now with big developing stories this afternoon. first at 4:00. >> from a winter storm approaching just in time to mess with the holiday travel to reaction to ferguson right here in our streets, we have team coverage this afternoon. first to the storm, which could affect you whether you plan to stay or leave for thanksgiving. >> storm team 4 meteorologist verkca johnson tells us a warning is issued for the morning. vj? >> yeah, guys, some of us may see some poor, messy travel throughout portions of the day tomorrow. let's talk about it. a winter weather advisory for those counties shaded in dark purple. so that's howard county through montgomery, fairfax, fauquier county, as well as areas throughout culpeper county right now in the hot pink color, that's winter storm warning. that is where we're expecting a bit more snow, so it's 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for those areas in purple. wet, slushy conditions with rain to snow and just accumulation on the grass. out west, areas could get 3 to 6

inches. that means that roads, especially secondary roads, could become slippery. here's the storm system, folks. cloud cover across our area today. there's the front, low pressure developing right along that front, and that really is the culprit. so we go from the 50s to the 30s. after 2:00 a.m., it's rain for us. meanwhile, snow or snow and rain by sunrise. and, again, that means some messy roads. standing by nbc washington facebook, meteorologist doug kammerer to answer all of your questions, and i'll be back again to show you the road impacts throughout the area. >> all right. as you can imagine, the weather is playing a big role in the rush to get on the highways into the airports. >> transportation reporter adam tuss joins us live along the southeast-southwest freeway. adam? >> reporter: jim, we don't get too worried about weather around here, do we? i think a lot of people are starting to adjust their travel plans. let's look at tonight. this is the southeast-southwest freeway loaded up. you know, most people are going to be trying to get out of town by hopping in the car. in fact, aaa says nine out of

ten will be in the car. but take a look at what we found at the airport today. yeah, long lines, and there are some saying because of the weather predicted for tomorrow, they did book an earlier flight. >> i originally had the last flight out tomorrow. so i wanted to make sure that i was in time for thanksgiving, so i took an extra vacation day from work, and i'm going home today. >> and back out here now live along the southeast-southwest freeway, you see everyone trying to get home tonight. we want to remind you, stay ahead of all of the weather with our storm team 4 app. you download it, put it on your smartphone. that way you know before you go. send it back into you guys. rts all right, adam, thanks. now to the fallout from ferguson. the city's mayor just criticized missouri's governor jay nixon, saying the national guard was deployed too late to save several businesses last night. that were burned. fiery protests broke out after a

grand jury decided not to indict officer darren wilson in the shooting death of teenager michael brown. a body that had been shot and burned was found this morning. several buildings were looted. others torched. and more than 80 people were arrested. earlier today, lawyers for michael brown's family criticized the grand jury process. >> we object publicly and loudly as we can on behalf of michael brown jr.'s family that this process is broken. >> students at morgan state university in baltimore hit the streets today in response to the announcement in ferguson. demonstrators blocked streets and held up signs, demanding justice. no word of any arrests or injuries. here in washington, there was a powerful protest at police headquarters. take a look. with barely a word said, demonstrators lay on the ground like they had been shot, spending one minute for each hour that michael brown's body lay in the street.

>> and is there a big rally planned for tonight at mt. vernon square in northwest. that's where we find news4's mark segraves. mark? . >> reporter: that's right. we're right across from the convention center here, and as you said, about 7:00 tonight, this is where all of the protesters will meet. what they have been protesting across the district, all day long in several different locations, staging what they call die-ins, simulating the death of michael brown. and they have been distributing these letters to district officials, asking them to meet with them. we know that the protesters have been going across town. first they were at mpd adquarters, then went to department of justice. later they went to the office of d.c. police complaints, and then to the john wilson building, better known as city hall here in the district. at each place, they had what they again are calling die-ins. the protest in d.c. started last night here at the white house.

this morning, protesters were back at it. first at police headquarters, and then outside deptment of justice. this afternoon, they went to the office of police complaints before heading to the john wilson building to confront d.c. council members. the message they want to send today is that the ferguson police shooting of michael brown and the profiling of young blacks is not an isolated problem. >> these things happen to particularly black youth a lot and it's the kind of thing that we're not going to tolerate anymore. >> reporter: now, the protesters have one more stop. they're headed over to mayor elect muriel bowser's transition office hoping to meet with mayor-elect about how sooner and then here at 7:00 at mt. vernon square. at 5:00, you'll hear directly from some people who delivered the letters to public officials. reporting live, mark segraves, news4. >> we'll talk in depth about the feelings this case has generated in the black community with

whur's troy johnson coming up in our next half hour. first at 4:00, now a former nfl player charged with domestic abuse. and this time it's a former redskin. news4's dianna russini joins us in the studio with these late-breaking details. >> jim, pat, fred smoot is currently a football analyst on tv and radio here in washington but his appearances have been suspended indefinitely after his arrest on charges of domestic abuse. smoot played seven seasons with the washington redskins. on sunday morning, he was charged in loudoun county with a misdemeanor domestic assault charge after allegations he grabbed a woman during an altercation. this is a copy of the protective order the woman filed. smoot was booked and released from jail and appeared sunday on comcast sport net talking about the skins game. you see him there. according to a spokesperson, the network didn't learn of smoot's arrest until this morning. comcast sports net is owned by the same company as nbc 4. smoot's attorney tells our chris

gordon that smoot denies he committed any domestic abuse and his arrest was the result of a vindictive act of an ex-girlfriend, he says. chris will have more on that coming up on news4 at 5:00. a team effort saved the life of a construction worker trapped by a trench collapse this afternoon. it happened in myersville in frederick county on the site of a new home under construction. the worker was buried up to his chest in dirt. chopper 4 was over the scene. very carefully, the rescue workers removed the dirt surrounding the worker and lifted him out of that trench. once the man was freed, he was taken to the hospital. a heads up before you answer the door. a new warning from a major utility company in our area, and how you can protect yourself and your home. >> can a major decision this afternoon change the culture of rape at a major school in our region? your home up in flames

because of your thanksgiving tush tur key. the big warning that could save your holiday and your family. first at 4:00.

a local utility wants to make sure your house is safe and secure. this holiday season. the washington suburban sanitary commission reminds you to ask for i.d. before letting any utility worker in. wsse says all employees are required to carry and display their i.d. badges. any worker coming to your house will be driving a vehicle that's clearly marked, and if any work is being done on your street, there should be letters or signs that are posted. an emotionally charged meeting at uva today to discuss what to do about disturbing rape allegations. the university's board of visitors met with students in charlottesville police today.

the school suspended greek life for the rest of the semester off a "rolling stone" article graphically described an alleged gang rape at a frat house. the school has appointed an independent council to investigate those claims. during today's emergency meeting, the board also addressed allegations that incidents like this have been going on for decades. uv a's president said this is the generation to stop sex assaults on campus. >> i want to make it perfectly clear to you and to the watching world that nothing is more important to me than the safety of our students. not our reputation. not our success. and not our history or our tradition. >> charlottesville's police chief gave an impassioned plea for someone to come forward with information about the 2012 incident. northern virginia bureau reporter david culver will have more on that coming up right here at 5:00 and 6:00 tonight. the big day is almost here. but before you gobble up your thanksgiving dinner, we'll tell

you why many of those calories could hit you before you even sit down at the table. travel trouble. with snow on the way, we're going to tell you how to save your money, even if you have to change those holiday travel plans at the last minute. and storm team 4 chief meteorologist doug kammerer is taking your questions right now on the weather that's headed our way. join the chat now over on our nbc washington facebook page. >> a thumbs up. does that mean like snow or no

you're watching news4 at 4:00. first at 4:00, we are staying on top of a winter storm that is expected to impact much of the area on the busiest travel day of the year. >> storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson tracking what you'll see in your neighborhood. first, a serious warning today about kitchen fire safety. before you start cooking your thanksgiving dinner. >> consumer reporter erika gonzales joins us now with some dramatic new video that serves as a timely reminder. >> yeah, it is very, very dramatic. i have a friend that always compliments his wife by saying lisa can burn some food. this is not what they're talking about here. okay? the threat of kitchen fires more than triples, as a matter of fact, on thanksgiving day. that is according to the consumer products safety commission. the big reason for fires, cooks leaving food unattended.

the cpsc demonstration shows exactly what can happen if you aren't paying attention while you're cooking on thanksgiving dinner. they've got the right idea as far as frying the turkey outside. that's just way too close to the house that. fire started in a fryer. but fires also happen on unattended stovetops and inside o ovens as well. some reminders if you use a turkey fryer, use it outside of your home, and just like your stove and oven, never, never, never leave a fryer unattended. taking to the skies tomorrow, this wild weather is expected to cause flight delays, cancellations and some pretty hazardous conditions on the roads. so you want to plan ahead today to avoid getting stuck at the airport or in traffic. so if you're supposed to fly tomorrow, united, delta, southwest, jetblue are all waiving the change fees, allowing you to change your flight to thursday or friday at

no cost if you're willing to do that. american airlines and usairways are waiving change fees only if your change your flight and fly thursday. that is thanksgiving day. if you're driving, aaa recommends leaving in the wee hours of the morning or super late to avoid traffic. and the nasty weather that we are expected to get. and coming up on news4 at 5:00 tonight, where exactly does your luggage go after you drop it off when you check a bag? well, we are going behind the scenes, following the journey of your luggage. that's coming up tonight at 5:00. if you've got a story idea for the consumer watch, we'd love to hear from you. our e-mail address is there on the screen, as well as our phone number. send us your ideas. all right. thanks a lot, erika. >> thanks, jim, pat. if you're planning to travel for thanksgiving, you need to change those plans, veronica? >> for thanksgiving day, you do not. but tomorrow some roads will be impacted more than others. so depends on where you are.

where you're going to be traveling. areas like i-81, 66, 70, 270 for tomorrow that could get a little dicey at times. let's head over to the weather wall. and talk just that. road conditions. driving impacts. this is from the evening to the morning. so we're just fine, this evening. that road temperature just checked on it, it's 58 degrees. averages out to most locations throughout the areas as our temperatures today have been in the 50s. so 52 your air temperature. by morning, could be a slick spot or two around the area, north and west of d.c. the air temp by then at 37 degrees. so the temperatures are going to drop pretty rapidly after midnight. we'll go from rain to snow tomorrow. a lot of roads will be just wet in the beginning. but we've got a chance for snow mixing in with that rain between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. most of the accumulation that we're talking about on grass he ooh surfaces and on area roads, especially secondary roads north and west of d.c. that for tomorrow. so let me show you the weather unfold. this is your future weather. the rain down south coming up

towards southern maryland. areas of the northern neck. this is at 2:00 a.m. look at this. all this green, that is just that. rain at 6:00 a.m. here's that pocket of snow in the blue, a rain mix in the pink. and watch how quickly that unfolds and blossoms out as we hit the late mid-morning hours. then by early afternoon, it's still with us. 1:00 p.m., this is a look at 1:00 p.m., frederick, leesburg, even in d.c. down toward areas of warrenton, winchester, a chance for some snow. and then by 5:00, 6:00, it all moves out. temperatures get a chance to warm a little bit. so the way it's looking right now, your forecast for wednesday, ooh, let's go ahead and take it back a bit. i think we can stop it there and advance it to the graphic here to show just how much. it's not going to stop. so right now the higher amounts of snow, leesburg, damascus and gaithersburg, between 1 and 3 inches of snow. the higher amounts will be here, areas of i-81, 70, 270, as i

reported. even out 66 with that 3 to 6-inch pocket of snow mainly on grassy areas. a little bit on area roads, secondary roads. but again, they are going to be out treating them tomorrow. temperature tomorrow going up to a high of 40 degrees. but that will be early in the day. our temperatures tomorrow fall from 40 into the 30s and then for thursday, 39. but look what happens thursday morning. we're at 33. and that means that anything that falls if still left on area roads could be icy as we get into thursday morning, yes, i know, thanksgiving day. for friday right now, it's a cold start for us at 28 degrees. the weekend looking better. just a couple minutes when i return, what will the weather be like outside of our area? you plan on driving up to pennsylvania or down south toward areas of virginia, i'll show you that coming up. loudoun county sheriff mike chapman is running for a second term next year, and now there's a new challenger from his own party who is no stranger to the

sheriff's office. according to e "loudoun times," eric noble announced his candidacy yesterday. it's a 27-year veteran of the sheriff's office. he was the senior commander in charge of connections and court services before retiring recently. if elected, noble promises more transparency and fiscal responsibility. he also says he'll increase staffing levels in field operations. honda may have to pay a $35 million fine. the automaker admits to not reporting more than 1,700 injury and deaths claims. those claims happened over the course of 11 years. honda blames the mistake on computer program errors, and data entry mistakes. executives say they are working to fix the problem now. the case is still under review by the national highway traffic safety administration. it could be one of the biggest violations in history. staying in and renting a movie is about to get more expensive. we're going to tell you about the price hike that's about to impact your family movie night. the smithsonian breaks its silence in the growing sex

assault controversy involving comedian bill cosby. we want to hear from you about that story and the stories that get you going. first at 4:00. the stories you're talking about. >> like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. we're coming right back.

move over, barbie. she has been de throned by queen elsa in the holiday toy wars.

it's t first time in 11 years barbie hasn't been at the top of the toy giving for girls. instead queen elsa, anna and the rest of the "frozen" characters are dominating the national survey. 20% of parents plan to buy "frozen" gear for their girls. nearly 17% plan to make a barbie purchase. the number-one toy for boys, still legos. you can rent a "frozen" dvd from red box but starting next week it will cost more. the rental increases 30 cents to $1.50. blu-ray to $2 a day. gamers get hit harder a month later in january. video game rental fees will jump from $2 a day to $3. red box is facing tougher competition as more americans turn to online video delivery. new calls today for a full review of voting equipment across virginia after issues

surfaced on election day. voting machine malfunctions were reported in almost a dozen localities. virginia's election commissioner told the "richmond times dispatch" the problems appear to be the result of aging equipment and not foul play. there is hope a full review will remove any questions about that. in today's news4 your health, disturbing new evidence just released shows a lot of people with hiv are skipping treatment. 1.2 million americans are living with hiv right now. but only 30% of them are taking drugs to keep the virus under control, according to a new cdc report. researchers say people with untreated hiv are more likely, much more likely, to spread the virus to others. and young people are the most likely group to skip treatment. it will soon be a lot easier to watch your waistline when you eat out. calorie counts will soon be appearing on all chain restaurants across the country. the fda announced the new rules today. chain movie theaters, coffee shops and grocery stores have to

also comply. the rules include all places that serve food and have 20 or more locations. food trucks are exem. companies have a year to post the calorie counts. some restaurants, including panera bread and mcdonald's, already post calorie counts in all stores. minute-by-minute developments right now in missouri. new fallout now after that controversial decision sparked violence and fires in ferguson. is the worst of it over? we're going live next. >> and storm team 4 is tracking a winter storm moving in just as we prepare for thanksgiving. >> what will you see? meteorologist veronica johnson joins us first at 4:00. a secure retirement.

a new home. earning your diploma. providing for your family. real associates, using walmart's benefits to build better lives for their families. opportunity. that's the real walmart.

you're watching news4 at 4:00. the decision heard around the world. first at 4:00, is the fallout over in ferguson, or will we see a mob mentality take over for a second straight night? first now at 4:00, storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson joins us. vj, a sudden burst of cold and good chance of snow for many. >> that's right. that sudden drop in temperatures comes after midnight. the big burst of snow off to the west. look, here's the current radar. so it's quiet right now. we don't have any issues at all. but in those counties shaded in pink, that is where there is a winter storm warning, starts at

3:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. tomorrow. 3 to 6 inches of snow likely. and that is where roads will become slippery. especially the secondary roads. and especially late tomorrow. of and that is why tomorrow's impact forecast is high, because of poor travel for some, and an icy wednesday night. what happens after that in a look at thanksgiving day, we've got that forecast coming to you in a few minutes. guys? >> a father in southwest texas is in anguish right now. he tried to save his six children from a fire in their home this morning. but he could only save one. i pushed his wife and 3-year-old out of a window and tried to go back to the others. but neighbors stopped him because the flames were too intense. the children killed range in age from 5 to 15. investigators don't know yet what started that fire. now to the fallout in morgan stanley ferguson, missouri, hoping to avoid a repeat of the violent protests and fires that followed the grand jury's decision in the

michael brown case. jay gray is there live with the latest this evening. jay? >> reporter: good evening, jim. the damage here is overwhelming. worse, many say, than from the riots that occurred just after michael brown was killed. more police, more national guard troops have been moved in. many here demanding they act much more quickly if there is violence here again tonight. in this battered burned out city, the concern is no longer what a grand jury will decide, but instead what will happen next. >> we're just cleaning up the mess from last night. trying to make it look nice again, and, you know, bounce back. hope it doesn't happen again tonight. >> reporter: last night, hundreds poured into the streets of ferguson, outraged that a grand jury did not indict police officer darren wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teenager michael brown. police did not directly confront the angry crowd until after squad cars and businesses were burned.

and gunfire rang out for much of the night, ultimately bringing in armored vehicles and officers in full riot gear to push the protesters back. in the light of morning, peaceful protests replaced the violence. many marching just like they have every day since brown's death. his parents stood, but didn't speak as their attorneys blasted the prosecutor and the grand jury process. >> raises all kinds of red flags for us in this process. we're going to hold out hope that at some point, justice will be served. >> reporter: a federal investigation does continue, which could result in civil rights charges. brown's family could also pursue a wrongful death suit in the case. on the streets now, more national guard troops have been called in to support police as they prepare for nightfall. >> you will see a large police presence and when crime starts, you'll see us in intervention much more quickly than we did last night. >> reporter: and so many here hope with much of different

results. look, i think it's important to point out, i was on these streets last night with a lot of people, many who have marched peacefully for more than 100 days here. they weren't a part of the violence. and they are devastated by what's happened to their community. live in ferguson, jay gray, news4. what's going on in ferguson is also sparking a lot of reaction here in the washington area. whur's troy johnson is here now with the talk around town. and troy, i've seen it today on my facebook page, and you have talked to people who have mixed feelings about what's happening. >> they are. they're pro fufoundlprofoundly, all, disappointed by what's happening in ferguson. many folks i talk to. and you know, you have to put in perspective the historic aspect. some people were telling me, this is the biggest event they have seen in their lives. people much younger than i. but they're not surprised. they're not surprised of what happened. some people calling this a miscarriage of justice in ferguson. and others continuing to ask a

question that you're going to hear as this continues to go on. when will black lives actually matter in this country? many people believing that there's a bias in the justice system, and that we're not really taking care of african-american people. they're also upset about what transpired last night. we all saw it on our television sets. businesses burned to the ground, the looting. and for some people that i spoke to, that brought back vivid memories of what happened right here in washington, d.c. in 1968 after the assassination of martin luther king. and in cities all over the country. many of those communities still are struggling to bounce back after something that happened 50 years ago, nearly 50 years ago. so all of those things were playing into their thoughts. also wondering what does the stealing and looting have to do with this case in the michael brown situation. so people had quite a wide range of viewpoints on what was happening. >> and another question. where do they think the process should go from here?

what do they want to see happen now? >> that is the ultimate question that it really -- as i put it to people, they found it tough to really figure out how to -- what to say. how do we move forward? some people are saying, though, that now is the time to assert our rights, participate in the process fully, demand accountability, accept a share of responsibility in our communities. but they're also very suspicious of what's happening. when you see -- when you see elected officials who are not really making things happen in these depressed communities, people are adjudicate indicating this case today, but we're not going to have it in a courtroom. that's the other note they made that i thought was quite interesting. >> all right. troy johnson at whur, thanks, troy. >> absolutely. >> jim? >> at the center of another firestorm, we'll tell you how the smithsonian is now sounding off about the allegations against comedian bill cosby. storm team 4 tracking a blast of cold air right now, bringing rain, even some snow on the way. what that winter storm warning means for you and your

holiday right here first at 4:00. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] follow your joy to a celebration like no other. start your new orleans holiday at followyournola.com.

with sleep number, now there's an adjustment for that. give the gift of amazing sleep, only at a sleep number store. this week only, save 50% on the ultimate limited edition bed.

know better sleep with sleep number. we want to hear from you about the stories that you're talking about. first at 4:00. >> like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. it's easy. the smithsonian says its display of art owned by bill cosby does not mean its museum is taking a stand on the controversy swirling around him. big cosby owns many pieces at the national museum of african

art. they're on display in the conversations exhibit. a smithsonian spokesperson tells us the museum is about the art and the artists. several women have accused cosby of sexual assault. he is not charged with any crime. people with a criminal past will have an easier time getting a job in prince george's county. today the council passed the so-called ban the box legislation. it stops employers from asking job seekers to check a box on the application about whether they have been convicted of a crime. the question, however, can come up later in the process, after the first job interview. montgomery county recently passed a similar law. will he stay or go? tonight a singer from right here in loudoun county, virginia, will find out his fate on "the voic voice." ryan sill and nine other finalists all performed last night. the top eight will move on. to find out more about ryan sill and his northern virginia connection, go to nbcwashington.com. then watch tonight to see if

he's saved. "the voice" airs 8:00 tonight here on nbc 4 and includes a live performance, get this, past, by taylor swift. >> that should be awesome. turkey, stuffing and calories. before you start cooking all that food, hear how much you will actually eat for thanksgiving dinner. and it could change the way you look at your holiday meal this year. and a winter storm warning about to kick in for many of you tonight. team coverage from storm team 4 tracking it all, first at 4:00.

you're watching news4 at 4:00. first at 4:00, get ready. many of us could soon see some snowflakes. a winter storm warning about to take effect for much of the washington area, just in time for holiday travel. >> oh, it's a busy map. storm team 4 working hard this afternoon to track who is going to see the worst of it, and just when. >> we start our team coverage with meteorologist veronica johnson. so lay it on us. we want to know about the roads. >> right. the road temperatures right now, as you'll see, are just fine. but by morning, say late morning, that's where those secondary roads could start getting a little slick. my message here really is that what falls isn't necessarily what sticks or what will be accumulating. and a lot of it has to do with the warm air from the onset today, and the road

temperatures. here's a look at the current road temperatures. gaithersburg, 59. 58 around hagerstown. even south 61, 62, where we're expecting that split of snow in most locations north and west and rain to the south. so, again, even with the cold air coming in, the 34, 37 degrees throughout the area tomorrow, the road temperatures will be slightly higher. so i'm talking about mainly wet roads for the morning. air temperature, 38 degrees. meanwhile, it's 34 by the evening hours and on the decline. and that's why i think there could be during the late -- latter part of the evening, tomorrow when the system moves out, whatever is left on area roads could get a little slick. mainly to our north and west. meanwhile, still expecting boston, philadelphia, new york, d.c., baltimore, at the airports to be some travel delays tomorrow. because you talked about a fairly sizeable system here, coming up the coast. this is 6:00 a.m., d.c. fine, philadelphia, fine. there is new york. but snow in pittsburgh and snow around williamsport. so i-68, areas like 76 around pittsburgh, we're talking about snow. snow up i-83.

there is philadelphia and new york now by 9:00 a.m. getting the snow. and then a huge area here, as you travel into pennsylvania. 4:00 p.m. tomorrow still looking at snow before the system starts heading out of here around 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. tomorrow. and doug, you've been taking a look at skycast 4, more with our local impact. you can take us hour by hour. >> this is a cool feature we have, showing what's going to be happening in 3-d as we make our way across the region early tomorrow morning. a lot lot of us have to work our wednesday. as we move on to 4:00 tomorrow morning, notice the rain coming down around the region and as we move through 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 tomorrow morning, it's still rain around the area. and we are expecting rain around the beltway. it will be snow well to the west, but in and around the beltway, this will be a mostly rain event, even through around 9:00, 10:00. but watch what happens around 11:00. we start to see the rain mixing with and changing to snow around that 11:00 hour to around noon.

we're going to see a little period here, maybe three hours where we are seeing predominantly snow. but then around 2:00, the precipitation starts to lighten up a little bit and because of that, i think we go back to a little bit in the mixture of rain and snow. also notice snow accumulation in the city. we're going to talk much more about that at 5:00. and vj, we're going to be talking about this the next 24 hours. >> exactly. just outside of d.c. here, let's than an inch, manassas too less than an inch. areas like leesburg and just out i-66, between 1 and 3. charlestown, winchester, front royal and frederick, just west around mt. airy, that is where there could be a little more. right now, thanksgiving day, 36 to 40 degrees, where we could have, guys, a passing flurry around the area. so just got to get on the other side of tomorrow. your weekend right now for anyone traveling back, 46, 58. we're fine. we have a lot more on the snow forecast for wednesday coming up on news4 at 5:00. guys? >> alrighty. overeating on thanksgiving

part of the fun. the shame, the guilt too for a lot of us. but did you ever wonder how many calories you actually consume? >> nbc's jeff rossen wanted to find out. so he attended an early thanksgiving feast with a family who has no idea they are the subjects of a secret food test. watch what happens. >> reporter: happy early thanksgiving. we're throwing a feast for the lemieux family. and we do it right with all the trimmings. turkey, ham, mac-n-cheese, stuffing. they think we're here doing a general story about thanksgiving and families. but here is what they don't know. our rossen reports producers are logging every bite they take. as in this car parked outside, is our secret food expert, cornell university professor, brian wantsic. >> three ounces of ham. three ounces of turkey.

>> reporter: he's crunching the numbers and calculating the calories for each person. right away, even as the family is still cooking the meal, we notice something. all of them picking, picking, picking. >> oh, my god. really good. >> reporter: all those predinner calories adding up. >> how many people are in there? it's crazy! >> i know. she had three glasses of white wine before dinner. >> okay. >> and two rolls. >> reporter: when dinner is ready, they don't hold back. piling their plates. how is the food? >> delicious. >> i love the mac-n-cheese. >> reporter: i love the mac-n-cheese too. so good, right? they keep on going with seconds, even thirds. but it's thanksgiving. we're not done yet. who is ready for dessert? is. >> yay! >> reporter: here we go. pie. how thanksgiving is that? >> they devour the pie and the cheesecake. and when they're finally done, it's time for the big reveal.

all right, you guys want to know the real reason we're here? >> yes. >> reporter: i'm your worst nightmare. i have been counting all of your calories and watching everything you ate. >> who won? >> reporter: who won? you mean who lost. as a family, we have told up all of the calories you ate today. >> oh, boy. >> reporter: you guys ate 24,165 calories in this one thanksgiving meal. so which family member ate the most calories? [ buzzer ] wrong. >> it's her. jackie, wait until you hear how many calories you had in this meal. you had 3,690 calories. >> oh, man. >> reporter: even more surprising, 1,290 of those calories came before she even sat down for dinner. >> she did work out this morning, though. >> reporter: coming in a close second, tj, with a whopping 3,390 calories. in one meal.

tj. >> hey! it's about the food and being thankful and being together. >> more about the food. >> reporter: what do you make of these numbers? >> this is amazing. it's no different than any other thanksgiving in america. about 20% of all the calories they ate were eaten before the meal even started. >> you're not thinking about the calories. you're thinking about the calories all week long so you're not being health conscience and what not. >> reporter: and now it's time for their nap. >> happy thanksgiving! >> well, that's an eye-opener. nutrition experts say the best way to cut some of those thanksgiving calories, put the richer side dishes like the mac-n-cheese or sweet potato casserole on a side table. most of us don't take second helpings if the dish isn't right in front of us. >> hmmm. well the fallout in ferguson continues to spark emotions and protests here in our area. today maryland students came together in a show of solidarity.

>> reporter: i'm darcy spencer at the university of maryland college park where students are protesting the decision by grand jury in ferguson not to indict the officer who shot and killed 18-year-old michael brown. this was supposed to be a silent sit-in protest here at the student union, but many students said they couldn't just sit there and be quiet so they have been protesting all afternoon. >> don't shoot! >> hands up! >> we kind of are just coming here for everyone to showcase that this is not okay. what's going on is not all right. and we're not going to silence it anymore. >> reporter: many students told us they were surprised at how many students have shown up here for this protest. how it is resonating here on campus. you're going to hear from more of those students, including why they're here, what they're hoping to accomplish, coming up in a live report on news4 at 5:00. getting ready to say farewell. we'll tell you how you can pay tribute to late d.c. mayor

marion barry, first at 4:00. >> reporter: we'll hear from the woman who claims she is the victim of domestic assault by former redskin, fred smoot. this is chris gordon in ashburn, virginia. i'll have her story, ahead.

nbc 4's food for family's campaign. thanks to your generosity, nbc 4 was able to feed more families this year than in the past 20 years of the campaign.

all together, $50,000 in cash, checks and donations. that means being able to feed 4,000 families. we thank you for stopping by the verizon center and for calling our phone bank yesterday, and nbc 4 is more than grateful to all of its nbc corporate sponsors for their donations. their generous donations. you can still donate, by the way, online. log on to our website, nbcwashington.com. marion barry's annual turkey give-away took place today without the long-time d.c. leader who died early sunday. hundreds of people lined up this morning outside of union temple baptist church in southeast. for years, barry raised money to buy thousands of turkeys and to give them away to those in need in ward 8. today barry was in their thoughts. >> he always gave back. and what he's doing for the people, he's been doing, you know, since the civil rights. >> he loves us and we love him.

he always has been there for the people to provide, you know, what he could. >> cora masters-berry also stopped by today to help pass out the goods. as far as next year, barry's chief of staff said he hopes the turkey give-away will continue. as marion barry's legacy lives on through that give-away, hundreds in the city are remembering the personal touch he had in their lives. news4's zachary kiesch spoke with those who decided to put those memories and tributes on paper. >> mayor barry, thank you for your service to community and your social activism. you are a drum major for justice. >> reporter: they came from diverse backgrounds. some were elders representing the clergy and others college students like 19-year-old chesley swan. >> because he's a good example, i want to go into public service. i go to university and am president of the naacp there. >> reporter: the first floor of the wilson building decorated with the late mayor marion barry's photo, two books, two pens, and a lifetime of

memories. helga cozat made the trip downtown this morning on the train. >> i don't know, i just liked the man. >> reporter: written in ink and spoken out loud, each written how barry had personally touched them. >> like many of us, there were flaws and failures, but greatness. and he overcame. and he didn't stop. >> marion barry, rest in peace. >> reporter: reverend luisa battle was a single mother looking for a place to call home when barry showed just how much he cared. >> he changed our lives. >> reporter: some used their lunch breaks, others built their day around it. one last note. one last goodbye. remembrance and gratitude for mr. barry. >> and i thank you for using the gifts that god gave you. chesley swan. >> reporter: reporting in northwest d.c., i'm zash re zachary kiesch, news4. from the airports to the roads, an approaching winter

storm now that is thanksgiving travelers changing their plans. >> ferguson fallout. protesters in prince george's county prove they will not take the grand jury decision lying down. and just last hour, we told you about assault charges against a former redskins player. now at 5:00 tonight, hear from the woman who made the accusations against fred smoot. the. we have a winter storm on our heels. and before we can even see the first set of flakes, we are already seeing the impact right now at 5:00. >> yep, we're under a winter storm warning, folks. and we have live team coverage for you from the holiday scramble on the roads, at the airports, to the time line of how fast this storm will roll in. we've got you covered. >> let's start with you, doug. how is it looking? >> well, right now, guys, still on the mild side as temperatures are still in the 50s. and it's really hard to believe that we have this snow making its way toward the region. let's take a look, first off, at the warnings and advisories issued. yesterday they were -- a winter storm watch in effect. and now a winter weather advisory. howard county, montgomery

county, fairfax county, prince william, southern fauquier and culpeper under an advisory. warnings in pink, loudoun county, frederick county, northern fauquier and rappahannock and back towards the west we are expecting snow to cumulate. temperature wise, we're in the 50s right now. so, again, it's going to be kind of hard once this starts to begin as snow. this should begin as rain to begin with as we watch that storm moving up. it will switch over to snow. i'll have much more on the timing and how much you can expect in your area coming up in a couple minutes. this looming winter weather is making for an early holiday rush in the air and on the roads. here's a look at i-95 north in maryland this afternoon. transportation reporter adam tuss is staying on top of the trouble, joins us -- live in southwest d.c. with a look at new technology to make your trip safer and smoother. >> reporter: that's right, wendy. and here we go. a lot of people already adjusting their schedules, because of the impending winter or