information for parents at our web site at datelinenbc.com. >> chris, thank you. >> thank you. >> that's all for this edition of this morning on "early today," super soaker. a slow-moving nor'easter dumps rain and even heavy wet snow on parts of the east. free on bond. the man accused in the trayvon martin shooting case is released from a florida jail. and man on a wire. an american daredevil performs a death-defying stunt in china. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. i'm lynn berry, and today we begin with spring snow. winter comes bass as a powerful nor'easter bringing snow to

parts of the country as well as heavy rain and a danger of flooding. nbc's meteorologist bill karins is here with the historic weather. good morning. >> as far as the sounds of breaking tree limbs go, that will be the worst of it today. that's the worst concern, people losing power for an extended period of time. we know how warm it's been this spring. in western pennsylvania and new york the leaves are full on the trees and that's where the snow is now coming down. it's doing to be a heavy wet snow. it started in most areas over the last couple of hours and intensify throughout the day today. all-day snow in the end of april from buffalo, ross chester, down western p.a. it's snowing as far as western portions of maryland and into west virginia. so as far as the areas of greatest concern, we're really here into western new york from the buffalo area out on 8 f to 390 and then back here to pittsburgh and state college on interstate 80 and on the pennsylvania turnpike will be some of the worst drives.

how much snow are we talking? for this time of year, this is really a historic snowstorm. we get snow this time of years but never this much we're looking at 6 to 12 inches. we'll given you the snow totals later in the show. this is really incredible. >> bill, thank you so much. we'll check back in with you in just a few moments. >> first, the former neighborhood watch captain charged with the second-degree murder in the death of florida teenager trayvon martin has been released from the county jail right around midnight eastern time and nbc's jay gray is in sanford, florida, with the very latest. jay. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lynn. this is where it happened. the waiting game ended as george zimmerman walked out of the jail here in seminole county as you talked about. it happened around midnight. he was carrying a small paper bag. there was a waiting suv, he got in that vehicle and drove away.

there's been a lot of speculation where he may go, what may happen. his attorneys say they have four or five locations where he could go. he will be in hiding basically. he will be out of the public eye obviously. there's still a lot of frustration, a lot of emotions involved in this case. we do know he has an electronic gps monitoring bracelet and sheriffs here tell us that bracelet will work anywhere in the united states, so he's mostly outside the state of florida. that's the latest on this story, lynn. back to you now. >> all right. jay gray for us there in florida. thank you, jay. well, nbc news has learned that investigators have found possible bits of forensic evidence in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old etan patz. dozens of items including strands of hair, a piece of paper and other possible evidence was found by investigators searching a new york city basement. the materiel will now be sent to a virginia lab. the boy's family has been told no human remains were found.

the basement, which was along the route at the time of the boy's disappearance was used as a workshop and storage space. now here's other news making news early today in america. in ohio police used tear gas to break up a crowd near kent state university. officers say an annual block party had gotten out of hand with students fighting and throwing beer bottles. some 3,000 people were on hand. more than 30 were arrested. in the nation's capital, a frightening attack was all captured on video. a pair of dogs possibly pit bulls began terrorizing two teenagers who climbed on top of a kaur for safety. one of the dogs leapt onto the car forcing one of the kids to jump off. a man who came to their rescue was attack by the animals while trying to stop them. police are looking for the dogs and their owners. investigators are looking at a man who opened fire on a police van recording video of

speeding drivers. the gunman who appeared to be wearing a night gown hit the unmanned vehicle three times but the camera did survive. the shooter is still on the loose. and finally it is not your typical late-night snack. kansas university set a guinness world record for the biggest plate of nachos. 80 feet long, 10 inches deep. i think it looks disgusting. 4,689 pounds of chips, cheese, and other fillings helped raise money for a local charity. looks like a tummy ache waiting to happen. >> stop. looking at your weather once again is bill karins. >> you can't put too much sour cream and salt on it because then it gets soggy. you have to keep it warm and crispy. >> how about some weather. >> good morning, everyone. after our soaker yesterday, the rain is moving north. the rain is going to be a dratdic improvement.

including north carolina anddel still have chances of showers and drizzles but nothing like the heavy rains of yesterday. even new york city to hartford to providence, the heavy rain has ended. the rain is quickly heading north. it's going to be north of the mass pike. even boston, your light rain and showery weather will continue. your heaviest rain already over with. our friending in vermont, new hampshire, and maine, you'll deal with rain. new york and pennsylvania, you'd deal with snow. the other story this weekend was the incredible heat. very warm from phoenix to denver. when the middle of montana is 85 degrees that's like summertime. that's a look at the national forecast. now here's look at the weather outside your window. today, new york city, drizzles and showers around. most of the around will be dry. the warm side of this storm. it's really back toward the great lakes where all the cold air is. even columbus, ohio, struggling

into the 50s. once again, i'll give you some updated snowfall totals for selected cities coming jup thanks. also coming up will apple drop even further? some big bucks company buys. >> and if you thought long distance air travel couldn't get faster. take a guess. your business headlines are straight ahead. box office business for one film topples "the hunger games" off its champion perch. the kings slay a giant, the flyers eye the penguins and a vicious el whoa that could change the face of the nba playoffs. you're watching "early today."

good morning and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry, and here are some of your top headlines this morning. the u.s. has agreed to a deal critical to the exit strategy in afghanistan. it ensures that americans will

provide military and financial support for afghanistans for at least a decade beyond the withdrawal deadline of 2014. the government accountability office wants the obama administration to cancel an $8 billion medicare bonus program. the gao says most of the money would go to medicare advantage insurance plans that are only rated average and would offset many of the initial cost cuts achieved by the new health care law. the trial of former presidential kaent john edwards starts today. opening arguments are expected in the case accusing edwards of illegal campaign funds in the 2008 campaigns. >> the u.s. supreme court hears arguments on the federal government's challenge to arizona's controversial immigration law which has sparked nationwide protests. and in china, american daredevil dean potter made a death-denying barefoot walk yesterday on a ropeline almost 6,000 feet high over a canyon

with no safety equipment. potter made the 1-3-1 foot crossing and then celebrated. i would imagine he did. and now here's an early look at one of your top health headlines on msnbc.com. scientists are learning more about that brain freeze, the experience of a near instantaneous headache brought on by ice cold ice cream or or liquid hitting the upper palate. . it appears to cut off blood flow to an area of the brain. new research could help with headache types. and for more information on this and other health stories, you can check out the health page msnbc.com. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 13,029 after adding 65 points on friday. the s&p was up points but the

nasdaq was down 7. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo the nikkei was down 19 points while in hong kong the hang seng dropped 386. another crush of corporate earnings will be sure to grab investors' attention this week. apple will be most closely watched after suffering a correction in the past ten trading days apple will also be tuned in to new data and prices and factory orders and the first estimates of first quarter economic growth. interest rates will be in focus after the federal reserve's two-day meeting. the central bank will update its take on the economy's health. walmart could be a prime short-selling target in the wake of a new york times report of widespread bribery and an alleged cover-up at its mexico unit. this morning asian markets were lowered despite the manufacturing data and successful imf fund-raising.

markets were rattled by instakt in denmark and first round elections in france favoring president sarkozy's socialist rival. u.s. necessarily is buying pfizer's infant nutrition business for under $12 billion. beam incorporated is buying pinnacle vodka for under $600 million. gas prices dropped for the first time in december falling 5 cents average 3g$.91 for a gallon of regular. the first ever nonstop flight between asia and boston arrives sunday at boston's logan airport. they expect round trip flights on its 787 dreamliner will save passengers six hours of travel time. would be nice. coming up, the penguins bite the dust, the bruins stay alive, and the knicks ground the hawks. plus after a sudden act of violence, you might expect to see in a hockey game, a los

angeles laker face as very long suspension. ouch. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. that's kind of the knockout punch we're dealing with in western pennsylvania and western new york. your historic snowfall report coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today."

and in sports last night in the nhl, the l.a. kings knocked out vancouver's top seeded canucks to move on to round two of the stanley cup playoffs. here's nbc's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. hi, there, good morning. before the stanley cup playoffs began the canucks and penguins were the odds-on favorites to meet in finals and today both teams are done. we'll start in vancouver where the kings needed overtime to take out the best team in the nhl. the canucks with a costly turnover and jarret stoll makes them play. kings send the canucks passing with a 2-1 win in o.t. they advance to play the st. louis in the second round of the playoffs. to filly where the flyers make quick work of the penguins, never looking back claude giroux scores just 32 seconds into the game. flyers up 2-0 after 1. they go on to win 5-1 and eliminate the penguins in six games. >> capitals also had a chance to

move on but the defending champs weren't having it. tyler seguin scores early in overtile. bruins live to play another day. they win 4-3 in overtime. a desize iive game seven is wednesday night. carmelo anthony had 37 points and the knicks needed every single one of them. melo for the lead gets it. knicks win 113-112. they have a half game lead on philly for seventh place in the east. and finally to los angeles for a game that had a little bit of nothing. meta world peace with a dufrmg. then he slams james harden, elbows him in the brace. mwp says he was just celebrating. if's a celebration, e'd hate to see him mad. he will likely be suspended. harden wasn't the only one who hit the deck. kobe bryant takes out an entire row of seats. thankfully everyone was okay. he goes down knocking down fans to knocking down shots chls 8 of his 26 comes in the extra

periods. lakers win a wild one, 114-106 in omt t. and that's your look at sports on "early today." i'm mario solis. well, everything taylor swift has big plans for the silver screen. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, cats. they come in all shapes and sizes but coming up we're going to show you the ultimate extreme feli feline. you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today." i thought i was done with these snowfall maps but here it is. jamestown, new york could be the bull eyes eye. 8 to 12 inches. youngstown, ohio, 4 to 8. johnstown, 4 toll 8. buffalo, 4 to 8. pittsburgh, 2 to 4. it's going be a close call. i don't think we'll get much accumulations. the tree limbs is what we're worried about. rochester, new york, and erie, pennsylvania, also 2 to 4 inches of snow. well, if you're watching us on lex 18 lexington, kentucky, explore the uses of creatures and mythology and animal facts, fairy tals and fixes, and that's your "early today" event of the day, lynn. thank you so much. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. two date movies way above expectations final put "the hunger games"s out of the box office. i think of think like a man with

$33 million. >> overachiever. >> i know. it produced about $13 million. it took in nearly that much on friday alone. the lucky one starring zac efron in an adaptation of nicholas sparks' romance novemberle took in $33 million. and "the hunger games" dropped down to third. it took in $14.5 million. the documentary chimpanzee opened impressively in fourth with $10 million. >> the reviews are great. >> it looks adore joobl on the other box office note, "battle ship" which opened here may 18 ruled overseas for the second sfrat weekend earning $58 million. making certain it will take in $200 million before opening in one american theater. not bad. finally variety reports taylor smith may get her first big dramatic roll playing singer

joanie mitchell. >> that's a tough one. >> she sings so bub employ and cheery. >> you're saying joanie mitchell is not bubbly and cheery? reading through the lines, lynn ber berry. and this comes to us from koib eyewitness news in new mexico where in nearby santa fe, they'd like you to help a real fat cat whose name is me you. and he may have had one too many meals hchl's a bus one. the plus size pet ways 33 pounds, more than three times heavier than a 2-year-old. an animal shelter is look to give him a new home but only after trimming him down. they're putting him on a slow diet. they plan to upgrade graid his progress on social media, so stand by. i'm lynn berry. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station.

we begin with breaking news. the man accused of shooting trayvon martin is a free man after posting $150,000 bail. no word on where he's going. it's being kept secret for his safety. a live report coming up in mints. good morning, everyone, thanks for joining us, i'm angie goff in for eun yang. >> and i'm in for aaron gilchrist. they both have the day off. welcome to "news4 today" on this wet and chilly april 23. we have a lot going on including

breaking news on the roads. the outer loop of the beltway in silver spring is closed due to a serious accident. >> it happened between colesville road and georgia avenue. we want to check in with matt to find out the latest. a real mess, matt. >> reporter: at this point, everything remains shut down on the outer loop. it is past colesville road, 29, a double tractor-trailer there. it looks like this is going to be with us for a while. you can jump off on university, take that over to georgia, georgia back down to the outer loop. that will get you around the problem. a few extra minutes. we are starting says to see the delays form at 29. that's going to be backing up to university shortly. new hampshire before you know it. once again, if you can wade through the mess, stick with university over to georgia, georgia back down to the beltway. and then you will bypass the problem completely. elsewhere, not too much to worry about. no construction at this point on the south side beltway. we've got a good go as you head from van dorn to the wilson bridge. seven minutes at an average of 58 miles per hour. back to you both.