on this saturday night, the blizzard of 2013. tens of millions paralyzed by the worst snowstorm to hit the northeast in years. tonight, the deep impact, from hundreds stranded on the roads in life-threatening conditions to hundreds of thousands left without power. to those forced from their homes on the coast. we have the region covered on this night after the deadly storm. plus, the manhunt. tonight, are authorities any closer to finding the rogue ex-police officer terrorizing southern california? six days after he began his alleged killing spree.

and hydea's story. the 15-year-old girl who has become a powerful force in the battle against gun violence. good evening. folks in many parts of the northeast will be talking about this one for years to come. the winter storm of 2013. a deadly blizzard that halted millions in their tracks, and left others along the coast fleeing to higher ground. tonight at least nine deaths are being attributed to the storm. more than half a million homes and businesses are without power. crews are removing stranded cars from highways. and airports across the region are struggling to reopen. in all five states saw snow totals over three feet. hamden, connecticut recorded 40 inches. it happened just as forecasters had predicted. two weather systems, one coming out of the west, one from the

south, colliding over this region and creating a giant snowmaker. we have correspondents positioned up and down the northeast coast, and al roker starts us off in hard-hit boston. al, good evening. >> good evening, lester. the winds are howling. the snow has stopped. people struggling to get things back together again. so what we're expecting right now is a town that's finally coming back to life. even though it didn't equal the 1978 blizzard, this one is still one for the record books. people in massachusetts woke up to more than two feet of snow this morning. bringing much of the state to a standstill. >> it's typical new england snow day. >> right now it's probably close to three feet. >> reporter: the massive blizzard, with hurricane force winds, knocked power out to hundreds of thousands of customers. logan airport getting its fifth largest snowfall on record, nearly 25 inches. there's no amtrak service between new york and boston. and mounds of snow blanket the

slippery roads. >> the state police and the national guard have been out in force and working in tandem. >> reporter: on the northeast coast, the high tide, combined with howling winds, and snow, sprintered decks from ocean front homes, washing them out to sea. authorities went door-to-door this morning, issuing evacuation orders to dozens of people in salisbury beach, one of the many hard-hit coastal communities. in hope, just east of boston, huge waves crashed over a seawall. sending rivers of water flowing through the streets. the state driving ban's been lifted but public transportation in boston remains suspended. governor duvall patrick urging people to stay off the roads. >> hi, everybody. stay in and off the roads, and let those who are clearing the snow and helping us recover and restore ourselves to normal do their jobs. >> reporter: people, though, are looking for creative ways to get around. skiing. >> they just need a chair lift down here.

>> reporter: even kayaking. it's cold. and not always comfortable. but folks are trying to make the most of it, as cleanup continues in this snow-covered state. lester, last night -- early this morning at 3:00 a.m., worcester emts and massachusetts national guards helped deliver at home a little baby girl noelle. and i have a sense that in about nine months there are going to be a lot more deliveries in this region. back to you. >> maybe we should check back then. al roker tonight in boston starting us off. thanks. as we noted at the top, connecticut had some of the highest snow totals, and in neighboring rhode island, power is a big issue there. nbc's ron allen and ron mott are in those states. ron allen, let's begin with you. >> good evening, lester. the conditions here are getting better but it's still somewhat dangerous because there's just so much snow everywhere as you can see. late today the governor lifted the ban on traveling the roads, but he like governor patrick in

massachusetts, is still warning the safest course of action for everyone is to just stay home. it took four guys with shovels and a lot of grit to get just one car unstuck this morning. connecticut woke up to whiteout conditions. with several communities buried under more than three feet of snow. the deepest, 40 inches in hamden. >> it's been really hectic. we've been shoveling up in the front of the mall, and it's taking a lot of work. >> reporter: overnight, the blizzard was intense. dumping several inches of snow each hour. >> we've had no snow for multiple years so everybody forgot how to drive in it. >> this has been a record-breaking storm. >> reporter: through the day, bradley international airport remained closed, blanketed by nearly two feet of snow. state officials banned vehicles from every road. to keep the way open for emergency workers. like this long convoy of utility trucks from north carolina. but officials say abandoned vehicles blocking roadways has been one of the biggest challenges as the state tries to dig out.

the snow piled up so fast, even this huge plow got stuck and needed a tow. during a 24-hour period, at the height of the storm, state police say they received some 1600 calls for help. >> clearly it's a lot of snow that's out here. i don't really think it's that much worse than new englanders had to deal with many times. >> reporter: everywhere hardy new englanders were digging out and trying to deal with the aftermath of this historic winter blast. ron allen, nbc news, hartford. >> this is ron mott in providence, rhode island. power to the people. those were the marching orders today for electric crews taking advantage of daylight to start getting homes across rhode island out of the dark and cold. at one point, nearly 40% of the homes and businesses served by the state's largest electric utility, national grid, were affected. 187,000 in all. >> it's a bad storm. >> reporter: before lifting a travel ban late this afternoon, governor lincoln chafee implored residents to do their part, by

yielding the roads. >> please stay off the streets. all rhode islanders stay off the streets because we need our national grid crews to get to work to get this power back on. >> reporter: high winds, paired with heavy, wet snow, he said, proved a bad combination for trees and power lines. help has come from afar. as far as tennessee in this instance. >> we're working pretty hard. we're working 16-hour shifts. so, i mean, in this weather, that's tough. >> reporter: though not record-breaking snowfall totals across rhode island were substantial. topping the list, west gloucester, 27.6 inches. 21 inches in pawtucket, another 20 in warwick. the biggest city, providence, weighed in with 19.5. impressive numbers, even by this canadian transplant standard's. >> typically i have not seen this much snow fall in years. >> reporter: and while many residents appeared to heeded call to stay indoors, some couldn't resist the call to enjoy the wintry scenery. >> we enjoyed some lightning strikes nearby around town. we were out walking last night,

as well. hopefully people are just coming to the to get through the storm. >> temperatures around rhode island tonight are expected to plunge into the single digits. a windchill of 10 below in places. heating centers are open so people don't have to spend a second night in the cold. and national grid says it hopes to have just about everyone powered back up by midnight monday. >> ron mott, thanks to you. and ron allen, as well. while new york city, where we are, were spared a crippling punch from this storm, that was not the case just to the east of us on long island where hundreds of drivers got stuck in some pretty deep snow. nbc's anne thompson is in holtsville, new york, tonight. ann, good evening. >> good evening, lester. this scene is being repeated up and down a 40 mile stretch of the eastern section of the long island expressway. vehicles littered the roadway, and the exit ramps, making clearing that much more difficult. 63 miles east of manhattan, long island's busiest highway turned into a vehicle wasteland.

>> everyone knew this storm was coming. why hasn't -- why weren't they prepared for it? >> reporter: here and throughout long island, dozens of drivers needed to be rescued. some suffering from hypothermia after spending the night in the bitter cold. four wheel drive helped but it wasn't always enough where new york looked like alaska. cars abandoned friday night were plowed under or drifted shut. a trucker discovered before dawn, exits were no route to safety. >> they don't see the highways. >> reporter: more than two feet of snow proved to be too much for mere plows. this job required the heavy equipment. comparatively, new york city weathered the blizzard well. >> oh, wow! >> reporter: returning to its hurried pace by midday. >> we've gotten through this, looks like we dodged a bullet. >> reporter: on long island, it was nature in contrast. her beauty, and her frustration.

this abandoned jeep at 1:30 this morning. >> i got home. my wife had to throw blankets on me. my clothes were all wet. wrt with a crew of friends he worked to rescue his vehicle. >> go, go. >> reporter: a day of inconvenience, ending with small victory. now, tonight local police are urging residents to stay off the roads. the roads are quite icy. the state has sent some 800 snow plows here to this section of long island. but they actually have extra crews. so new york's governor has sent those extra crews to massachusetts and connecticut. as for power outages, there are about 8,000 households in the state of new york that are without power tonight. most of them are here on long island. lester? >> pretty remarkable pictures there tonight, anne, thanks. beyond the roads, today was a travel nightmare in the new york area for anyone who had planned to fly or take the train. nbc's rehema ellis is at laguardia airport with more on that. rehema, good evening to you. >> reporter: good evening,

lester. new york airports are getting back to the business of flying. but air travel is still far from normal tonight. there were more than 1800 cancellations at new york airports alone over the past few days, because of the storm. at one laguardia airport, about 20 stranded passengers spent the night sleeping on cots provided by the airlines. a few others camped out on the floor. the airport was virtually deserted. today, crews worked to dig out from under nearly a foot of snow at laguardia to get some flights operating again. amtrak passengers traveling between new york and boston, however, had no luck at all. as train service on that route was shut down again today. passengers we spoke to have been extremely patient and extremely understanding about all this. many of them saying it's because they had plenty of warning about what to expect. lester? >> all right, rehema, thanks. just where is this storm right now? the view from above shows it continues to head northeast out of maine and into canada. but this being the middle of

winter another storm is never far behind. weather channel meteorologist jim cantore is in boston with more on that. jim, good evening. >> good evening, lester. just as soon as the blizzard warnings for this storm go down, the new ones have come up for the plains states. six states here stretching all the way from kansas out up in through nebraska, including minnesota, minneapolis under a winter storm warning here. this area should start precipitation tonight in the rockies, and it should rapidly spread out of the plains states. as we get into sunday, though, you'll notice north damage to, south dakota, minnesota dealing with all of this snow. we are expecting 6 to 10 inches in minneapolis. 50 to 60-mile-per-hour winds. there will also be a severe side to this, too, lester. there could be tornadoes in louisiana, mississippi, and also in to alabama. as we move into monday, no rest for the weary up here. that same storm moves right overhead. boston, providence, hartford, portland, maine, who had a record-setting snowfall today, will not be dealing with snow this time, we feel it's going to

be more of an ice storm here. so the second big dig here in boston, if you will, needs to be completed in 36 hours, because on top of that, we've got a layer of ice to come. >> wouldn't you know it. jim cantore, thanks. when "nbc nightly news" continues on this saturday, lots of other news. that manhunt. new images of the ex-police officer wanted in the killing of three people in california. we'll show them to you. and remembering the 15-year-old girl who performed at the president's inauguration, and became a victim of gun violence. at his current pace, ] bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. yeah. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. ok. [ voice of dennis ] silence. are you in good hands?

it's part of what younnis ] slove about her.essing. but your erectile dysfunction - you know, that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

we're back now with new details tonight on the other big story that's gripping much of the nation. the manhunt for that former los angeles police officer accused of killing three people in ref edge shootings earlier this week. nbc's miguel almaguer is live outside lapd headquarters. miguel, good evening. >> lester, good evening. lapd headquarters is a fortress. what the suspect may consider a high value target. he's been on the run now for three days in what police consider one of the largest manhunts in state history. tonight, new surveillance photos of murder suspect christopher dorner, one week before the killing spree began. at his mother's home just outside of los angeles, detectives served a search warrant, bagged evidence, but make no arrests. >> we're looking for any evidence that would lead us to dorner's whereabouts. >> reporter: 100 miles away, helicopters with heat-seeking technology comb the snowy mountains over big bear. but the trail here has gone

cold. after a three-day sweep of some 600 cabins, the only sign of the former lapd officer, and accused cop killer, were his foot prints which led nowhere, and his burntz-out truck. >> this is a deviant person who has the capacity, the knowledge, and i think is extremely creative. he has the police going a hundred different ways right now. >> officer shot multiple times. >> reporter: with dorner accused of murdering three and targeting many more in a chilling manifesto, law enforcement officers have been named a target. with nerves rattled, lapd has put six officers on administrative leave after they opened fire on a vehicle thursday, thought to be dorner's. a 71-year-old mother and her daughter, shot multiple times by police, are now recovering. their attorney says the truck description was never close. >> color didn't match. the model didn't match. the make didn't match. they're looking for a larger black man. these are two, older, hispanic,

petite women. >> reporter: from the mexico border to los angeles, there have been dozens of false sightings of dorner. >> he's lapd blue from top to bottom. >> reporter: former lapd chief bill bratton led the department when dorner was fired for making false statements. >> i now have the opportunity to look at three significant profiles on him. he is a very deranged, sick individual. as the world closes in on him, he becomes even more dangerous, because he's lost his ability to control events. >> reporter: tonight a region on edge, and an accused cop killer still on the run. with police on tactical alert across this region tonight, men and women in uniform, as well as the community, are remembering one of the first victims killed, monica quan's father was a former captain here at lapd. a heartbreaking day here at headquarters, as police search for a killer. lester? >> all right, miguel, thank you. up next, the first lady among those honoring a

15-year-old girl who lost her life to gun violence. [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. our financial advice is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings retirement advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. call 877-242-usaa. [ male announcer ] pain not sitting too well? burning to feel better? itching for relief? preparation h offers the most maximum strength solutions for all hemorrhoid symptoms. from the brand doctors recommend most. preparation h. don't stand for hemorrhoids. but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help

significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. you know, from our 4,000 television commercials. yep, there i am with flo. hoo-hoo! watch it! [chuckles] anyhoo, 3 million people switched to me last year,

saving an average of $475. [sigh] it feels good to help people save... with great discounts like safe driver, multicar, and multipolicy. so call me today. you'll be glad you did. cannonbox! [splash!] a poignant reminder today of the toll that gun violence is taking on this nation. the president will touch on the issue in his state of the union address on tuesday, and today, the first lady was among those who gathered in chicago to say good-bye to hidiya pendleton, killed just a week after performing at the president's

inauguration. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker has more. >> reporter: lester, good evening. the first lady is back at the white house tonight after traveling to her hometown to attend that funeral. it was an emotional afternoon that underscored just how fought the battle over gun violence is in this country. ♪ in chicago, a day of mourning for 15-year-old haddia pendleton. >> your angel has become the face, and the tragic reality of this epidemic of gun violence. >> reporter: first lady michelle obama was there to comfort a community still in shock, and a mother in the grips of grief. >> no mother, no father, should ever have to experience this. >> reporter: pendleton, a majorette -- >> i'm hadiya -- >> reporter: performed in events surrounding the president's inauguration, and was shot to death just a few days later. and while there were remembrances today.

>> on that day, the last thing i saw before they put her in the ambulance was her smiling, and from heaven above, i know that each day she's smiling down on all of us. >> reporter: there were also demands for action. >> we can put a man on the moon but we can't come together to figure this situation out. >> reporter: the funeral comes on the eve of the president's state of the union address. when he plans to reiterate his push for stiffer gun laws, which includes universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons, and limits on high-capacity magazines. but this week, mr. obama acknowledged the political reality. >> there are regional differences here. and we should respect those. >> reporter: political analysts say the measures will be hard to get through congress. >> and that's just not because of republican opposition to it. there are many democrats up in swing states where gun rights are quite important and are seen as part of the culture. >> reporter: but on chicago's south side today, young voices called on adults to do something. >> we have to stop the violence. it sounds different coming from

adults than it does from another teen, and i say to you, we have to stop it now. >> reporter: senior administration officials say in his state of the union address, the president will talk about gun violence and immigration, but they say the speech will focus largely on the economy, and creating jobs for the middle class. lester? >> all right, kristen. we want to remind folks leading up to the state of the union address, nbc news is launching a special week-long look at gun violence. gun ownership. and gun legislation. it's called flashpoint, guns in america. it kicks off right here on this broadcast tomorrow evening. one note from overseas tonight, an egyptian court has sentenced four men to prison for a year for the attack on the u.s. embassy during protests over an anti-islam film in cairo last september. the men were charged with trespassing, and destruction of property. after scaling the embassy walls and tearing down the american flag. when we come back here tonight, a different perspective on the blizzard of 2013.

you kno? a talking car. but i'll tell you what impresses me. a talking train. this ge locomotive can tell you exactly where it is, what it's carrying, while using less fuel. delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. ♪ after all, what's the point of talking if you don't have something important to say? ♪ iwhy let constipation somethingstry miralax.?say? mirlax works differently than other laxatives. it draws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to feel great. miralax. hey america, even though slisa rinna is wearing the depend silhouette briefs for charity to prove how great the fit is even under a fantastic dress. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. we invite you to get a free sample and try one on too.

begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. but, dad, you've got... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. with accident forgiveness, they guarantee your rates won't go up just because of an accident. smart kid. [ voice of dennis ] indeed. are you in good hands? to take a centrum silver multivitamin every day. i told him, sure. can't hurt, right? then i heard this news about a multivitamin study looking at long-term health benefits for men over 50. the one they used in that study...

centrum silver. that's what i take. my doctor! he knows his stuff. [ male announcer ] centrum. the most recommended. most preferred. most studied. centrum, always your most complete. finally tonight, as the northeast recovers from this blizzard, looking at some of the feeds across twitter today, we're reminded that a lot of us see snow through different lenses. for example, the snow made quite an impression for this homeowner. or maybe we should say their door made quite an impression on the snow that had gathered on their front porch. here's one toddler who won't be venturing out. at least not until the snow melts below his chin or he grows another foot. we're not sure if this woman was

posing or frozen in place. for the sake of argument let's say frozen in place for this pooch's ears. for some of us, all this snow was something to take a huge delight in. let it snow, let it snow. but if all this makes you miserable, well you're in good company. i don't know if this guy believes in santa, but right about now he is seriously questioning that darn groundhog. and his prediction of an early spring. remember that? that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today." then right back here tomorrow evening. good night.