>> and i'm wendy rieger in for pat lawson muse. this is the story that the world has been waiting for. and we are following every development. >> we want to get straight to news4's aaron gilchrist, on the live desk with these late-breaking details today. aaron? >> reporter: information coming in fast and furious, you're right, guys. we do know at this point that the grand jury in st. louis county, missouri, has reached a decision on whether to indict officer darren wilson for the shooting death of 18-year-old michael brown, exactly when that decision will be made public we don't know yet. reports coming out of ferguson, the announcement could be made public somewhere in the 6:00 hour our time. possibly as late as 9:00 our time. so we know that the st. louis county prosecutor will come forward and talk about that. the attorney for michael brown's family has confirmed that the family has been notified that a decision has been made, not that they have been told what that decision is at this point. and we also know that grand jury had a lot of different options to consider. obviously, the polar opposite ends would be not to indict

darren wilson for anything. at the other end, indict him for first degree murder. and then there is a long list of things in between. at this point, there's no word about any crowds having gathered or -- to watch a decision come down or to take part in any particular protests in that area. we know missouri governor, jay nixon, is in the st. louis area at this hour. he was planning, as we understand it, to be -- to participate in a 6:30 news conference. we don't know yet whether that was actually a part of this grand jury decision coming down. obviously, we're going to stay on top of this. we're going to keep digging for more information on this. we'll bring that to you as soon as we learn new details. jim and wendy. >> all right, aaron gilchrist. our other big story right now, ready or not, like it or not, a winter storm watch just issued for parts of our viewing area. >> yes indeed. let's go to storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson. when and where and really? >> yeah, really, i know. hard to believe, after record warmth today. but yes, for wednesday now, that is the day that we are watching very closely winter storm watch

already issued by the national weather service. all these counties you see shaded in blue is ones that could see some accumulating snowfall. so that's up around baltimore, carol, frederick, loudoun, fauquier county, rappahannock, madison, albemarle and off to the west. this is where snow could accumulate, and may likely have an impact on area roads. everywhere east of there, right now not shaded in blue, still we're expecting some falling snow. but what falls may not necessarily cumulate. we'll talk more about that coming up. but again, it all has to do with colder air making its way in. there's the weather front. in a storm system developing south and making its way northward, all having an impact on us again on wednesday. so we'll talk about the travel impacts on roads and air coming up later this hour. >> all right. here's a live look at the beltway near i-95. the maryland state highway administration says it is watching this forecast, and there are more than 2,400 pieces of equipment standing by to

treat those roads if needed. officials are urging drivers to consider leaving tuesday or thursday. >> all eyes in buffalo are on the rivers and streams after 6 feet of snow fell last week. there is concern about flooding. temperatures are rising and much of the snow is melting and fast. this is video of an ice jam on the buffalo river. more later this hour. and holiday travel week off to a shaky start today at vwi marshal airport. right now, still big delays. they had a power outage this morning. but if you need to catch a flight, make sure you do call ahead. that power outage stopped security check points, closed some concourses for more than an hour. all ticketing and security has returned to normal. about noon today. some of the income being flights were diverting to other airports. and some outbound flights have been rescheduled for tomorrow. a montgomery county man is dead this afternoon after he was hit by a truck while riding a bicycle.

60-year-old andrew malizio was riding his bike on darnestown road just before 10:00 a.m. this morning. a truck turning into a shopping center ran into him. it happened near quince original arrested road. this video shows the aftermath. the driver did stay behind on the scene. he was wearing a helmet. the accident right now is under investigation. our other big story unfolding in washington. the quote, he wasn't up for the job. >> that's the short but brutal behind the scenes reason given to nbc news for the sudden resignation of defense secretary chuck hagel. >> news4's steve handelsman joins us from capitol hill. >> reporter: the president cited what he called hagel's class and integrity. but turns out in the minds of many, hagel turned in and out not to be much of a team player. despite the fact that hagel had an epically tough time getting confirmed up here on capitol hill, secretary of defense, because he had questioned the

wisdom of the surge in iraq and a lot of lawmakers like his former friend john mccain couldn't forgive hagel for that. hagel is a republican. in a white house full of hard-charging democrats. he didn't fit in. and reportedly, did not pull his weight and contribute in meetings on afghanistan and isis and ukraine. but this is washington, so bad feelings get covered up by both sides, and here's what the outgoing secretary of defense and the commander in chief said today. >> when i nominated you for this position, you said you would always give me your honest advice and inform council. you have. when it's mattered most, behind closed doors, in the oval office. for that, i will always be grateful. >> it's been the greatest privilege of my life, the greatest privilege of my life to lead, and most important, to serve. to serve with the men and women of the defense department, and support their families. >> one person on everyone's

short list as a possible hagel replacement is michelle flournoy, number three at the pentagon from '09 to '12, now runs a think tank at harvard, is a consultant. she would be the first woman to serve as secretary of defense. and she is said to be close to hillary clinton. so if clinton runs for the presidency, if hillary clinton gets the nomination, if she wins the election, that means michelle flournoy, if she gets the nomination and gets confirmed, could stay on from the obama administration into a hillary clinton administration. you talk about "what-ifs," that's plenty. here is something for sure. whoever the president picks to be his next defense secretary, the person is going to have a tough time up here winning confirmation from the new senate majority next year, the republicans. wendy? >> all right. steve handelsman. ceremonies being planned to honor former d.c. mayor, marian barry who passed away monday morning. we are posting the latest, nbcwashington.com.

here is what we know so far. barry's body will lie in repose in the ceremonial lobby of the john wilson building downtown. maybe on tuesday of next week. marijua mourners will be allowed to sign the guest book as early as tomorrow. mayor vincent gray said he wants to hot the funeral at the washington convention center, one of the few places large enough to hold the expected crowd. coming up on news4 at 5:00, tom sherwood will have more on the still developing plans. also today, a 16-year-old girl is recovering after being attacked while leaving work in arlington. the teenager says a man grabbed her by the hair and tried to rape her saturday night in the buckingham neighborhood off of glebe road near pershing street. david cabrera is charged in the case. the young woman says she saw a man watching her at work. she got away after biting him and screaming. a new call to action in the face of the rape allegations making national headlines at

uva. students gathered on campus to talk about solutions this morning. it comes days after an explosive article in "rolling stone" where a student said several members of the phi kappa si fraternity raped her. others accuse the school of not doing enough to investigate or stop sex assaults. today student and greek life leaders issued their response. >> you can step in when something looks wrong. you can show up and start a discussion. in fact, there is only one thing for sure, and that is if you do nothing, you will not help us solve this problem. >> all fraternities suspended on campus until february 9th now. we'll have the latest on what's next for the uva board members. that's coming up right here at 5:00 and 6:00 tonight. more fallout this afternoon for comedian bill cosby. just ahead, the fall from grace worsens today. we'll tell you about the member of his inner circle who has now come forward. >> as we await a decision on the ferguson case, we'll tell you

why so many people at a local school called for change on their own campus. and all day here at nbc 4, we're helping families in need for this thanksgiving. give us a call. 202-885-4949. to donate to food 4 families. we're going to show how every dollar helps, first at 4:00.

we now know the names of the three people who were killed in that awful crash in silver spring this weekend. they are melissa oguetta, caesar norie noriega, and they were among eight people in an suv when it went off the road about 3:00 near washington avenue. all those who died are in their early 20s. the imminent decision in ferguson has local students taking some action today. >> yeah, several student groups

at the university of maryland confronted campus police today. about 100 students marched to the university administration building and met with the chief of police. they demanded the force demilitaryize. the university owns rifles and an armored vehicle. >> we live in -- i guess a college campus that values football fields and football stadiums more than they do the lives and safety of their students. >> a lot of protests here. never once was an m-16 deployed. never once was an armored vehicle deployed. >> students also called for body cameras for officers. the chief says they're already in the works, and officers could be wearing them within the next month. fasten your seat belts. one of our local airports just made the list for one of the worst in the country. plus, reduced to rubble in the middle of the night. how this disaster could have been a whole lot worse. and it's a forecast you can't afford to miss. a winter storm watch issued for part of our area. storm team 4 is tracking when it's going to move in, firsat 4:00.

you're watching news4 at 4:00. two women and a dog are critically injured, but alive after this explosion leveled their three-story apartment building. >> this happened last night on chicago south side. the building is just a pile of rubble now. first responders believe there were only two people in that building. a 78-year-old woman and a 51-year-old woman. the dog was found last.

they are still looking into the cause of this blast. well, you'll probably be heading down to the grocery store sometime this week before turkey day thursday. the small business administration is encouraging you to shop local this year. they stopped by a local grocery store in silver spring today. don't forget, this saturday is designated as small business saturday. a good time to promote local stores and get good deals, as well. thanksgiving is just three days away and you still have time to make sure families in our area have all of the trimmings this holiday. >> nbc 4 is collecting donations as part of our annual food for families campaign. and news4's pat lawson muse has been out there all day, meeting a whole lot of people and getting the job done. pat? >> reporter: wonderful people, wendy. it's been a great day. just a few more hours to go, and as you can see, our volunteers are still working. they've done a yeoman's job today. we still need more donations, food, cash, checks or credit card donations. earlier today, some of the wizards' wives stopped by to

lend a hand. and we had cathy whitman, who is the wife of wizards coach randy whitman. they got out and collected donations on the street, and they made a cash donation, and they worked and cheered us on. and we want to show you this. at the boys and girls club here in washington, a lot of the food -- in fact, all of the food we collect here at verizon center will be taken to the boys & girls club. there a virtual army of volunteers are in overdrive right now. they are packing up all of the baskets, filling them with a turkey, fresh veggies, and all of the sides. all of the trimmings. it will all be directly -- delivered directly to the toews of needy families. our goal is to feed 4,000 families for thanksgiving. we need your help to do it. again, call our phone bank.

erika gonzales is on the phones right now. the number is 202-885-49. call erika up and some of the other volunteers and make your donation. you can also make a secure credit card donation by logging on to nbcwashington.com. and we are right here live there is a fire truck, a lot going on. we're live here in front of the verizon center. we hope to see you here or hear from you. make your donation to food 4 families and make it a happy thanksgiving for some family this thanksgiving. back to you in the studio. >> an easy day out there, beautiful. >> finally. finally. >> right, for wednesday. >> exactly, for wednesday, areas north and west of d.c. but really not a very far drive at all if you have to hit some wintry weather. we're talking about midweek here, tomorrow our transition day. so follow me over to the weather wall and i'll tell you what's going on. we're going to make that drop again and a big transition right into winter. but again, not tomorrow. tomorrow is our transition day. so we go from 74, tie the record

today, a record held for many, many years, and then 57 degrees, the high temperature tomorrow. but first, we're going to start out like this, with a few high clouds around the area. overnight temperatures from 49 leesburg, 50 gaithersburg. 52 right in d.c. really more like our average highs this time of year than what you would find for an overnight reading. now, let me show you the future weather. here we go. we start with this evening. and notice after midnight, clouds will be moving into our area. it will be a mostly cloudy day coming our way tomorrow. a lot of high clouds coming and going. this is a snapshot of 3:00 p.m. wool we'll tall it mostly cloudy and relatively mild. now, watch what happens after midnight. this is 1:00 a.m. wednesday. there, rain showers at first. so wednesday, we're going to have temperatures falling throughout the day. as they fall from the 40s through the 30s, that cold air comes in, and bam, we get the snow. hagerstown, frederick, luray. and these locations is where the snow is going to hang on the

longest. especially if you see the blue and the bright white there, snow hangs on the longest. and that's where accumulation will be taking place. more of that where the roads could be slick. meanwhile, around here, closer in, 6:00 p.m. wednesday with that storm system moving out. baltimore, d.c., warrenton, fredericksburg, waldorf still hanging on to a little bit of mix of i think some rain and snow, right on the back end as that cold air comes rushing in. what could change now is does the cold air get here fast enough and how close to the coast does that storm system hug? this is the way it's looking now for areas around d.c., not under the watch, it's rain to snow with roads just being wet. accumulation only on the grass. but for anything that's shaded in blue and under that winter storm watch for wednesday, almost all snow. accumulations likely. roads could very well be an issue in many locations. so this is why we're -- right now going to be watching this area very closely.

your storm team four-day forecast for tomorrow, the high, 57. again, falling temperatures on wednesday through the 40s to the 30s. 80% chance, very, very likely of us getting that storm system. 39 for thursday. 37 for friday. we'll talk more about thanksgiving weather and travel issues throughout the whole northeast quarter of the country. we'll show you that, coming up. >> all right. thanks, veronica. two local airports scored big in a new airport frustration index. but for different reasons. reagan national made the list as one of the least frustrating airports. in part because you can use public transportation to get there. dulles, on the other hand, is the third-most frustrating airport after laguardia and newark. bloomberg business asked frequent flyers to rank the most frustrating airports in north america, based on several factors, such as travel time, ease of clearing security, and the quality of the terminals, rest rooms and amenities, as well as the on-time flight percentages. it's one of the most

nerve-racking parts of the thanksgiving holiday. how do you avoid some of the tricky parts? you might be surprised to learn what's fact and what's fiction. and we've got more on the cosby fallout this evening. a member of his inner circle who is now speaking to reporters. stay with us.

now to mounting accusations against comedian bill cosby and

his alleged sexual misconduct. >> this time, a former member of the comedian's inner circle has come forward. let's get the details from access hollywood host billy bush, live in burbank. this insider is a man who believes he helped cosby victimize women. who is he? >> he's 90 years old. his name is frank scottie. and he was the facilities manager for the "cosby show" set in brooklyn, new york. and for years, you know, he alleges that he would -- cosby would give him a whole bunch of money and he would go get these notes and get a bunch of cash and send it out to these women. he had a whole list of women he would have to send money to on a monthly basis. amazing, the guy is, you know, so sequence yool sequencial, and organized he produced these money order receipts that have matched up. the man is going, look, to this woman, i -- you know, thousands of dollars of cash. so a lot of them line up.

you know, marty singer, who is bill cosby's lawyer, keeps putting out statement after statement, using terms like, you know, discrediting and unsubstantiated reports, and things have never been proven. and we keep getting more and more -- he accused this man of, you know, coming forward for his 15 minutes of fame. keep in mind, he's 90. >> right. >> all right, billy, what have you got coming up tonight on "access?" >> tonight, more on the cosby situation. and if you saw the amas last night, it was jam packed with performances. our top five moments from the show, in case you missed it, we'll get you caught up. >> all right. we'll look forward to it. see you then. 7:30. billy bush, thank you so much. one nfl player's softer side is getting quite a bit of attention on this monday after. ty hilton plays for the indianapolis colts. he scored a 73-yard touchdown yesterday, and cradled the ball like a baby. he had good reason. hours earlier, his wife gave

birth to a baby girl. as he held his newborn daughter in his arms, he says he promised her a touchdown. the little girl's name is emma eugena. hilton got choked up after scoring the touchdown and rushed to the hospital after the game. we'll tell you why you'll soon see big changes along some busy roads. and remember, there is still time to help families in need enjoy a great thanksgiving. call the number on your screen, 202-885-4949 to donate to our food for families. we're staying on top of breaking news. a decision coming very soon in the ferguson shooting. we're going to take you there live. first at 4:00. a secure retirement.

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now back to breaking news out of ferguson, missouri. a grand jury has reached a verdict on whether to indict a police officer for shooting an unarmed black teenager. we don't know what that decision is just yet. but it could come as soon as the next hour. >> nbc's jay gray has been following the shooting and the protest since august. and joins us live with the development on the town and a country that -- the country has been waiting for. jay? >> reporter: yeah. hey, wendy, jim. let's update on when that announcement may come. we have just learned within the last few minutes that it will likely be later in the evening. we are hearing from several people involved in the case that it's more likely to be around 7:00 or 8:00 this evening when we finally hear that decision. look, if it's possible at all, the intensity, the anxiety here

has been ratcheted up now, with that word that prosecutor's office will announce the grand jury's decision in this case. police are staged and standing by across the area, barricades line the st. louis county justice center, braced for a decision, and whatever may follow. and this afternoon we have learned the prosecutor's office is expected to announce a decision from the grand jury, considering charges in the august shooting death of unarmed teenager, michael brown. ferguson police officer darren wilson has said he acted in self defense when he shot brown. the grand jury has been meeting for three months. >> there are cases where a grand jury needs to go over several days. but to have it stretch for as long as this jury has is really unusual. >> reporter: but prosecutors here said from the start, the process would be different. they would present every piece of evidence available in the case to the grand jury. and as they have reviewed that evidence and testimony -- >> shut it down! >> reporter: protesters have kept up their calls for justice,

marching almost every night since brown was killed. now this community waits to hear what's next. yeah and still a lot of things unfolding here. we know that missouri governor jay nixon plans to hold a press briefing sometime around 6:30 eastern time to talk about how this community is going to move forward. he is also this afternoon requested a meeting with clergy. that is the latest, live here in ferguson. i'm jay gray, news4. >> all right. thank you, jay. so many questions about the decision that we are waiting for out of ferguson. >> we turn now to legal expert, reaney sandler. reaney, let's talk about -- we know it's going to happen in an hour. we may not know what that decision is until afterwards. you were mentioning, this is far different than any other grand jury proceeding. in what ways? >> it is unprecedented, really. what has taken place in this grand jury proceeding -- first of all, it's a secret proceeding anywhere, in any grand jury. what this prosecutor has done is present every piece of evidence to this grand jury, including a private autopsy that was done by

michael brown's family. so he called for fairness and transparency in what is a secret proceeding. >> so did you think that is going to work in their favor at all? it sounds like they're trying to create a buffer zone for whatever the decision might be. >> i think what it shows is that this prosecutor was searching for the truth. and if there is probable cause for this police officer, he wanted it done in a comprehensive manner and that's what we have heard and seen. >> reaney, we know this jury is not sequestered. we hear reports about barricades going up and tension around the country. is that weighing on them? how does that not get factored into any decision they make? >> look, we have seen from prior juries, casey anthony jury and other high-profile cases, these jurors have sworn to uphold an oath and have been there from all accounts been there a long

time and looked at a lot of evidence. i think as human beings, it might weigh on them, but as jurors, they have an oath to uphold and a duty to do their job and looks like they have done it. >> what is difference between coming out at 6:00 and saying we have a decision, we're not going to tell what you it is until 8:00 their time, 9:00 here on the east coast? what does that buy them, if anything? >> i think it gives the grand jurors an opportunity to get out of the court building, to get safely home. and i think it gives the police and law enforcement, the national guard, a chance to set up and be ready for whatever the decision is. >> reaneysandler, thanks so much. we're going to be staying in touch with you throughout the evening. we thank you for being with us. and share your perspective and insights. >> thank you. two virginia state senators say they want to reform what they call richmond's culture of gift-giving. they're proposing a ban on tangible gifts with a value above $100. this ban would apply to elected officials, candidates and state employees and their family members. intang gifts such as compensated

travel or event tickets would require review by an ethics panel. it's co sponsored by peterson and richard stuart. they are artists, professors, dancers, and tonight they're being honored with our nation's highest civilian honor. president obama just awarded 18 distinguished americans with the presidential medal of freedom. honorees include nbc anchor, tom brokaw. native american activist, and congressman john dingell. actress, meryl streep, and of course, stevie wonder. >> once a year, we set accede this event to celebrate people who have made america stronger, and wiser and more humane and more beautiful with our highest civilian honor. >> president obama also handed out six posthumous medals.

among the recipients were three sieve rights workers killed during the freedom summer of 1964. well, the maryland state highway administration says it will remove governor martin o'malley's name from the state's welcome to maryland road signs in january. the agency says it will take a day or two and cost a few thousand dollars. the 20 signs sit along state roadways, so it will be state workers doing the job. and it will happen just after the inauguration. the agency tells our scott macfarlane, republican larry hogan was elected. the state's next governor earlier this month, of course. it's a big night for a young man from northern virginia. ryan sill will be singing live in front of millions. the sterling native is in the top ten for "the voice." ryan has taken a career off from james madison to pursue a music career. he now has 31,000 followers on twitter. you can watch ryan perform on "the voice" tonight at 8:00 here on nbc 4. major security breach. what's raising so many concerns at a busy airport, just as a lot

of people are about to hit the skies for the holidays? storm team 4 is tracking a change. veronica? >> yeah, it's a big storm system, and it will be having an impact on a lot of the major cities. boston, philadelphia, new york. of course, d.c. and baltimore. i'll tell you the impacts around here, and how much we're expecting right now. which areas will be the worst. when news4 at 4:00 returns.

it's crunch time. if you're the one cooking for your thanksgiving dinner. >> do you know your turkey middle and facts when it comes to cooking the bird? erika gonzales is here now with a safety quiz for us. >> yeah. so we are putting wendy and jim in the hot seat today. we want to see if you can determine fact from fiction when it comes to turkey. okay, you ready? >> bring it. >> i really hope you didn't look at the answers. >> no cheating. >> okay. so true or false. it is safe to thaw your turkey in the mike wave. jim, wendy, your guess? >> false. >> false. >> actually, that answer is true. >> no! >> it is safe. it is very, very safe. >> doesn't it vulcanize? >> there are three safe ways to thaw a frozen turkey. in the refrigerator. >> okay. >> in cold water. or in the microwave. whatever you do, do not thaw your bird on the counter. >> no. >> that's just a breeding ground for bacteria. >> interesting. >> all right. >> i would think it would

cinkel. >> no, no. it is safe. >> good thing i'm going to a restaurant. >> number two. true or false, jim and wendy, washing the turkey before cooking. it is cleaner and safer. >> yes, true. >> yes, i would think so. >> my mother always washed the turkey. >> your mother was wrong! >> don't talk about our moms there, okay? >> it is false. false. it's actually impossible to wash bacteria off any poultry. not just turkey. because pathogens live inside the meat itself, okay? >> all right. >> so not only that. but when turkey juices splash during washing, that bacteria can can transfer on to your countertop. the only way is to cook to a minimum of 365 degrees. >> okay. >> you guys are bad people. >> bad cooking. >> they're ordering takeout. all right. last question, guys. stuffing the turkey the night before. >> never. >> >> is a safe way to save time.

>> never -- i never. >> high five, wendy. false. >> stuffing in a turkey is -- >> bacteria can multiply in stuffing and cause food poisoning when a stuffed bird is refrigerated. the ingredients for the stuffing can be prepared and refrigerated separately the night before. stuff the turkey just before, though, you put it into the oven. or simply cook it separately. so lots of good tips there. we're going to put a whole list of turkey tips on our website. head to nbcwashington.com. if you get an invite from these two, be sure it's at a restaurant. >> no turkey at my house anyway. >> appreciate it. coming up on news4 at 5:00 tonight, besides eating lots of turkey this week, it is a big week for shopping. tonight at 5:00, i'm going to talk about what makes us buy from lighting to smells to who you bring with you when you shop. we want to make sure you are saving as much money as possible. we'll see you at 5:00 tonight.

>> thanks, erika. >> thanks, guys. it could cause huge problems just in time for thanksgiving. >> thousands of people potentially in harm's way. how people are putting their lives on hold, just days before thanksgiving. >> and there's still time to help families in need enjoy a great thanksgiving. doreen is waiting for your call. >> there is jason! >> donate to food 4 families. put them to work. our volunteers are standing by to take your call.

you're watching news4 at 4:00. welcome back to news4 at 4:00. right now we're following all of the developing stories for you this afternoon. from? >> major changes in our weather to ways you can give back this thanksgiving. we have reporters and anchors standing by with new stories first at 4:00. >> from 6 feet of snow to flooding concerns, a creek in buffalo, new york, now looks like a raging river. check it out. >> right now, workers are watching the water levels here to make sure it doesn't get too high. storm team 4 meteorologist, veronica, is here with more. >> yeah, guys. the good news is they didn't get as much rain as what it originally looked like they were going to get. but with temperatures in the 60s, they have just had a lot of melting snow. and now on top of that, they could be looking at ice. chris pallone has more on this developing story from west seneca, new york, where some people are still worried they may have to leave their homes. >> we have a really big ice flow going under the bridge right now. >> what was once a watching game

in buffalo is now a waiting game. 7 feet of snow that bombarded a city in a matter of days is heating up and melting. waterways are beginning to fill, and if the ice and snow jam, the rushing water will go right over the edge of the banks. >> everything seems to be flowing well and we haven't had any indication from are any jams right now. and the water doesn't seem to be rising that much. >> reporter: crews are working tirelessly, moving mountains of snow, hoping to outpace the melt. >> everybody is going at the fattest they can possibly go. >> reporter: heavy machinery has replaced snowblowers, and is scooping up ice and snow by the truckload. residents are doing what they can in & scramble to go clear roofs, driveways and drains, hoping to prevent flooding in their homes. >> clear out all of the areas where the water will drain. so that right now is my major concern. >> reporter: with more rain forecast in the coming days, the state is prepared for the worst. supplies of pumps and boats for

rescues, if necessary. the national guard is stock piled with food and water. a 1-2 punch from mother nature. people in western new york didn't expect this early in the season. chris pallone, nbc news, west seneca, new york. >> and now, unfortunately, with falling temperatures, all through at least the eastern half of the country, could get a little icy there. for us, we're at 73 right now. but yes, we're talking about falling temperatures gently falling this evening. mostly clear by 11:00, your temp, 61 degrees. not too bad at all. tomorrow, this time, we'll have clouds across the area, some high clouds. still mild, though. 54 to 58. your range in temperatures across the area not too bad. again, we're tracking a weather system for wednesday. so wanted to show you the area wide high temperatures for tomorrow. why? because this warmth really is going to help us out on area roads. even out west. hagerstown, 52. martinsburg, 55. winchester, 54. even cumberland, 56 degrees.

so when we talk about those issues on area roads, we're not talking about everywhere even in western maryland. we're talking about primarily on the secondary roads. here it is. 5:00 a.m. wednesday. already the rain. that's the green you see. the pink, some light snow. the white, the heavier snow. so 5:00 a.m., it's already here. for areas around philadelphia, rain. for new york, rain. for boston, that rain just starting to make its way up. and by 9:00 a.m. here, yes, even some snow in d.c. mixing in i think with some rain. same thing in philadelphia and new york. so if you have travel plans up that i-95 corridor, even as far north as boston, there will be some issues with this storm system. as you head south, if you hug 95 and stay to the east, probably just looking at some rain throughout the day on wednesday. especially anything prior to about 3:00 in the afternoon. advance at 4:00, and here we are in the evening hours, 6:00. that system starts to make its exit here. still hanging on in philadelphia and new york.

there could be several inches of snow up in boston. as it's probably not going to end there until about 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. meanwhile, your temperature, 57 tomorrow. 40 and falling on wednesday. meteorologist doug kammerer has more on what you can expect with the local impacts. and that accumulating snow. doug? >> yeah, that storm system is going to move in here, veronica. when it does, it's really going to help to bring in the colder air. that's why we're going to see a changeover from rain to snow. let's take a look. we'll show that wintry mess for sure. the busiest travel day, yep, it's going to be a big-time mess in parts of the area, especially towards the west. toward the south, st. mary's county, calvert county, this could be rain. you folks in the northern neck, too, mostly a rain event for you. it will change over to snow. rain change to go snow around the a the i-95 corridor, and come accumulation, especially in the grassy surfaces and to the west, most likely all snow from leesburg toward frederick and hagerstown. winchester may start off as rain initially but then transfer to snow. this is also the area where we

have that winter storm watch in effect. winter storm watch is issued where we could see 4 or 5 inches of snow. much more on the impact around 5:15. >> that's right. and that means then for thanksgiving day, we're done with that storm system. your high temperature right at 39 degrees. yes, it's going to be a cold one for us. but for all of the turkey eaters out there, it's going to be dry and i think good for travel on thursday. breezy afternoon. again, highs in the upper 30s, getting friday morning, just 27. keep that in mind, a cold one for anyone heading out for any deals early friday morning. a lot more on that snow for wednesday on news4 at 5:00. >> all right. well, with thanksgiving just days away, it's time, of course, for our nbc 4 food for families campaign. >> donations all day long. pat lawson muse at the verizon center with more on how you can help. pat? >> hey, pat. >> reporter: wendy and jim, things will soon be winding down here at verizon center. but the hard work is just beginning. between now and thanksgiving, there is a whole lot of packing and sorting and delivering to do

to get all the food collected for families to those families. and we have gotten an awful lot of help today from monumental sports, which includes the caps, the mystics and the wizards. >> it's a pleasure for us to do this. lives are involved, and the coaches, and players, obviously. and this is all for a very good cause. >> it's just important to give back. we have all been so very blessed. and we just are happy to help all the families in need. >> now, our phone bank will be open until 7:00 tonight. news4's doreen gentzler is waiting to take your call at 202-885-4949. call her and make a donation or donate at nbcwashington.com. it's as easy as pie. but it will mean so very much to the thousands of families who have a happy thanksgiving thanks to your donation. back to you in the studio. >> i know a lot of people come

out. it's a good cause. thanks, pat. well, it's the busiest week of the year for travelers. and now big security concerns after a man scales an airport fence. wait until you see what it took to stop him. >> reporter: a 16-year-old girl is grabbed from this street and attacked. what police say she did that saved her from her attacker, and helped police to catch the man. i'm mark segraves and i'll have the latest on this story coming up. i'm tom sherwood in the district. plans are being made for a citywide funeral service to honor the late marion barry. i'll have the story, coming up.

if you packed your kids' lunch, you may want to reassess it. there's a study that shows most bag lunches are not as healthy as the school cafeteria. researchers found food that came from home had more salt, fewer fruits and vegetables and about 90% of the lunch had sugary drinks and desserts in them. 21 states now taking aim at maryland's gun control law. they're asking a federal appeals court to overturn provisions that ban dozens of assault weapons and limit gun magazines to ten rounds. the states filed a friend of the court brief, saying the law violates the second amendment right to keep firearms for self protection. maryland has until december 31st to respond to the filing. well, just as we start the most hectic travel week of the

year, there are new concerns about airport security. >> a man without a ticket found his way on to the tarmac in san jose. and as mary ann favrer reports, it's the third breach in seven months. >> reporter: police say this 39-year-old was spotted on a ramp on the west side of the airport. employees detained him and called police. but he got away. he then stole a city maintenance truck like this one, and drove all the way to the other side of the airport where he was arrested at terminal b. >> i am slightly alarmed. >> reporter: tonight, some passengers are rattled. >> if a guy can come in and steal a maintenance vehicle, who knows what else they could do, bringing in weapons and what not. so that could be kind of scary. just makes you wonder about the security, like, you know, where is the security and how can someone get that far on the on ramp, you know, without -- and get that far and in a vehicle and then leaving. that's pretty scary. >> reporter: this is the third

security breach at sjc since march. you may remember, in april a 15-year-old boy managed to scale a security fence, climb into the wheel well of the passenger jet and survive a flight to hawaii. >> we're still waiting to hear the details. >> reporter: since that breach, bay area congressman, eric flawwell, has said to beef up security. >> they should be notified. here, fortunately, san jose detected this indidual rather early, unlike the other two breaches. so, again, i have to commend them for that. but until we have a system where security is notified the second the breach happens, i still think passengers' safety is at risk. breaking news. right now at 5:00, pleads for peace in ferguson as we wait to hear the grand jury decision in the shooting of michael brown. outrage over rape allegations tonight, and the way they were handled at uva. the new call to action now in a case making national headlines. and an arrest in an attack

on a teenage girl. how the girl fought back and helped police catch the suspect. good evening, i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm jim handly. a grand jury has now made its decision. what that decision is won't be announced for a couple of hours and ferguson and the nation wait to learn if officer darren wilson is charged in the shooting of unarmed black teenager, michael brown. news4's aaron gilchrist has more on what's happening now in missouri from our live desk. >> reporter: a lot of developments right now in the st. louis metropolitan area. we can tell that you schools that were open today in that area are shutting down as we speak. they are sending kids home early in some cases, after-school activities have been cancelled across the st. louis region. businesses are boarding up their stores in anticipation of any protests that may happen once this decision is announced. governor jay nixon is in the st. louis area right now. he met, as we understand, with clergy members in that area. a while ago this afternoon, he is planning a news conference for 6:30 eastern time this evening with some of the

leadership in the st. louis area. they're going to be calling for peace, and talking about preparations to protect the public, to protect free speech in anticipation of that grand jury decision announcement this evening. we also know that the family of michael brown, the 18-year-old who was shot on august 9th, has been notified that the grand jury has reached a decision on whether to indict a police officer in this case. their attorney spoke to msnbc a little bit earlier today, before the family was notified about this decision. here's what he had to say. >> they have been huddled up with their family, as you would imagine, on pins and needles, praying for justice and trying to explain to their children what's going on. >> reporter: now, this grand jury decision will tell us whether that -- this officer, darren wilson, will be indicted for any range of things this jury could come to a conclusion on. they could indict him for first degree murder. they could not indict him at all.