in our weather. good afternoon. i'm pat lawson muse. >> and i'm jim handly. folks, we are kicking it off in the storm center today with meteorologist veronica johnson. everybody is talking about this, vj, on our facebook page. the wind, the cold, and folks, check out the radar. we've got some snow showing up already not too far to our west and north. where are we talking about? >> only an hour and a half away. this is our first cold wave, giving us our lowest temperatures going back to marc feeling a lot soon like january but cold enough to be picking up some of that winter type of from the sky. let's zoom to locations where we're finding some sleet right now in areas of northern frederick county, just west of cascade and north of frederick there. zooming in tighter, just west of 15, out along 64, getting reports of sleet there. it's light snow around winchester, even in the high spots of loudoun county and purcellville. for the most part, most of us

are will see rain showers from now until 2:00 a.m. and any flakes that do fall, hard time blasting as they make their journey down. we've got temperatures in the upper 30s. we'll drop to the mid 30s for sure. gusty cold to follow. and what that means is that by morning, we could see maybe a few slick spots in the most sheltered of areas. so brace yourself. the temperature early this morning was in the 30s. 41 degrees in d.c. we're going to drop even more. lower temperatures expected by friday morning. again, it comes with some wind. we'll take a look at how -- what locations might see sleet and light snow, and more importantly, how long this cold stays with us behind the system. right now, millions are dealing with deadly winter weather conditions. take a look at these ship slippery roads in memphis. several pileups this morning. at least one person died. snow is the problem in northern ohio. more than half a foot of snow is

expected in eastern cleveland because of how the wind is blowing off lake erie. only half the city has snow, while the other half is nearly dry. but that's expected to change tonight. developing right now, a big mess to clean up in fwat gaithersbu. a van slammedo a crowded clothing store. chris lawrence has details. >> reporter: yeah, pat, we just spoke with montgomery county firefighters and they tell us although two people have been hurt, this could have been much, much worse. firefighters tell us an elderly man was trying to pull into a handicapped spot outside the rugged warehouse where he smashed through the front of of the building. the store is in gaithersburg. his minivan ended up 50 to 60 feet inside the store. some people narrowly got out of the way, and one witness says the van came within inches of hitting a baby. >> there were some very anxious moments for some people, a very close call not only for some of the shoppers, but for some of the employees, as well.

but pretty significant damage. could have been a lot worse. >> reporter: again, two people have been injured. one woman seriously. but firefighters believe she will be okay. the glass store front was destroyed, but the damage to the store is mostly cosmetic, not structural. the elderly man driving the minivan wasn't hurt at all and no word yet on whether he will face any charges. news4's chris gordon on the scene now and he will have more coming up at 5:00. at the live desk, i'm chris lawrence. first at 4:00, an update on the search for two missing kids from mtgomery county. the father of sarah and jacob hogglel has a plan to bring them home. news4's barbara harrison joins us with more. >> that father, troy turner, is hoping money talks and will get answers about where his kids are. 2-year-old jacob and 3-year-old sarah haven't been seen in two months. tht missing in early september. family, police and volunteers have been searching germantown, clarksburg and gaithersburg for any sign of them.

as we have been reporting, police have been working to build a murder case against their mother, catherine hoggle. all the while, she claims to know where the children are but refused toive their location. turner believes his children are still alive but says more people and resources are needed to look for them. he believes a reward fund will help solve the problem and that's why the victims right foundation has just gotten involved in the effort. they're hoping to collect funds from the public. turner says having a reward will help make more people aware of his missing children and more eyes looking for them. >> i've been out to olney and don't know what's going on. i met a guy three or four days ago who lives in germantown and doesn't know what's going on. my kids could have been playing in a park in germantown and he could have seen them and never knew it. the most important thing is having people know what they look like so they can recognize them when they do see them and do the right thing and call the police. >> if you want to donate to the reward fund, we have set up a

link on nbcwashington.com. > f at 4:00, the man accused of snatching a woman and trying to hide out in maryland was just indicted on kidnapping charges. delvin barnes now faces life in prison, if convicted. the case in philadelphia made national headlines when police released video of carlesha freeland gaither abducted. she was found safe in maryland. barnes is also accused in the attempted murder of a richmond teen. a man accused of stabbing two people inside a mclean home over the weekend. he faces charges in the home invasion on sunday night. police tell us it was the result of a workplace dispute. the male victim is a partner in the law firm where alicia worked. both he and his wife remain hospitalized. the others a in jail. the fbi has joined the search for a missing girl from maryland. she was walking to school when she disappeared tuesday. fbi agents are now searching for 12-year-old jasmine baker from white marsh, just north of baltimore. police are worried she may be in

bad company. they say she has a history of texting and e-mailing men. there is a brand-new call to arms from the leader of siisis. the terror group just distributed an audio message online. this is the first time we heard from the isis leader since saturday when he was rumored to have been wounded by a u.s. air strike. it's not clear when he recorded the message. but he calls for volcanoses of jihad and vows isis will fight until the last man. things back to normal at one world trade center after the riveting rescue of two window washers yesterday. today there was a thick double layered window firefighters had to cut through with a diamond-edged saw. it was their best plan of action to quickly reach the window washers trapped for two agonizing hours. 68 stories above manhattan. after the rescue, they were rushed to a hospital, suffering from mild hypothermia, but they're already back home today.

no word yet on what caused one of the platform's cables to give way. the port authority has halted all window washing operations until it gets answers. cracking down. why many of you could soon find an extra bill in the mailbox. plus, sneezing and coughing can be expensive. it's that time of year. we'll show you how to protect your health and your budget during flu season. and his history-making mission up to space has hit an intergalactic snag

encouraging news from a group on the front lines of the ebola battle. doctors without borders announced that clinical trials for two ebola drugs with being accelerated. the trials will begin next month in three ebola treatment centers in west africa. the experimental drugs have not been through the lengthy testing process that generally precedes

a drug's approval but have been used on humans suffering from other diseases. meanwhile in washington today, a top u.s. aide official urged congress to approve more than $6 billion in emergency funds to fight ebola. shaw is the administrator of the u.s. agency for international development. his agency is leading the response in west africa. he told the house foreign affairs committee that the effort will not succeed without more funding. if you've been skipping maryland's tolls by taking the ezpass lane, check your mail. you could end up losing your registration. the "washington post" reports today more than 130,000 maryland drivers are in danger of that penalty. state transportation officials tell us they'll be sending out notices starting next week. most offenders will have until january to pay up. a history-making km comet landing has hit a snag. the first images ever taken from a comet surface.

the probe is now sitting in a shadow blocking its solar panels. that means batteries may not last as long as planned. the european space agency plans to collect as much information as possible over the next day or two. then they may try to move it. watching you while you drive. we'll tell you why your car could be giving away your information without you even knowing it. nightmare at 15,000 feet. the mid flight emergency that put one of the world's biggest stars in danger. and it's our big story of the day. the cold weather is here. we'll take a look at your weekend with veronica johnson, first at 4:00. ♪

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you're watching news4 at 4:00. it could be one less thing to worry about in a new car. nearly 20 automakers are pledging not to share any personal data collected from their vehicles' wi-fi and gps capability. that means your whereabouts and your streaming habits won't end up in the hands of advertisers and insurance companies or even the police, unless they have a warrant. the federal trade commission has the authority to make sure automakers keep their word. new details about a mid-air scare for u2 front man bono. >> the rear door of his private jet fell off with the plane still 15,000 feet up in the air, but airport authorities now say the singer was never in any danger. this happened as bono and four

friends were flying from dublin to berlin yesterday. the pilots say it only felt like normal turbulence. no one was hurt, but two suitcases were missing from the luggage compartmenthen all was said and done. right now, snow is still a problem for drivers in western michigan. a train crashed into a semi truck this morning. >> in colorado, a bigger problem is the cold. nbc's reynolds wolf is in denver now where they're dealing with a freeze not seen in 100 years. >> weather certainly a huge story ausround the country. i'm in denver, but the pacific northwest another storm begins to fire up. winter storm bozeman bringing snow fall to the cascades, the tetons and portions of the central rockies. even northern rockies may get hammered with snow. in denver, this story is the brutally cold conditions. where this morning, just after midnight, we fell to minus 14 degrees. that's without the wind chill. you pile on the wind chill, it felt like minus 32 degrees.

so certainly dangerous cold, brutal times here in the mile-high city with these incredible record low temperatures. denver not alone. millions of people across the country dealing with a cooldown that will last for many through the weekend. however, here in denver, we're going to be moving up a little bit, back in the 30s by tomorrow. i'm reynolds wolf for the weather channel and nbc news. >> so we are seeing sleet already? >> yeah, we're getting some more reports here of sleet and some light snow. of course, you might expect it up in frederick county, maryland, around areas like cascade. but now in the high spots of loudoun county, around purcellville and manassas, reporting light snow and ice pellets in sterling just reported. some ice pellets, as well. mostly rain showers. and our temperatures today were into the upper 30s to low 40s. so road conditions are fine. when this mix of mostly rain and a little bit of sleet and snow will be falling. nonetheless, though, with anything left wet on area roads,

because temperatures for several hours below freezing. watch for slick spots especially on bridges and overpasses for tomorrow morning. let's talk about the radar. storm team 4 radar. lovettsville, leesburg. a little darker and heavier. that's where it's coming down heavier. and what it's actually doing is helping to pull some of the cold air aloft down with it. so hence, we're seeing reports around sterling of a little bit of sleet and even some light snow. same thing now just south of front royal right now. evening planner forecast, 47 our temperature. yes, we drop pretty fast during the overnight. showers continue until 11:00 p.m. in fact, until 2:00 a.m. but once this little system, and it is a weak system, moves out of here, we're going to be left with the cold air and breezy conditions for tomorrow. we get the sunshine back. this is at 7:00 a.m. on your friday. the wind will continue to pick up and tomorrow could see gusts over 20 miles per hour. because of the cold and this being really the first major cold for us that continues through the weekend, all of next

week, and possibly even the week after that for a couple of days. coldest afternoon tomorrow since march 26th. that brings our impact forecast for tomorrow up to moderate. even though it's going to be nice and bright and sunny around here. temperatures, this is for your morning. 32 degrees around olney, gaithersburg, 31 and falls chunk church. 27 degrees in martinsburg and hagerstown. january cold, not much better by the afternoon. 36 to 45 degrees. almost closer to our average low temperature, which happens to be 41. so here it is. a look at your weekend. 44 to 49 degrees. the weekend still looking dry. those showers likely to start during the late evening hours to early part of the night between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. sunday. we carry that rain through monday. it is a cold rain with a temperature of 50 degrees. another dose of cold follows back behind it. when i return later in the newscast, we'll take a look

county by county. your morning temperatures for tomorrow. and who could have some slick spots on area roads. guys? if you don't let snow get in the way of your bike commute to work, some good news from arlington county this afternoon. the "washington post" reports thanks to an extra $300,000 in the budget, ten miles of the most heavily used bike trails will be plowed this winter. those trails that will be plowed include parts of the cuss'tis trail, bluemont junction trail and the four-mile run trail. arlington is the first jurisdiction to commit to plowing bike trails this year. right now, al roker is sleepless in the big apple on his way to breaking a guinness book of world records. >> no sleep for him yet. "today" show meteorologist working on setting a record for the longest uninterrupted broadcast. now in his 18th hour. his goal is 34 hours. the mega weather cast is a big hit on social media. the hash tag rokerthon is

trending. he's hoping it raises big bucks for the uso. he'll talk to us live coming up oh in your next hour. >> he has cell phone apps to keep him awake. the national zoo celebrating the birth of two rare bear cubs. take a look. caretakers keeping their distance in watching the cubs on a closed circuit camera to give the mama bear time to bond with her young. the cubs are just one of four born in north america in nine years. these cubs have a high mortality rate but zoo officials tell us they are cautiously optimistic this pair will survive. there are only 2,000 of these bears left in the wild. halloween is over, and that means sweet deliveries for our soldiers overseas. meet the ambitious young girl who is starting a new tradition here in our area. and here it comes. black friday. we'll tell you about one retailer's big move to make sure it will top anyone's deals. we're coming right back. and we want to hear from you

about the stories you're talking about today. are you ready or are you dreading this cold winter blast? let us know. >> like us on facebook. follow us on twitter. ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪

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sweet treats, care packages and letters of thanks and support are headed for troops overseas. thanks to the inspiration of a loudoun county middle school

student. 13-year-old ann kickert started when she was in grade school. now her effort has expanded to several area schools. she has helped collect some 2,000 pounds of candy, along with hundreds of cards and letters and other donations. >> we try and get addresses to people we know in the area, not us personally but other people in the area. it's great to know they have something that's close to home and to know that somebody really cares about them. >> aol and gannett are covering the cost of shipping the packages, scheduled to arrive next month. the affordable care act second open enrollment season gets under way saturday. >> white house officials encourage you to shop around. they say new offerings might just save you some money. and this year for the first time, small business owners can buy coverage for their workers. everyone has to select a plan by december 15th. for coverage on january 1st. >> so people can start window shopping now on healthcare.gov.

and on saturday, anybody who got health care last year can reenroll. last year what we found the average premium after tax credits was $87 a month. >> note that virginia and west virginia residents select their plans through healthcare.gov but d.c. has its own site, d.c. health link. maryland residents, you can't enroll until next wednesday, but you can window shop for coverage now on maryland health connection. if staying healthy this winter isn't enough reason to get a flu shot, consider the potential damage to your wallet. your out of pocket costs can total more than $250,000. and that's -- $250. and that's not counting sick days. it's not too late to get a flu shot. your insurance may cover the entire cost of the vaccination. if you get it from an in-network provider. and many local supermarkets and pharmacy are offering discounts for shoppers who get those shots. in news4 your health, where you live has an impact on your

risk for heart disease. >> heart disease is the leading cause of death among americans, and a study in the "american journal of preventative medicine" compares risk. >> eun yang compares where your home and health is. >> living in our area puts you at a lower risk for developing heart disease compared to other parts of the country. this study looked at a number of factors, including high blood pressure and obesity. and here's what it found. take a look at this map here. you can see some geographic trends when it comes to heart disease. focusing on our area, we're in pretty good shape. for women living in maryland, d.c. and virginia, the risk for heart disease is low across the board. maryland and d.c. tied with a 7.5% risk rating. that's compared to around 14% for men in the same area. men living in the district have the lowest risk at 13.5%. now over the next ten years, men in our area are more likely to develop cardio vascular disease

than women. overall, if you live in west virginia here, you are at the greatest risk with nearly 16% of men and 8% of women developing heart disease in the next ten years. to see how we measured up to other parts of the country, you can find the full study on our website, nbcwashington.com. hidden hazards right here in our area. why so many places in the local region are such a shock hazard. plus, bundle up and get ready for it. >> here we go. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson keeping track of this cold wave out there tightening its grip on our region. we'll let you know what you can expect, first at 4:00.

breaking news in the murder of a teenagener woodbridge. chris lawrence in at the live desk. >> police have senator released the name of a fourth suspect in the death of brendan wilson. he is a juvenile, so this is highly unusual, and his name is deion moses. so far, police have arrested three others for shooting and killing the 16-year-old high school student. investigators believe kuwane small pulled the trigger. he is 20. he was out of jail on bond, and was supposed to be wearing a gps monitor at the time of the shooting. he was shot on a path behind

woodbridge high school monday night. we'll bring more updates as they come n. now at the live desk, i'm chris lawrence. >> thank you, chris. first at 4:00, storm team 4 staying on top of this wave of unseasonably cold weather. and what you're seeing out there now is just the beginning. meteorologist veronica johnson joins us now with more from the storm center. vj? >> that's right, jim. we have the winter cold today and now in storm team 4 radar, just about an hour to hour and a half drive from out of d.c., reports of sleet and light snow. you can see the moisture there, mostly rain showers streaming from southwest to northeast in the white and pink around westminster, 15 and highland, reports of sleet. and even some light snow. then we've got another area that's just east of i-81 right now. and we're going to see this continue up until about 2:00 a.m. in the morning. so exercise impact, nasty here for your evening. rain and some isolated sleet. that will continue. we've got another round, another storm headed our way, and more cold. take a look at that in a few minutes.

delegate eleanor holmes norton is teaming up with colleagues to urge congress not to interfere with drug laws in the district and in the states. voters in d.c., alaska and oregon approved a ballast initiative last week that legalizes marijuana possession in small amounts in those places. they join colorado and washington state, which already have legal pot. norton noted most state prosecutors and police don't prosecute cases that involve small amount of marijuana. >> consequently, just think of it. widespread use of marijuana, particularly by young people of every background, is and long has been de facto legal and should no longer be a federal offense. >> drug policy activists are expected to push legalization initiatives in other states, including california, in 2016. anxiety is growing now in ferguson, missouri, as a grand

jury decision nears in the michael brown case. therns that the town will return to the anger, violence and turmoil that followed brown's death last summer. today, his parents issued a personal plea. sara has our story. >> reporter: outside the st. louis county justice center, a plea for calm and restraint from the family of michael brown as protesters and police await a decision from the grand jury. >> on behalf of the brown family, we do not condone any acts of rioting, looting or violence. that it is equally important to implore law enforcement to exercise reasonable restraints when dealing with demonstrators. >> reporter: inside the justice center, dr. michael baden, hired by the brown family to perform a private autopsy, was scheduled to testify today. earlier this week, state and city leaders worked to reassure an increasingly anxious public, saying they trained a thousand officers. county police have purchased

$170,000 of new riot gear, including tear gas grenades, handcuffs and helmets. >> we know that the vast majority of protesters are peaceful, reasonable people. and we are meeting with those groups to ensure they have the right to have their voices heard. >> reporter: business owners along ferguson's main streets are adding new layers of protection to their store fronts. and parents are expressing concerns about keeping their kids safe. local school district has asked the decision be announced on a weekend. >> if history is any indication of what's going to happen when this verdict or, you know, this announcement comes down, it's going to be pandemonium. >> reporter: organizers are asking for 48 hours notice before a grand jury announcement and safe zones for large groups of demonstrators. officials have yet to respond. sarah doll love, nbc news. the governor of arkansas is leaving office soon, but plans don his son first. governor mike beebe says his soon deserves the same chance as the 700 other nonviolent

offenders he's pardoned. 34-year-old kyle beebe was convicted of felony marijuana possession with intent to deliver. he served three years of supervised probation. governor bee-bee says he did not pardon his son sooner because kyle did not ask until now. they look like ordinary groceries, but these boxes are part of an initiative to help families in need in prince george's county. the national harbor and the peterson family foundation are donating the equivalent of 1 million meals a year for the next three years to help parents and kids who don't have access to fresh fruits and veggies. county officials say the impact of hunger goes far beyond the kitchen table. >> as you know, statistics show that when our children are well-fed, they perform well. >> they cannot focus if they're thinking about their growling stomachs and where their next meal is coming from. >> families can call 311 for

information on food assistance in prince george's county. a fight over air could cost a maryland gas station. two farms gas station is involved in a class action lawsuit. a woman says she was charged 50 cents for using an air pump. they're free or supposed to be under baltimore law. the lawsuit may end up involving thousands of plaintiffs. two farms has locations throughout maryland, virginia and pennsylvania. it's a recall that affects hundreds of thousands of cars on the roadways right now. now an important update about when they could be fixed. and an up date to a story we brought first at 4:00 yesterday. a big change to help you avoid the hidden fees. consumer reporter erika gonzales joins us in the studio first at 4:00.

we are going to show you a live look right now at one of the iconic signs of christmas. the tree at rockefeller center in new york city is on display. well, this should get you into the holiday spirit earlier today. crews placed the crystal star on the top of the tree, all 550 pounds of it. it took a crane to get it up there. it's made up of 25,000 crystals. you can watch the lighting of the rockefeller tree right here on nbc 4 on the evening of december 3. there's a new way now to make sure you're getting the best deal on your favorite

products at the store. erika gonzales joins us with a brand-new way to comparison shop. and erika, this is a game-changer. >> this is bringing those online deals into the brick and mortar stores. walmart is now saying if you find a price online, you can bring it in the store. if that price is cheaper. let's say if it's cheaper at amazon or cheaper at kmart, cheaper at target, they will match it. and the retail giant says this will start tomorrow. walmart says it will price-match with online sites like the ones i mentioned, just to name a few. walmart was already doing this with circulars and some managers were matching that online price on a case-by-case basis. but now this is going to be permanent. when you approach the register, you tell the attendant you found the item cheaper at amazon and then the cashier will look up to confirm. the item must be identical and it has to be in stock in order for you to get this deal. >> love it. speaking of being transparent, the government we know now is trying to make the terms of the

prepaid cards accessible to everybody. >> pushing for stronger consumer protections when it comes to the prepaid cards we mentioned yesterday. we washed you about this then. and we have been talking about it for a while now, about some of the hidden fees. now the cspb has proposed new rules that would let consumers see account information online for free and limits consumer losses if the card is lost or stolen. if you had a problem with a prepaid card, you can submit a complaint to the cfpb at consumer finance.gov. >> you're making us smarter shoppers. you have another story at 5:00. this time you're talking crowd control. >> that's right. tonight we are going beyond your wallet to see how the retailers work around the clock to keep you safe during that black friday rush. we're also going to talk to two local black friday veterans, and get some of their tips on saving big and avoiding the crowds. that is coming up tonight at

5:00. i'll tell you what, they ha one of my most interesting interviews to date. >> really? all right. >> it's that good. if you've got a story idea or tip for the consumer watch, send an e-mail to nbcwashington.com. there's the phone number there. also phone in your ideas. >> nobody wants to be trampled upon when the doors fly open. >> and what we don't want to have happen to you as well. so it's not about running in there. we're going to talk more about that at 5:00. >> see you then. back over to you. >> good news for gm owners with recalled s is uvs. this afternoon the company says it now has parts to replace 189,000 window switches that could cause a fire. the vehicles involved are the chevy trail blazer, gnc envoy, buick, isuzuy and the saab 97x. water can get inside the driver's door switches, causing rust and possibly short-circuit. and that can lead to overheating

and fire. this is the third recall for the same problem, because the first two recalls didn't work. an electrifying danger found right here on the streets of washington. what you need to know to protect yourself. and it didn't exactly go according to plan. why police had to step in on a meeting that could have made history.

welcome back. we have reporters and anchors standing by now with new stories first at 4:00. it's a hidden danger along streets around the country with deadly consequences. >> everyday objects you might touch on a routine walk could be electrified, and they could send shock waves through your body. nbc's jeff rossen explains now the hazard and has more on where it could pop up in our area. >> hi, jim and pat, good afternoon. good to see you. when we walked down the street and all of us do this every day, you sometimes can't help but step on manhole covers. step on metal grates. we touch fences when we walk down the streets. street signs, street lamps. but what if those common, everyday objects were somehow electrified? and by just touching them, yes, just touching them, it could send shock waves through your body? believe it or not, we have been out in washington, d.c., and we found that all over your city and the district on e street and southeast, on fourth street northeast, pennsylvania avenue in front of the capital, near

the smithsonian. check out what we found. that's a bus stop sparking out of control. and look at this lamp post on a residential street. dangerous electricity right on the surface. >> this is a serious safety hazard. >> reporter: even this fire hydrant is electrified. sparks shooting in all directions. it's called stray voltage, an invisible killer, making everyday objects come alive with electricity. >> sidewalks, manhole covers, roadways, fences, anything that's in our landscape that has wires buried underground. when they fail, they'll leak to the surface. >> reporter: here's how it happens. most cities and towns have old infrastructure, old wires. the insulation, eroding away. voltage from inside leaks out. >> the difference is, when a water system breaks down, you see a puddle. electricity, there is no telltale. >> reporter: and that is the scariest part. there is no way to tell just by looking at it. across the country, children and

pets have been shocked. and even killed. >> i had no idea what was happening. all i can think of is he was having a heart attack. >> reporter: lisa was out walking her dog when stray voltage from this manhole suddenly electrified him. >> opened up his mouth, stuck my hand in his mouth, and i received a jolt. he passed away within a couple of minutes. >> reporter: to show us the danger, engineers from power survey taking us out overnight in washington, d.c. other cities and electric companies hired them to scan for stray voltage. >> that's a big one right there. that's a strong alarm. there's an energized structure nearby. >> reporter: right away, sensors on this specialized truck detect a hidden hot spot. >> we have identified voltage, and when i make contact to it, the light bulb lights up. >> reporter: you're saying the side of this streetlight is lighting that bulb.

>> yes the same voltage you find in a light socket is on the outside of this streetlight. >> reporter: that's scary. >> absolutely scary. and it could be deadly. just to show how much power is here, i've grounded the strew driver and when i touch it to this pole, you can see the sparks. >> reporter: i have never seen anything like this. >> our team of engineers immediately roadblock the area and call the city to report the danger. >> reporter: a streetlight that's energized, i saw some sparks coming from it. but minutes later, we find more problems. streetlight afr streetlight, all sparking up. >> so here's another one. >> reporter: in fact, here the voltage is so strong, even the sidewalk is electrified. >> the sidewalk has 90 volts on it. >> reporter: if this is so common, why aren't people dying from this every day? >> a couple things have to happen to get a shock. you have to touch it and if your feet are wet, it's particularly dangero ps don't have the protection of shoes so their bare paws are touching the ground and the bare electricity

can pass through their body. >> reporter: the biggest shock of all came at this boss stop. this is not connected to any electricity. why in the world is it sparking up? >> there's wires buried underground and this pole is driven into those wires. >> reporter: in one night, our team found over 40 locations with stray voltage in d.c. alone. these engineers say power companies aren't doing enough to keep us safe. >> it's a very reactive situation. so usually after there is a death or injury, there is testing. prior to that, nothing happens. >> reporter: here's the bigger problem. those engineers say about 2% -- yes, just 2% of cities actually test proactively for stray voltage. that means most likely in your neighborhood right now, where have you are, there could be stray voltage hidden on your street corner. here are the tips. basically, when you can, avoid walking on metal grates. avoid manhole covers. try not to touch things that are metal. and by the way, if somebody gets

shocked or jolted, sometimes it happens even to pets. they don't die, but you can sense they have been jolted. immediately call that into the power company. the industry group declined to comment. i'm jeff rossen for nbc news. >> incredible hieye-opener. >> lots to think about and so is this weather. folks on my facebook page talking about the snow falling. is it going to impact roads? >> more reports of the sleet and light snow. not going to impact area roads while falling. it's when it's done and the cold air comes in. any water left standing will freeze, refreeze. could be a few slick spots. bridges and overpasses here. and speaking of a little tricky on area roads right now, those counties that border pennsylvania, up around northern maryland there, reduced visibility, because the flakes are big enough and it's coming down fast enough. in fact, those areas up to the north seeing some light accumulation not on area roads, but on decks and patio furniture

and the grass. that's where we're seeing some light accumulation right now. thur mont, westminster, i-83 and 15 too where the sleet and light snow is coming down. we've got another area we're keeping a close eye on right here. talking about sterling, areas around bluemont, just off to the west. this line is where we're also getting reports of some sleet and light snow that will last i think up until around midnight, just past midnight, 2:00 a.m., before it moves out. and when it does, it's going to get cold, and it's going to get windy. tomorrow maybe a cloud or two left lingering. you're going to need that winter coat. temperatures starting out at 34 degrees inside the beltway. upper 20s in the outlying suburbs. so cold throughout your day. 43. that's it for a high temperature. comes with sunshine. but again, some wind too. 34 degrees in d.c. tomorrow morning. 32 alexandria. my friends over in fairfax and gaithersburg, 31 to 32 degrees for a high temperature. and yes, folks, this is not the only little system we're going to have to deal with. there is another one coming up

on monday. it brings rain, but could bring some more of what we're getting right now. coming up on news4 at 5:00, we'll talk more about that storm and where the sleet and snow is continuing to fall. now some stories we're working on right now in our newsroom. it could change the way you travel. what you could be -- what could, rather, be the future of metro and why it could come with a safety concern. also, dianna russini tackles controversy with redskins head coach jay gruden. everything from rg3 to protests over the team's name. >> have you paid attention to this? or is this affecting anything on this team? >> no. not -- one iota. has not affected anybody. hasn't really heard a lot about it. this is the first time i've ever really been asked about it. so has not been an issue. >> so no issue there. but what about his relationship with dan snyder? more on that and dianna's one-on-one interview coming up right here at 5:00 tonight. i'm wendy rieger in the news

room. we are staying on top of this crash into a store in montgomery county. we have been on the scene all afternoon gathering details. the car went into the store, into the building, knocking over shelves, sending shoppers scrambling. and in a couple minutes, we'll take you there and show you just how close this came to being a disaster. jim and pat, back to you. >> thanks. it's a community event that got out of control, fast. why this event focused on an historic move went downhill.

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it's a move that could make history in our country. a town in massachusetts might be the first to ban the sale of tobacco products within the city limits. but as nbc's tim caputo reports, there is so much opposition city officials couldn't even finish a hearing on the measure. >> america. america! >> reporter: a loud, upset crowd, and an already controversial meeting. >> too unruly. we have to close. >> reporter: the westminster board of health chair shut down the public comment session after four speakers, even though 70 signed up to talk. >> they're supporting what they wanted to do. >> it was just wrong. >> reporter: the huge crowd filled the westminster elementary school gym to capacity. the majority are against the proposed tobacco ban. >> you people make me sick.

i find smoking to be up with of the most disgusting habits anybody could possibly do. on top of that, i find this proposal to be even more of a disgusting thing. >> reporter: the town board of health is considering banning all tobacco sales in westminster. it would be the first town in the u.s. to do so. >> i support their authority to make this decision, and i understand the rational basis behind it. >> reporter: shop owners worry the ban would hurt businesses. >> it's not going to help anything in town. it's going to cripple us. >> reporter: attorneys are already in position to file suit in the ban goes through. >> we would seek compensation for the retailers who lost sales and even may lose their businesses. >> reporter: the meeting only lasted 25 minutes. the upset crowd broke out into song as the board chair tried to explain her decision. >> the clapping, everybody talking, nobody is showing any respect to the board. >> reporter: she needed a police escort out of the school as the hundreds in attendance wondered when their voices would be heard. >> she obviously is not representing the town of

westminster, the people of westminster or the american way. the first signs of winter weather right now at 5:00, snow and sleet just spotted in our area. and there is more to come tonight. aisles wiped out. people running for cover. we explain what happened to the driver who crashed into this crowded local store. plus, an unusual move tonight in northern virginia as police hunt for the final suspect in the killing of a high school student there. and the sun is setting on this thursday. >> and now at 5:00, the bitter cold blast, it's kicking out there. and really about to kick in on us. much of the country right now ceiling with a winter storm as you have seen all day today from ice to our south and snow and temperatures below zero in the midwest. and they still haven't hit bottom yet. now this cold weather has arrived here. >> and we have live storm team 4 coverage. let's begin with chief meteorologist doug kammerer. we are hearing snow and sleet in

parts of our area. >> there is snow and sleet in parts of our area, but don't worry not affecting us the next couple hours and especially in through tomorrow morning. but don't be surprised to see that even in your area. let's take a look and show you what we're looking at as far as the radar is concerned. there you can see the rain back towards places like leesburg. back towards places like the frederick area. continuing to watch that rain moving in. and also the snow. back towards the north and west. back up towards carol county. back through frederick county. most likely up above the catoctin, loudoun county, and sterling reporting a little bit of light sleet. some snow mixing in. but most of this is going to continue to fall as just some rain. behind this, though, this is the first round here. look at that towards pittsburgh. this is all snow back towards this area. that's what's going to come through next as an upper level disturbance moves through later tonight. so around 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 tonight, we expect the west to see just snow. now once again, not expecting much in the way of accumulation.