it is bitterly cold outside right now in the d.c. region. >> you can feel it, boy. >> you can. good morning, everyone at 4:30. i'm aaron gilchrest. . >> i'm eun yang. we have school closes and delays. d.c. public schools will open on time. in maryland, prince george's, montgomery, howard, charles, and frederick county schools will open two hours late. as will anne arundel and washington county schools. calvert and st. mary schools are closed today. >> in virginia, fairfax, loudoun, prince william county schools. arlington county and alexandria will open two hours late. falls chur falls church city schools will open two hours late. >> in virginia, clarke, focus, frederick, king george, and warren schools are closed. the same for winchester, fredericksburg, and shenandoah county. >> in west virginia, berkeley, hampshire, jefferson, and morgan county schools are closed. hardy county schools will open two hours late. if you missed one or didn't see

your school listed, a complete list is at the bottom of the screen and on nbcwashington.com. 4:31. time for weather & traffic on the 1s. let's get the latest on this deep freeze with storm team 4 meteorologist amelia seigel. good morning. >> good morning. our temperatures are going to remain below freezing. 32 degrees until saturday. this morning, bundle up. be cautious for black ice. what happened yesterday with all of the sunshine, we did have melting during the day. and that melting quickly refroze overnight. so again, this morning especially on the secondary roads and sidewalks, you could be dealing with some spots of black ice. temperatures right now, the single digits and teens. washington, now dropped down to 14 degrees. we're at seven in gaithersburg. here's your planner for areas like gaithersburg. we can pull it out on the map. throughout the day today, over the next 12 hours. as the sun comes up, we're looking at partly sunny skies. look at the temperature. only 13 degrees. 10:00 a.m., plenty of clouds.

temperatures still only in the teens. getting around the midday and afternoon hours. some light snow showers or flurries are possible. but little or no accumulation. what also happens this afternoon, our winds pick up. we'll be dealing with windchill temperatures. in ten minutes i'll look at how it will feel outside this afternoon as temperatures warm into the low to mid 20s. danella, how are the roads right now? i'm checking an incident in frederick, maryland. so there was initial accident, hit and run. this was i-70 and i-40. police caught up with the suspect. this is on i-270 at 80. traveling southbound and northbound, watch out for the police lights and activity in that area. over to i-66 outside the beltway, 234. in fact, from haymarket heading all the way inside the beltway through the rosslyn tunnel, not tracking delays on 66 or accidents. i'm back in ten minutes. back to you. >> we'll see you then. danella just showed the highways. now we want it show what many

neighborhoods look like now. the deep freeze that settled in overnight has a lot of side streets still in rough shape this morning. some icy patch out there. news4's megan mcgrath is driving some of those streets in the hard-hit loudoun county area now. good morning. >> reporter: well, yeah. a lot of the side streets are very icy. anything that was down, any kind of slush, any kind of moisture, it has all frozen. take a look at our live camera here. and you can get a female for this is the driveway leading to mooreview field elementary school in ashburn. you see how covered it is. all of the slush has frozen. you can perhaps see it glistening here in the light. very, very slippery. and this, of course, is the concern this morning. and that's why loudoun county has canceled school not just again today but also for tomorrow. the real concern is the kids getting safely to school. they've got conditions like it on school property. certainly this is now packed

down and it rock solid. it will be difficult to get this up when it's as cold as it is. they'll give it time, wait for temperatures to come up. and for things to thaw out. that's why the kids are not going to school for the rest of the week in loudoun county. you see we're headed out into the neighborhood here. better on this street alongside the experiment here -- the apartments here. not perfect. we're seeing icy conditions and frozen slush. it is extremely cold out here. we're going to see the slick conditions for a while. eun, back to you. >> megan mcgrath in ashburn. thank you. 4:34. today the fate of your child's make-up snow days may be decided. the alexandria city school board will vote on the issue of whether to make up snow days tonight at 7:00. currently the alexandria school system is set to add on days through the end of the year. tonight's vote will decide whether or not to use planned professional development days which have been scheduled for several upcoming fridays.

that way would not interfere with the summer break as much. you can find critical weather and traffic alerts with school closings and delays on your smartphone with our "news4 today" app. you can download that from our app store, set your alarm to aaron's voice maybe. 4:35 the time now. several streets will be closed in upper marlboro to allow for final respects to be paid to fallen prince george's county police officer james "doc" brooks. sorry, this is -- right. brooks was a 20-year veteran of the force. he suffered a medical emergency while on duty a little over a week ago. he was with the fire department, not the police department. highway was winterizing boats and the station ahead of the cold weather. his procession will start on alexandria ferry road and move through the area, driving past several locations like fire and ems stations and the marina, as well. this could impact your commute with portions of allentown road and crane highway being closed

off. today the man convicted of shooting and killing redskins star sean taylor will learn how long he will spend in prison. a judgeduled to sentence 23-year-old eric rivera in miami. he was convicted of second-degree murder in november. he told police that he and some other men broke in to the nfl player's home to steal cash. they shot taylor when he confronted them with a machete. rivera says someone else fired the fatal shot. he faces a maximum of life in prison. it is 4:36. today president obama will speak to mayors from some of the country's largest cities. they're here for the u.s. conference of mayors' winter meeting. vice president biden will be at the meeting, as well. supreme court justice sonia sotomayor will be at george washington university today. she'll speak at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new jacob burns community legal clinics. free money to pay for college. we'll tell you how much and what students in our area could soon get to see the cash. and right now, we're looking at calm winds. they will increase this afternoon.

so we'll be factoring in a windchill temperature. i'll tell you how it will feel later today coming up. and how all this cold weather may actually benefit those of you trying to watch your weight. [ wind howling ] [ female announcer ] it balances you... [ water crashing ] ...it fills you with energy... to live a more natural life. in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley... delicious granola bars made with the best ingredients in nature. nature valley. nature at its most delicious.

4:39 now. and 16 degrees at reagan national airport. you on tower cam showing the view of northwest -- our tower cara showing the view of northwest washington. snow covered. >> the freezing cold weather may

help you if you're trying to lose weight. according to dutch researchers, spending time in colder climates helps you burn more calories. when your body is cold, it works harder to warm itself up. the harder it works the more calories you burn. according to their theory, if you set your thermostat to 62 degrees for two hours a day, you can decrease your body fat over six weeks. did you hear that? >> yeah, right. >> 62 degree is pretty cold. what do you set yours -- i'm afraid to ask. >> pepco loves me this time of year. that's all i can say. >> still in the 70s is what i want to know. >> all day long. >> one of the benefits of the cold. >> storm team 4 meteorologist ameetingia siegel is here to detail the forecast -- amelia seigel is here to detail the forecast. between now and friday we'll be losing weight across the area. temperatures are going to remain very, very cold. we're averaging highs 20 degrees below where they normally would

be. right now, 14 degrees is the temperature. throughout the morning hours, we stay in the teens until about 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m., 20 degrees, partly sunny skies. do be cautious of slick spots from melting yesterday. and then quick refreezing last night. now, this afternoon, there's the chance of some scattered, light snow showers. little or no accumulation. and this is how it will feel this afternoon at 3:30. it will feel about 16 in washington. six in winchester, 19 in fredericksburg. i'll be taking a look at friday's forecast in ten minutes. for now, danella, how are the roads looking? well, still checking police activity, other than this, it's clear in the area. here's what i'm looking at. i-270 southbound at 180, police activity to the shoulder lane. the trip around the beltway, seeing accidents or delays. you do want to watch for possible icy conditions. i'll give you a live look now. this is at colesville road. in fact, outer loop, inner loop,

both clear heading through prince george's county, clear, as well. the trip in virginia, no accidents around the beltway. >> see you then. thank you. it was a massive fire that destroyed an old school in virginia. what an nfl player is doing to replace what was lost inside. and it's a classic in children's television. now changes may be on the way for "sesame street." lingering problem from this winter storm.

4:44. a hidden view of why many schools are delayed today and closed even. this is a live look at the wilson bridge. main roads like this one can be deceiving. for the most part they're clear of ice and snow. it is a different story on those side streets. many school systems decided to just keep the buses parked for now. very slick out there in spots. the cold weather is putting travel plans on ice this morning. amtrak is running a modified

schedule with several lines like the acela canceling several runs. news4's richard jordan is live at union station now with more on what these cancelations mean for the travelers. richard, good morning. >> reporter: hi. good morning, there are two cities, two big cities that are facing cancelations and sold-out trains this morning. it's boston and new york. not a surprise really. amtrak is expecting that because of the weather they might have trouble reaching those destinations. that's why they've taken precautions. the boston acela 5:00 train this morning is canceled. and then we've got two trains to new york, a 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 also canceled this morning. because of the cancelations, a lot of passage verse had to rebook. trains that are running to boston and new york, many of them are extremely crowded, and some are, of course, sold out now. amtrak did put this out yesterday. they anticipated this, they put the alert out to the passengers who were booked on these trains. and that's why many people have had the opportunity now to

rebook which is why you're going to see congestion later on in the day to new york and boston. amtrak is also offering some of its passengers refunds or vouchers if they don't want to take trips today. really, just two big cities that are experiencing problems on the rails this morning. it's boston and new york. if you're planning on heading out to either of those cities this morning, y'all want to check ahead before you come out it union station. reporting live at union station for news4. 4:46. football fans hope the new york city area warms up by next weekend. this is what metlife stadium in new jersey looks like now. it's hosting the super bowl a week from sunday. the nfl made sure yesterday it could get the stadium ready for the big game if another winter storm hits the area. workers practiced removing more than a foot of snow in less than 18 hours. the league says it is confident it can get the stadium ready even if a storm hits next saturday. you won't find some tickets to next sunday's game on stub hub or any other ticket broker website. the nfl will make 1,000 tickets

available at $500 each. fans can't get the tickets until they get through security at the game. the goal is to make sure people actually show up and make sure tickets aren't resold at much higher prices. today, baltimore ravens' st star tori smith will help donate school supplies to colonial beach elementary. the building next to the school burned down january 5th. for the past two years, it has housed splaz fupplies for the s many of which were destroyed in the fire. options public charter school in the district could close. its former managers are accused of diverting millions of dollars meant for students. the goal is to find a way to keep the school open through the end of next school year. the school teaches at-risk youth. most of its students have emotional or learning disability or have had legal problems. the d.c. council will

discuss a bill that could make it easier to pay for your kids' college tuition. it would create a scholarship program called the d.c. promise. it would provide grants to students in d.c. public, charter, and private schools. they could receive up to $60,000 to go to college. one family that earnsies are than $250 -- earns less than $250,000 a year would be eligible. later today, howard university is launchation new state-of-the-art medical center -- launch a new state-of-the-art medical center. it's along w street northwest and will provide medical training to more than 800 students. the cutting edge facility features an operating room suite, life-sized interactive mannequins that breathe, have pulses, and can be programmed to sweat and bleed. one mannequin even delivers a baby. the grant opening is set for 6:00 tonight. you in numbers just in to the newsroom show the flu is still a major problem in virginia. more than 3% of patients in emergency rooms and urgent care centers in the commonwealth now have flu-like symptoms according to the virginia department of

health. one young child in northern virginia even died from the flu. cookie monster is trading in his favorite treat for more fruits and vegetables. >> cookies! >> some "sesame street" muppets are getting a mini makeover as part of a project to improve kids' health. 1/3 of u.s. children and teens are obese and overweight. many don't get enough exercise. the project is aimed at 3 to 5-year-olds, parents and teachers will be able to promote exercise using "sesame" shorkshop to produce videos, songs, posters, and activities. i do understand the message behind it. i am completely on board. we want to promote healthy eating. but cookie needs a cookie once in a while. >> "c" is for celery doesn't work. you teach moderation early, too. you can have a cookie. you just can't have one every day three times a day. >> i'd like it eat like that, but i don't. >> you have to learn better. let's look outside now. 4:49 the time. as we pan across the d.c.

skyline, we're expecting some fairly clear skies this morning. >> that's right. storm team 4 meteorologist amelia seigel to tell us more about the cold temperatures and what's happening in the weather. good morning. good morning. yesterday it was a record cold day. today it's going to be cold. we're not going to set records, but who's counting it? cold enough. exactly. we are looking at breezy conditions this afternoon. right now, though, the winds aren't an issue. what you are dealing with right now, potentially areas of ice. with that full sunshine yesterday, we did get melting across the area. then as the sun went down, everything quickly refroze. so you could be dealing with some slick spots this morning. you do want to be cautious of that. temperatures right now in the teens and single digits. we're coming in at 14 in washington. nine in camp springs. three right now in leesburg. the warmest jacket you have once again today. and you'll need it for tomorrow, as well. not only are we cold today, but there's the chance of some light snow around the midday and

afternoon hours. so let's walk you through it with future weather. 6:00 a.m., looking at for the most part mainly clear skies. partly sunny skies getting into the late morning hours at 10:00 a.m. look at what happens around noon. future weather bringing in very light, scattered snow across the area. that threat lingering until about 4:00 p.m. but as quickly as it gets here, it is gone. really little or no accumulation with the snow potential. the commute is looking dry today. and temperatures will once again drop like a rock tonight. here's your planner throughout the day -- 11:00 a.m., we're at 22 degrees. our high of 26 this afternoon. it will be breezy this afternoon. by 7:00, back on into the low 20s. another cold night in store. and when you factor in the winds, this is how it will feel during the afternoon and evening hours. temperatures will feel like they're in the teens and single digits. feeling about 19 in fredericksburg at 3:00 this afternoon. 10:00, it's feeling about one

below zero in leesburg, frederick, and hagerstown. tomorrow morning, your friday morning, heading off to work, it is another cold start. washington, the windchill temperature tomorrow morning around zero. gaithersburg, five below zero. even further back to the west, areas like petersburg and winchester tomorrow morning about seven degrees below zero. and a high temperature tomorrow of only 22. i guess the silver lining tomorrow is we are looking at plenty of sunshine. for saturday, we finally make it above 32 degrees. a breezy day with the chance of snow mainly later in the day. once again, we're looking at little or no snow accumulation. saturday -- excuse me, sunday and monday, we're right at or just above freezing for a high temperature. the arctic air returns next tuesday and wednesday with high temperatures in the mid 20s. how are the roads right now? >> still clear for folks waking up in the district. nice, easy commute. the only thing i'm warning guys to look out for is still the

black ice. you do want to keep your speeds down. as far as accidents in the district, not tracking any at this time. we're going to head to route 50 in maryland. making the commute in bowie. again, clear both directions. east and westbound. continuing all the way to new york avenue. this is a live look new york and bladensburg. again, incoming traffic. that's what we're looking at now, getting by nice and easy. outgoing traffic, again, even clearer. i'm back in ten minutes. we'll check the rails then. back to you. >> we will see you then. thank you. 4:53. the humane society hopes to reduce the deer population in futurecast with a new method. the first of its kind project for the state will have the city work with a contractor to tranquilize does and use a surgical procedure to remove their ovaries. it's been used in baltimore, california, and new york. the humane society is donating $3,000 to the project. a study that proves texting while walking is not as easy as it sounds. plus, a big day for d.c. as

the washington auto show begins. the big donation to benefit the city announced just as cars

samsung and h.h. gregg are teaming up to get your home ready for the big game. get close to all the action and save 1500 dollars on samsung's ultra high definition 4k led tv. plus, samsung 60-inch led tvs start at only $999. and samsung 55-inch led tvs start at just $799. get to h.h. gregg now, your samsung headquarters for the big game.

see it all at h.h. gregg.com. a local break for hundreds of drivers. drivers will be getting a refund after being ticketed for speeding in prince george's county. the camera is -- the camera in question was near the st. ignatius loyola school along

brinkley road in ft. washington. of removed this month after police realized that an advertisement about the installation was never printed in the local newspaper. according to state law, police have to advertise camera locations in the paper. since the camera's installment, the county has issued more than 2,000 $40 tickets. nearly 1,500 violations will be refunded. the rest of the tickets will be voided. there's one way to get out of the cold today. head to the 2014 washington auto show. it opens at the washington convention center, runs through february 2nd. tickets, $12 for adults, $5 for kids between 6 and 12. kids under 5 or 5 under under get in for free. g.m. giving more than just a look at its new cars at the show this year. the general motors foundation announced it's providing a $1 million grant to the smithsonian's national museum of african-american history and culture. the museum is set to open next year on the national mall. and you can see some of the

highlights from this year's auto show saturday here on nbc 4. veronica johnson will host drive time starting at 10:00 a.m. you may get to choose how big your screen is the next time you buy an iphone. reports say apple is developing two new big screen iphones this summer. one would have a 4.7-inch screen. the other would have a 5.7-inch screen. the new iphone may be thinner than current smtphones. apple will announce details in june. what some people consider a simple multitask could be dangerous -- more dangerous than you think. a new study out of australia's university of queensland shows texting and walking, that's right, just walking and texting is very dangerous. the mindless tapping on your phone change the way you walk, it affects your ability to walk in a straight line. this could impact your stopping time, depth perception, ton mention it makes you less aware of your surrounding and the people around you. >> i can't tell you how many people i've almost hit in my car

who were crossing, you know, on their phones like this and not paying attention. yeah. >> you have to look up once in a while. >> just don't cross the street and text. >> especially in the street. it's bad enough when i'm in the hallway -- >> that's the only time i blow my horn. >> i do it once in a while in the hallway. guilty. >> in the hallway, newsroom, studio. >> all right. stay with us, naufrt continues right now at -- "news4 today" continues right now at 5:00 a.m. unable it shake this deep freeze. waking up to another morning of bitterly cold temperatures and single digit windchills as the winter weather rolls on. that could make for another dangerous morning on the roads. any snow that melted in the sunlight yesterday is certain to be ice as you drive to work this morning, especially on the side streets. we're watching trouble spots as you get ready to head out the door. first we want to tell you that the federal government will open on time this morning. d.c. public schools will also open today on time.

>> thousands of other children have the day off or can sleep in a bit this morning. in maryland, prince george's, montgomery, howard, charles, and frederick county schools will open two hours late as will anne arundel and washington county schools. calvert and st. mary county schools are closed. >> now we turn to virginia. fairfax, loudoun, prince william county schools are closed today. schools in arlington county and alexandria will open two hours late. falls church city schools will also open two hours late. schools in manassas, stafford, spotsylvania, and culpeper counties are closed today. >> staying in virginia, clarke, fauquier, frederick, king george, warren county schools are closed. the same for schools in winchester, fredericksburg, and shenandoah county. >> in west virginia, berkeley, hampshire, jefferson, and morgan schools are closed. hardy schools will open two hours late. if you missed one or didn't see your school, there's a complete list at the bottom of the screen