bring us up to date. hi, bob. >> jim, we have had indeed the snow so far has been a very, very wet snow. what's going on in and around us. and that's going to be continuing. the wet snow wil eventually change to a very dry snow with some more blowing and drifting, all of us are under this winter storm warning now. but what's really the concern is the increasing winds. as a matter of fact, we'll be seeing the winds up to 30 to 40 miles per hour. that's the reason that anne arundel county and st. mary's county are now from 10:00 tonight until 10:00 tomorrow evening under a blizzard warning because of northeasterly winds. there you can see the extent of the warnings that now go into

southeastern virginia. it is raining now down in the tidewater area. while i think we will be seeing some rain perhaps and some sleet mix in briefly, let me take off the winter mosaic for a brief time, you can see that we're getting now some light to moderate snows really beginning to comen and this is how things look. you can see that area not only around us but all over now. really spreading in as we go through the next few hours and as we go through the evening. we'll be seeing i think snow continue to increase, the heart of it occurring later on tonight. midnight to 6:00 in the morning. and then we may even hear thunder snows as the storm gets much more intense by late tonight, off the delaware -- off the delaware/north carolina coast right near the virginia capes. still looks like 20 inches of snow are likely. we may see that mix for you folks extreme southern maryland. that will keep accumulations down a bit.

even there in fredericksburg, more snow than anything else. chuck bell is outside measuring it and keeping track of it. firsthand account. >> absolutely right, bob. yes, indeed, everybody. the front lawn of channel 4, which was already white when i got out here at 3:00 this afternoon because of the snows we had over the weekend. now we've got a fresh coat of white. the sidewalk next to me was completely snow-free earlier. this is not the best way to measure the snow because it's just not the most accurate way to do it on the sidewalk here, but two inches of snow in the last 2 1/2 hours. that's what it looks like on the ground. our beautiful oak trees out here, they're starting to look like the cherry blossoms with the white caked on to all the branches out here. for people who are tired of the snow, i can tell you this. cherry blossoms usually peak around the last week of march, first week of april. start thinking happy thoughts about the cherry blossoms, which are only about seven or eight

weeks away. in the meantime, heavy snow is in the forecast. what is heavy snow? anything you have to shovel yourself is heavy snow to most people. it's one to two inches ofnow per hour. that's the definition from the national weather service. very heavy snow, more than two inches per hour. this one here may also be a top-ten finisher. these are the top ten snow storms of all time in washington. we just had number seven on the list show up in december. this one may very well ellipse that rate at more than 16 1/2 inches of snow. sort of the real benchmark that i personally think we're aiming for here is the president's d storm in 1979. that's the actual national airport record. the dates before that, national airport wasn't in existence yet. the president's day storm, 1979, that's the record at national airport. i think that's the record that we're most likely going to set with this particular storm. back into the warm, comfy dry

studio with bob. >> okay. veronica has been on top of everything. one of the things that we really have to pay attention to is the rate of snow, safety, too. >> that's right. that's why the folks we've been bringing in, talking about the conditions on the road have said stay off the road. let the road crews do their ing. they're out there putting down the salt, puttingçó down the brine, putting down that mixture. so we do have a list of safety tips. just stay off the roads and let the snow plows do their job. if you're stranded, stay in your vehicle. avoid overexertion when it comes to shoveling your sidewalks or driveway. if you see someone across the street having difficulty, folks, help them out. >> that's right. this is -- this is sort of a bonding thing where everybody does help their neighbors. we've been through these big storms before. but, boy, this will be a major, major storm. there you can see that wet snow that chuck was talking about in some of our sights.

the visibility is going to be going down from here, especially as we get into the morning hours. midnight, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning. i'll tell you more about that and also the timeline when i join you in the studio. it is a big storm. it's just beginning. just beginning. back to you. >> thanks, bob. we'll hear more from you late there is not a lot going on so far as chuck said. only a couple of inches so far. julie carey is out covering the storm for us out in northern virginia. julie? >> well, jim, this is a storm of big numbers. i have another one for you. 1,700. that is the number, the pieces of equipment that vdot has out on the roads tonight. that's just in fairfax, prince william and loudoun counties. they are going to keep up that full compliment of equipment through the weekend. they're hopeful once they get the plows down and get rolling that the motorists will have headed home. look at this video that we captured. already the wheels are starting to spin.

lucky for this guy he was just temporarily stuck in the gas station parking lot here. you can see traffic along route 123 near tyson's, much lighter than normal. for now it's moving at speeds, but that's all going to change within the next few hours. earlier today i talked to a truck driver along i-95 who was en route from north carolina to new york. this was his wish for those who are going to share the road this weekend. >> my concern is i hope people take it easy, not putting on their breaks, just taking their time. and assess the situation athey go along.ñi that's my hope. >> ideally, stay off the road if they don't need to go anywhere. >> please. >> a plea from one truck driver. that's what the snow plow drivers had to tell us today, too. it's been very dangerous in the state. virginia state police have had their hands full, particularly in southwest virginia in the salem area. there have been some 261 accidents already across the common wealth today.

two fatalities because of this storm. and another 250 disabled vehicles. so as the snow starts to mount here, things are going to get much more dangerous. we can see thatç!5ñ we look farther out in virginia. i'm julie carey. back to you, jim and doreen. >> thank you. governor martin o'malley has declared a state of emergency as the snow continues to fall in maryland. the governor is urging everyone to avoid driving unless it's absolutely necessary. transportation officials in maryland say the state has 2,400 snow removal units and that all of them will be out in force this weekend. they're asking anyone who must be on the roads to use extreme caution and be aware of the snow removal operations around them. >> keep your distance behind snow plows. never try to pass a snow plow. never try to pass a snow plow train, a group of snow plows themselves. it is extremely dangerous to do

so. >> the governor says cleaning up after the storm is gng to be very costly. the december blizzard cost the state $27 million. he says he expects to spend at least that much on this one. our team coverage of the snowstorm continues tonight with pat çócollins. he's in gaithersburg, maryland. how is it looking now, pat? >> doreen, it's getting colder, windier, snowier here. we've had to layer up a bit. as the temperatures drop. if you look down, 3:55, you can see the visibility has diminished. so has the traffic. it appears that many people have made their way home and beginning to hunker down as the storm picks up. this is not only going to be a hard storm on a lot of people. it's going to be hard on a lot of counties. tom street is one of the top assistants for ike leggett. tell me, can the county afford this storm? >> pat, we've spent our entire

snow budget that we've allocated for this year. but the county will spend whatever it needs to clear these roads and keep the public safe. >> now, what's closed in the county? i know some libraries are closed. tell me what's going to be closed this week. >> okay. this weekend, the libraries and rec centers are closed saturday and sunday. theolid waste transfer station is closed saturday and sunday. the county liquor stores are closed tomorrow. our ride-on service currently is operational on a regular schedule, but we are coordinating with metro on when we may have to curtail or cease operations for our ride-on service. >> tom, what are you asking people to do here to get through this? >> in order to facilitate our plowing operations, we're asking people to park off the street so that our plows can get through. in those neighborhoods where there isn't enough off-street

parking, park to one side of the street so that we can clear a ne. and help your neighbor by looking in on anyone who may be living alone. >> we'll make it through this, won't we, tom? >> we absolutely will. >> thank you r, tom. we're going to try another measurement here. at 5:00 in gaithersburg, we're getting about three inches of snow. three inches of snow in gaithersburg right now at 5:00. we have the snow stick at the rey. we're keeping an eye on everything in montgomery county. i'll be back soon with more. doreen, back to you. >> isn't that an inch more than you had on that trusty stick of yours about an hour ago? >> that's about an inch more. it's coming down out here and it's startling to stick. it's starting to get a lot colder and it's starting to sting my face. that's why we upped the head gear. i think i have more layers on than a smith island cake right now, jim.

>> all ght. that's a lot of layers. >> and that hat that you -- he just got that earlier this week, right? that's the last snowstorm, it looks like a good investment. >> that's right. a lot of polys died to make this hat. to the district now. tom sherwood, what have you got going? >> well, i don't have a stick. pat collins has a stick. i've got the u.s. mail service here. this looks like maybe about a -- not quite half an inch, quarter of an inch of snow. i want to warn people again, a police officer just stopped in to pick up someñi food right he and said to tell people to watch out for the street. it's already starting to get some ice build-up. even though the streets are very well-treated. he warned about those $250 fines if you park in the wrong spot. the crews have been out all day and they've salted the streets.

you always hear stay off the roads, give them room to do their jobs. well, this time they really, really, really mean it. this is the big one. we really, really need people to stay off the roads this evening and tomorrow. for their safety and so that our plows and our great employees can do their jobs. >> that's the director of vdot. he'll be up late tonight as they expect that storm and the snow to get worse, the roads to get worse. help them out. don't be out here with us. jim, back to you. >> tom, we got to help you out with your hatwareear, man. you need more than that, man. >> this is a very nice hat.ñi >> the hat won't do. you need more. >> he's got the tie going. he's not planning on being out there for very long. >> no. he thinks he's going home. >> some of us still have to be

uptown. you know, some of us. >> we understand. thank you, tom. >> all right. we'll be back with more of our continuing coverage of this snow storm.

that picture will probably even get better as the evening goes on. by tomorrow morning, might not even be able to see the first floor the way we're talking. officials in prince georges county have declared a state of emergency there as well. they want people to stay off the roads, too, as everybody else does. road conditions, they say, are deteriorating quickly. derrick ward is out at college park right now. >> that's right, jim. those road conditions are deteriorating. earlier, route 1 here was sort of wet, but i want toñi show yoa tighter shot of the road surface now. it's wet but there is a degree of ice that's building up on that. that's what you'll be traveling upon. it's probably not the best surface for braking. as you said, there is a state of emergency declared in prince george's county. most people are heeding that

warning. traffic is way, way down on this part of route 1. we're showing you the beltway. even at the height of the early rush hou t was relatively light for the beltway in this part of the county. we spoke earlier with prince george's county police. they are telling people to stay off the roads, but some people have to be out and there will be mishaps. we've got tips and things you need to know and do to keep yourself as safe as possible. >> if you have to get out on the road tonight, make sure your cell phone is fully charges, you have a full tank of gas, you have blankets in the car and something you can shelter with. a sleeping bag so you can take that with you. in the event that you do slide off the ñiroadway, please stay with the vehicle. utilize your cell phone. if you're involved in an accident on the roadway, please once again -- because of limited visibility, we ask that you move away from your car, move to a building, a store, a gas station, and call the police from there.

with limited visibility, sometimes people will not see your vehicle until it's too late. if you're in the vehicle or you're standing around it, it could be tragic. if you have a fenderender, move off the roadway. if you can't move your car, move yourself off the roadway and seek shelter and then call us. >> we hope that no one has to follow that at vice tonight, but it's good to know in the event that you do. >> thank you, derrick. >> chris gordon has been driving all over the region to check out the conditions on the roads all over the area. chris, where are you now and what are you seeing? >> well, doreen, we're in northwest washington alongñi wisconsin avenue. i think this live shot gives the term street reporter new meaning. you see rush hour on wisconsin avenue live realtime. it's beginning to get a slushy surface. you see there are parked cars by the side of the road. police have been given tickets to anyone who is on a snow lane.

they want these main roadways to be cleared so the plows can come through. what we are seeing -- and you see it right in front of me, people crossing not in crosswalks, thinking somehow that people can stop. it is stuff to stop. we have a little bit of slippery surface right now. the side streets may have about an inch of snow. if you take a look there, side streets are white. so are the sidewalks. metro -- well, the rush hour began early so metro buses, which you seeçó are not very crowded. we talked to people getting off metro trains. they said because people were let out of work early, they were not very crowded. they were moving well. they didn't have long waits. also, we're finding that people are trying to get out, walk their dogs, get out and get some food. we have people shoveling say over here, shoveling their

sidewalks coming up to tenleytown here. and we're passing a bus stop and tenley au metro station. you'll see a lot of people still on the street. we saw a lot of people walking with umbrellas. they were smart. they came out because the early snowflakes at one point got to be very big. about the size of quarters. and very wet. so you probably recognize it. this is probably part of a -- one of theñr main routes. again, you see people walking the roadways. you have to be very, very careful. we're live along wisconsin. we'll be chebing out roads throughout the area live tonight as we monitor street conditions for you. >> chris, tell us -- explain to us what you're doing. you're not the camera person. you're concentrating on the driving, right? >> letçó me tell you something. this -- this is something that is the first time i've ever done it. we're trying to be very careful

in doing it. it gives us a chance to show you realtime road conditions. so hopefully it gives us some insight. but what we saw during this -- just this little sweep were a lot of the problems. people jumping out or walking across wisconsin avenue not in a crosswalk. and people should be moving their cars off snow routes. that's important advice. obviously we're going to try to get our community through this evening together as we show you the situation. see a police officer on the left trying to get cars to move off the snow route. we've seen a lot of police officers out. they're trying to make sure that the main routes are cleared for the plows that will be comingñi along. >> but chris, youñr can keep bo hands on the wheel, right? you're not operating the camera as well, right? chris? >> okay. all right. you're going to just have to repeat that question.

i didn't hear that question. >> okay. can we assume that you have both hands on the wheel and you're not operating that camera that we're looking at the dashboard right now? >> i -- i don't know what to say exce that we're -- we're just driving. you know, we have -- >> okay. he can't hear. chris cannot hear ñius. he has both hands on the wheel. >> he does. >> i forget what you call that technology. scott, what do you call that? skype is that what it is? our kids know about that. i don't know much about it. and chris is learning. >> it feels like we're in a video game watching that. grand theft auto or something, only in slow mo. >> there will come a point in this storm where even metro will have to packçkt in, at least for buses and above-ground rail service. metro officials say when the snowfall reaches eight inches on the ground, they're going to stop the trains that run above ground. trains will continue to run between the underground stations, but those trains will

be spaced about 30 minutes apart. and fthere will be no shuttle bs service to underground stations. so if you must get on a train, you'll have have to find on alte way to get to the station. >> the afternoon rush hour got started early for people today, particularly students and children in montgomery county. children were pouring out of schools in gaithersburg. students were dismissed 2 1/2 hours early to beat the snow. all weekend activities at montgomery county schools have been canceled for the weekend. >> we'll take a break now and we'll be back with more coverage of the storm.

all right. >> a lot ofñi folks -- >> this isn'tñ"ujz bad so far. remember, yesterday we had the temperatures in the 40s. a lot of sunshine. so the roadsñi are, indeed, war. >> you know, how is this going to be worse than 19 inches, though? that's -- i mean, we're doing all this preparation. we're talking about all this, you know. we had 19 inches. what is a few more? >> this one will be blowing and drifting by the time we get to tomorrow.çóñr

>> did she just say we had 19 inches, what's a few ñimore? >> sounds like somebody that spent a few years in cleveland. >> we've all had practice. >> nine of the ten biggest snowstorms of all time in washington started on a friday >> here we go. >> outside in northwest washington, you can see the sidewalks beginning to getñi slippery. many areas have an inch or two. out to our west wre the snow came in early this morning, outside temperatures are into the 20s. four or five inches of snow on the ground. our current temperature here in washington, 34 degrees. there is wet snow and even some drizzle. but once this storm gets wound up, it will really draw in some colder air. look at miami. got friends down there? 81 degrees. and the dew point, that's the key. we've got the dry air in over us. below 32 degrees. s there that plume of moisture. we've got a real wave in the

atmosphere. the storm system still itself is in georgia. overnight tonight, it moves to the north carolina/south carolina coast. and then tomorrow off the coast around the bay and really winds up. that's when it becomes most intense tonight. so that's the time that we'll be seeing later on tonight, midnight to 8:00 tomorrow morning. the most intense snows. now there are blizzard warnings not only along the coast but as i mentioned all the way from anne arundelñi county south. tonight, there's that area of storminess. by tomorrow morning it's really getting strong off the coast. those northeasterly winds ce in, really wind up. the storm becomes this wirling vortex of moisture. and then the cold air will come in with gusty wins that will turn into the northwest. then as we get into sunday, we're back to the sunshine. but meanwhile, overnight tonight, during the day tomorrow, the moderate snows come in. overnight, by 4:00 in the morning to midnight, very heavy

snow likely to be covering a large area. that will continue on until noon tomorrow when the very heaviest snows move out. still out over delaware and maryland. we'll get lighter to moderate snows. by 8:00 tomorrow evening, that's when i think finally we'll be done with the snow. it will gradually taper ñioff. we'll see bands and hear the rumble of thunder, especially you folks in prince george's county, around washington and then out to our west, i think there's still the high elevations, the possibility of 30 inches of snow. so the snow becoming heavy as we go through the night, but especially after midnight. 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning. by tomorrow morning, 12 inches of snow on the ground. then it continues through a good part of the day, gradually tapering off by tomorrow morning. temperatures fall into the 20s. and that's the time when the winds will be the highest.

midmorning to early afternoon. then everything moves off finally. sunshine back. we might see a little bit more of something on tuesday. but after this one, txa%*q @r(t% really nothing at all. a serious storm. don't take any chances. even though right now outside around washington, it's not much of anything. >> the worst is yet to come. >> right. >> thanks, bob. a lot of people at national airport this morning trying to get out of town ahead of this storm. it seemshat most of them did. john is out there now. john, pretty quiet, huh? >> jim, it is quiet. i'm kind of lonely out here right now. it is a ghost town. i mean, it was packed early this morning. people were rushing to see if they could get out. many did get out of town, but we just received word about 25 minutes ago from the airport authority saying that all flights coming in or going out here at reagan national airport have been canceled for the rest of the night. as the last few plas take off for the day, the airport terminal has steadily cleared

out. up and down the concourse, employees outnumber customers. however, earlier it was a different story. passengers arrived early to do whatever they could to reschedule their plans. this group trying to get back to minnesota arrived at the terminal to find out they're out of luck. >> we're stuck in washington, d.c. we'd like to be home. >> what's the plan right now? >> we've got seats for a monday-morning flight. >> but today is friday. what are you going to do until monday? >> that's what we're trying to figure out. >> are you still staying positive? >> sure. another day eating out and having a good time with friends. i might not like it if i was alone, but i'm glad i've got my friends with me. >> you know, it's amazing how positive people stayed all morning even though their flights were canceled. some have to stay here throughout the weekend. if you are planning on comin to the airport tomorrow, if you do think you have a flight, don't do it. we also received word that all flights tomorrow are canceled as well. so the earliest flight leaving out of here at reagan national

airport is sunday. that's the very latest here reporting live. >> that's knigquite a picture ae airport, a friday at 5:30, not a soul behind you. >> thank you, john. a state of emergency has been declared in prince george's county. officials there are asking people to stay home so that emergency vehicles and police and road crews can do their jobs. derrick ward is in college park with more. we go back to derrick now to see how it's going there. derrick? >> doreen, the snow is coming down steadily. it's not the big, fluffy flakes that we had for a period, but it feels harder on my face. it's blowing harder and it's wet. i want to let you take a look at the road surface. this is what some folks are driving on here on route 1. there's not a lot of traffic. since we last talked to you, this road has been treated. there was a truck that came through. it's on the other side of the road making its way down there now. nonetheless, people in prince george's county are being

warned, like they are in other jurisdictions, to stay off the road unless they absolutely have to be out. we talked to prichnce courage g county police about the details of this state of emergency. >> from the police department standpoint, we're still maintaining routine patrol. we're utilizing four-wheel-drive vehicles for that. we're asking residents to please stay at home tonight. the snow is going to get worse. we have a difficultime trying to maintain the roadways between public works, getting them plowed. the fire department needs to have access to the roadways and the secondary streets. >> again, with the consistency of this snow, we talked to mark brady a few minutes ago from prince george's county fire and rescue. he said this is a wetter, heavier snow. it's going to cling to power lines and tree limbs and that could cause problems. we're live in college park. now back to you. >> you don't like snow, do you?

>> does it show? >> yeah, it really does. big-time. >> you want to play poker with me, right? eah. go inside and get warm. hang in there. we'll take a break, let derrick warm up little bit. that brother is having a hard time tonight. host: could switching to geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance? host: does elmer fudd have trouble with the letter r? elmer: shhhh, be very quiet; i'm hunting wabbits. director (o/c): ok cut!!!! uh...it's i'm hunting "rabbits," elmer. let's try that again. elmer: shhhh, i'm hunting wabbits.

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now we go to virginia. the storm was a little slow to get started there, but it is certainly well under way now. julie carey is live on route 123 at tyson's corner with the latest. how is it going there, julie? >> you know, reagan national was so desolate. look at this. route 124 at tyson's corner, 6:00 on a friday night, it never looks like this. people seem to be taking vdot's advice to head home. one thing we're not seeing out here yet -- well, you see a plow going by right now. the blade is still up. that's because vdot needs about two inches of snow on the road before they put the blade down and start to plow. not quite to that point here on route 123. even though traffic is lighter than usual. there's still been enough out here to keep the roadways slushy but the side streets, you can be sure those are already beginning to get snow-covered. most of the drivers we talked with today who had been out and

about say they are going to heed vd vdot's advice and head for home and glad to be going that way before things get much more treacherous. >> speeds on the freeways are decent. not a lot of people out. i think everybody has already gotten a lot of stuff done. about to call it a day. getting gas in the car, getting everything fueled up. call it a day. >> and call it a weekend. >> call it a weekend, yes, yes. we'll see you tuesday. >> i started on capitol hill, came up here to mclean. then i had to drop somebody off in annandale. didn't have one problem. i mean, you know, the roads are okay so far. but i think after 25 hours of >> i think after about eight more hours it's going to be a lot different out here. people making the stop at the gas station even though they'll put the car in the garage at home. one thing they're telling us, they are almost out of gas.

the demand has been pretty high today. back to you now. >> thanks, julie. we'll be back with more right after this.

the scene at the white house. i guess they've turned the outside lights on. you wonder what's going on in there. are they making hot chocolate? or maybe chicken soup or something. >> i've always wondered that. >> the girls did not have school today, so they probably had a good time. >> like all the other kids didn'tñi have school today. >> right. what is the best way to melt the ice on your sidewalk and what can drivers do to keep their car running in the cold and snow? >> and how can you prevent snow and water damage to your house? liz crenshaw is here with her snowy version of "ask liz." >> yeah. hi there. our first question comes from a viewer concerned about the slippery steps and sidewalks. so there's lots of choices. what's the best thing to do to keep them -- there are good answers and bad one. the first thing that might come to mind is called rock salt. while it's cheap, it can do a

number on your concrete sidewalk or driveway. it can cause your sidewalk to flake and cause that mortar between your bricks to fall apart. so instead you might want to try nitrogen fertilizer. it will felt the ice without affecting the concrete. the other option is kitty litter. it will give you traction and it's not going to mess with your concrete. also, don't forget about good old sand. it's cheap. it's not going to do any damage. it will give you traction. don't be tempted to poor antifreeze on your steps and driveway. it's dangerous for your pets. it smells sweet and then they'll lap it up and poison themselves. >> and then you pay for it all night long when they're throwing up all over your living room or running to the vet. okay. people areute with their cars, what do you do? >> what drivers can do to keep

their cars running in the snow. if you have to drive, you have to make sure that you prepare the car the rht way. make sure your windshield wiper fluid is full. you don't want to put water in there. if you're concerned about your battery, remember that batteries three years or older are most likely to fail as the temperature drops. how about this one? don't set your parking brake when it's below freezing outside. it can freeze up and leave you with a car that runs perfectly but one that you can't get out of the parking space. when you're clearing your car, never forget to clear the ñrt . tailpipe of the snow and ice before you turn the car on. >> and our final question is one that a lot of people are worried about. once all the snow piles up, it can cause damage to your home. what can homeowners do about the snow that piles up on the roof and the gutters? >> we went to a construction consultant for these answers. first of all, he says it's not

safe to put up ladders or remove snow just wait for the snow to start melting and be sure that your downspouts are clear to allow that to happen. another tip, prevent snow and water damage to your house. you have to shovel around the places where you have doors or opens in your foundation. we're talking about sliding ass doors, exterior doors, such as doors to the basement. also, don't forget to clear the drain at the bottom of the exterior stairwells. people forget about that. >> i forgot about that. i have one of those. >> yeah. >> you just saved her house there. >> and you clear the tailpipe first. >> i always do that. but i appreciate the tip.

time now for another check in with our man chris gordon. he's been driving around in the snowstorm to see how bad the roads really are. he's using portable microwave technology. that's what we understand. he's in the car with an expert photographer so that he can pay attention to the roads. where are you now, chris? >> well, we're on wisconsin avenue heading south from van ness towards massachusetts avenue. so the traffic right in front of me is heading south. the traffic to the left is heading northbound or out toward the suburbs from the city and you see the surface of the road snow. and we see a plow on the northbound lane. there's a flow over here coming past us. what we wanted to say to you before because i know there is some interest in this. i do have two hands on the wheel. i am not shooting the camera as we drive.

ron spent all day setting this up and we're trying to be very careful, wearing a seat belt as well. giving you a realtime look. you see people coming off the -- trying to get in a cab here. we're just going to slow down behind them. people trying to get around town in cars. the traffic is light. cabs, as you see -- and earlier we took a look at trains and buses. here's what we found just about an hour ago. work crews salted the sewalks as metro stations. d.c. police ticketed cars parked along snow routes. traffic on wisconsin avenue was light, even on metro it seemed that rush hour had come and gone early. >> i think people let people out with a lot of notice and people took advantage of that. people teleworked. people worked alternate schedules. yeah. >> reporter: people got their dogs out for a walk while they still could.

some are snow veterans, but for others it's their first real storm. >> i'm not used to it at all. i'm from ñrflorida. it's a new experience. >> are you saying you've never been in the snow before? >> not really. i have been in snow, but nothing like this. nothing this strong or heavy. >> that was chris gordon's report from earlier. he's out driving around with some new technology. showing us realtime views of the road. >> we'll be checking back with him throughout this broadcast. >>ñi until he can't go firther d then we'll have to go rescue him. >> in the meantime, we're going to take a break.ñi

we are getting the light snow, some areas getting moderate snow. as the storm is getting going and it is bringing in some of that warmer ocean air, there will be some mixture for a time up until i would say even 1:00, 2:00 intsq morning. that will also be the time through much of the metro area that the snow will begin increasing in intensity. you can see in fredericksburg, there have been reports of moderate snow there. i'll take off the winter mosaic so you can see where the areas are that are now getting that. dale city. that could be some of the sleet, maybe a little bit of mixture moving in. there's a report from warrenton of mixed precipitation. folks out there may see that also. our temperatures right now, and the reason the streets are still wet in the downtown area, out to

our west where temperatures are into the 30s, there's already been four, five inches of snow. some of the high spots and out toward winchester, clark county getting more moderate snow. now the blizzard warning has just been extended to include washington, d.c. and prince george's county for later on tonight because of the increasing northeasterly winds. there you can see where there may be -- once again for the coming hours, some mixture. waldorf so far, an inch of snow. haywood, 2 1/2 inches here's where the higher amounts are. those will be the spots, ñitoo, with perhaps as much as 30 inches of snow. so some of the headlines, one to two inches of snow per hour beginning late tonight. don't be shocked to hear the rumble of thunder. overall i'm still expecting generally around -- approaching 20 inches. there is that sleet and snow mixture to our south. as we go through the overnight hours and into tomorrow, slowly the heaviest snow will paper off. i think we might see any of the

light snow and until late tomorrow afternoon -- remember, when the wins pick up, that snow that's so wet right now will be añi drier snow. it will be blowing and drifting. temperatures by saturday night fall into the teens. we'll see some sunshine on sunday and also monday. but we're still into a cold, cold pattern. maybe a little mixture tuesday into wednesday. it certainly doesn't look like anything like what we'll be going through. it's just beginning. there are mixtures. most of the heart of the storm and the worst of it will be late tonight and on into tomorrow midmorning. then it begins to taper off. it's still a long, long way from having to finally get on topñr this storm. back to you. >> thank you, bob. ñi snow can beñi terribly n inconvenie inconvenient, but it can make just stunningly beautiful landscapes. we've seen it happen before. viewers have been sending us isee@nbcwashington.com. barbarañi harrison has been

getting the first look at all of those pictures and joins us now with them. >> incredible. it's obvious from the numbers of photos we've been getting, you amateur photographers have been inspired by the snowy scenes you've encountered today. tonight we're connecting with those viewers who captured beautiful, serene and silly moments out there today. they thought these sights were worth saving and we think they're worth sharing with you. let's take a look at them right now. this first one, right now the picture from joe brannon along a residential street. he took that this morning. next picture taken by tim harmon at his farm in middleburg, virginia. that beagle is having fun out there. we just hope that he believes the snow as clean and white as he found it. tim also took this picture, some horses enjoying the snow in middleburg, virginia. here's a view of charleston, west virginia. at least o house out there. it's the home of charles

washington, the half brother of george washington. sarah said it started snowing out there in charleston around 10:30 this morning. here we have a picture taken in fairfax. a humorous message for passers-by. it says warning, shoveling snow may cause a heart attack so get your neighbor to do it for you. another message, this one was in front of a church. it says whoever prayed for snow, please stop. >> too late now. >> it is a little too late now. somebody did the snow dance just a little too well. okay. there's a 2 1/2-year-old. that's wesley enjoying the snow in centerville. his mother sent his in. she said the snow is colored. she used food coloring to do that. >> that snowman has got to be left over from earer this week. >> yeah. if you want to send us your snow pictures, e-mail them to

isee@nbcwashington.com. we want to connect to you through those pictures. >> nice to have you with us.

we are now in the mild of a winter storm that could dump two feet or maybe even 30 inches of snow on the d.c. area.

good evening. i'm doreen gentzler. >> i'm jim van. bob, this sucker hasn't even warmed up yet. >> no, it hasn't. we had the warmth yesterday with temperatures in the 40s. that's why it was so sunny yesterday and the road surfaces warmed up. we are just seeing this storm in a way getting its act together and getting going. and because of the increasing winds later on tonight, look at the area under a blizzard warning. this is from the folks at the weather service. now including d.c., charles county, anne arundel. as the storm really intensifies, the lower part of chesapeake bay and off the capes will see northeasterly winds really increasing across the bay and including the district. so, again, those are the areas that are really going to be catching it. look at the blizzard warnings that extend -- this is almost unprecedented -- from new jersey into the coastal areas of delaware and then including around the