we have to get ready for that dangerous dip in temperatures that could cause even more problems. >> oh winter has arrived. good afternoon, everybody, from that dangerous cold the questions over why so many students had to brave the elements today to get to school. this winter blast is what everybody is talking about. >> and our team of news4 reporters are covering every angle for you from that controversy this morning, to what's coming next. let's begin with our storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson. >> we have a few snowflakes right now between warrenton and leesburg and a lot of other locations, the sun has come out. take a look at the last of the flakes there, south of leesburg aren't areas of 66. these will all be dying out, i think, very shortly, the next two, maybe three hours. a few wet snowflakes maybe a few drops of rain south i-95 quantico to fredericksburg right now. take a look at some of the snowfall amounts. yes, there was a little more snow than what we anticipated and forecast. but it doesn't take much to make

roads slippery. you can see throughout the area 2 inches d.c. 3.5 college park. steven city 3.5. and warrenton, 2.8. we'll explain more as to why we had a little more snowfall coming up in a couple minutes. look at this. this is what's next for us. the refreeze. icy conditions on area roads tonight. i do think we could see morning delays. of course you can always get more information by downloading our storm team 4 weather app on itunes or google play. we'll have more on the plummeting temperatures and the winds picking up for tomorrow, too, in a few minutes. >> thanks vj. a tough day for drivers, as you know. hundreds of people were involved in crashes all over our region. many main roads are now clear, but folks, we are not out of the woods just yet. news4 transportation reporter adam tuss s live in fairfax county that saw some of the worst today. adam? >> reporter: that's right, jim. and you know the concern now is absolutely about the refreeze that's coming later tonight. let's take a look at some of the

side roads here. this is glen din street in vienna plenty icy, slush on the roads. as we go through the night, it is going to get icy here. we went out to leesburg today, this was the scene there as truck after truck was coming in to pick up a mixture of salt and sand and get back out on the road. and the battle against this second round, this freeze is just beginning. >> we've increased the numbers. we probably have close to 1,000 pieces of equipment in. because of the fact that we got hit about four hours earlier and twice the amount of snow that we had predicted, we'll be working through the night, the subdivisions. >> and crews are still working. take a look right here. we've got the salt plow the salt truck coming through. they're going to do whatever they can do. they're putting the plows down on the ground to get whatever is stuck here on the ground off the roads. so it's going to be a busy night, again, a salt and sand.

and is vj mentioned, you've got to get the storm team 4 app to stay ahead of all of this stuff. reporting live in vienna adam tuss news4. and we would love adam's friend there on the side dancing. even with the sun peeking through right now, some roads are still dangerous this afternoon. chopper 4 flew over i-270 this afternoon. take a look. the crews had to shut down three of the lanes, because of an accident that involved four cars on the northbound side, just after the spur. you can see the delays that it caused. first 4 traffic reporter melissa melai is still up and running this afternoon. we've got the sun out. how is it looking, melissa? >> a lot better. we had quite a mess this morning, tweeting about it putting it out on facebook. take a look right now. this is as good as the beltway looked all day. you can see this is our only problem, a little slow and we're talking 40 miles per hour not 3, like this morning. this is the inner loop and outer loop here as you head through mclean 66 at prince william

parkway, completely fine now. in virginia taking a look at 95. 45 miles per hour as you get to dale city. it opens back up, and you're completely clear if you're headed back out of town southbound there. beltway at central avenue. no problems moving along nicely outer loop at colesville worst spot just about 40 miles per hour. northbound for the folks trying to get out of town before it starts icing over. guys? >> melissa, thanks for joining us in the p.m. while the snow caused closures and delays for many area school systems, several in northern virginia decided to open on time today. and now they're apologizing for making students travel in some tough conditions out there. news4's mark segraves continues our team coverage now, just outside sleevewood elementary school in falls church. >> reporter: hey, jim, a lot of upset parents, faculty and particularly students this morning. this is one of the hundreds of schools here in northern virginia that was open on time this morning, and as you said in hindsight now, school

officials here in fairfax, and in other districts, are apologizing, to students staff and parents. >> unfortunately, we got it wrong today. >> reporter: while school officials are now acknowledging the decision to open on time was a mistake, parents, students and teachers already knew that. this teacher, who didn't want to be identified spent nearly three hours trying to get to school only to find out most of her students didn't show up. >> a delay would have been perfect. yeah. to kind of let the salt trucks come out and do their job. >> reporter: the trek to school was difficult across northern virginia where schools opened on time in prince william county loudoun county arlington, and here in fairfax. >> if we had only known that it was going to be like this we certainly would have made the call to cancel schools. >> reporter: now, many of the school districts that were open this morning have cancelled afternoon and evening activities. we have a complete rundown at nbcwashington.com, and as you can imagine, a lot of teachers

and students didn't make it to school today. coming up at 5:00 i'll tell you what that means for students' attendance records and for teachers' paychecks. mark segraves news4. >> thank you, mark. and some breaking news now from the redskins today. news4's dianna russini has confirmed the team will hire scott mclieuen as general manager. bruce allen, team president. dianna will join us with what this means for the redskins going forward. more breaking news now. two years in jail. that's the sentence given to former virginia governor bob mcdonnell for his conviction on corruption charges. two years. northern virginia bureau chief julie carey was in the courtroom during sentencing and joins us now live from richmond. jules. >> reporter: well in september, i stood in this spot and told you bob mcdonnell became the first virginia governor in history to be convicted of felonies. today he became the first virginia governor to be sentenced to prison time.

he and his attorneys have told his right after the sentence was handed down out here outside the court they will file their appeal tomorrow of his conviction and his sentence. now, that two-year prison term handed down by judge james spencer, far lower than what the sentencing guidelines called for. the recommended term six to eight years. now, prosecutors asked the judge for a significant sentence to send a strong message that the governor's office is not for sale. former governor mcdonnell and wife maureen were both convicted of bribery and corruption charges for trading the influence in the governor's office in exchange for $177,000 in gifts and loans from business in jonnie williams. bob mcdonnell's defense attorney asked for an alternative sentence. they wanted him to do three years of community service. they called some 11 witnesses to the stabbed, including former democratic governor doug wilder. all of them begging the judge to show mercy. to give a more lenient sentence.

judge spencer called the case tragic from beginning to end and told the former governor a price must be paid. that price, in his estimation two years. but again, far lower than many of the former governor's friends and family had expected. hear now from the former governor and acting attorney dana uponty. >> i want to thank the court and judge spencer for the mercy he dispensed to me today. and i appreciate his efforts in listening to the witnesses and reading all the letters and papers and arriving at his judgment today. i also want to say that i disagree with the verdict. it was rendered by the jury in this case and that we intend to file our appeal to the united states fourth circuit court of appeals. >> no one is above the law. not a high public official not

even the highest public official in the state. and that's what this case was all about. >> reporter: now, the former first lady maureen mcdonnell will be sentenced on february 20th. she was in the courtroom today. she sobbed as that sentence was handed down. bob mcdonnell has been told to report to the bureau of prisons on february 9th. his attorneys are going to be seeking to keep him out on an appeal bond as they work through this court case. something they call a marathon. coming up on news4 at 5:00 you'll hear from all three of bob mcdonnell's sisters why they see this decision today as a partial victory. for now, reporting live from richmond i'm julie carey, news4. >> thank you. we have mcdonnell's full statement on nbcwashington.com this evening. a neighborhood on edge. the blast that rocked a popular community and how it has thousands of people without power and heat. and those snowy sidewalks are all over the area and you could face a fine if you don't

clear them and clear them soon. we're breaking down what you need to know about this and also remember our latest storm team 4 forecast is always available on the storm team 4 weather app. during the break, make sure you download it and then turn on the push alert. and that way, you can stay ahead of our wintry weather.

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january 17th. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v if you spent the day all warm and cozy or are just getting home and getting ready to get warm and cozy snow shoveling laws mean you may have to go back outside. erika gonzales is here with a breakdown of the laws for you. >> yeah don't get too warm and cozy there's work to be done. grab the shovel folks. here are the rules, region by region when it comes to clearing your sidewalks. folks in loudoun county have the shortest deadline. residents there are required to shovel public sidewalks of snow and ice within six hours after

the snow had stopped falling. d.c. arlington, montgomery county if you live anywhere in there, residents all have 24 hours to move all that snow. and prince george's county, that jumps to 48 hours. in fairfax county and prince william county there is no law requiring homeowners to shovel sidewalks. but, of course you want to do that anyway for safety sake if you can. those jurisdictions with shoveling laws can impose fines, but they're typically only enforced after a neighbor complains or if somebody reports of an injury. jim and wendy, back to you. >> thanks erika. dangerous driving. we'll show you how treacherous many of our local roads are, even after the snow stopped falling. >> reporter: it's the official pat collins snow stick. and i'm going to show you how you can get one of these babies for your very own. coming up. news4.

and we're back with more on the 1-2 punch from mother nature. this is just one of the many accidents caused by snow-covered roads. one car slid off the vw parkway and slammed into some trees in greenbelt. no one was seriously hurt. we just got some new information on the cause of a manhole fire that led to a major power outage in the dupont circle area. pepco tells us that three underground feeders failed early this morning. you can see from video that was

captured bur producers. that fire came out of this manhole at 18th and new hampshire avenue. over 6,000 people are still without power, and we've just also learned that restoration may be 7:00 at the earliest. we're going to be live at dupont circle to show you the impact nearly 11 hours later. >> wow. with all our patience tested all morning long we figured we might as well have a little fun with the snow as well. >> why not. and with the first significant snowfall of the season we're getting our first snowistic challenge. patrick? >> reporter: wendy and jim, as you know this is the official pat collins snow stick. it marks some of the biggest snows we have had in the history of washington. and, of course it gives you the ability to properly measure snow for yourself. earlier this morning, we were at some untouched snow here and we got about 4 inches. right now, we're measuring just under 4 inches here at

connecticut avenue. today we begin the first snow stick challenge of 2015. so let the challenge begin! >> i was a panda for halloween, which is why i have this hat and i thought i would never get a chance to wear it again. but now -- >> reporter: lo and behold today -- >> it is so cold outside, and this hat is so warm. >> reporter: in snowy weather, everyone gets a pass from the fashion police. if it works, if it keeps you warm wear it. besides. it gives you a chance to get a little more creative in your look. >> because of the hairstyle that i have this is why i have this hat on. >> reporter: what do you like about it? >> i love it. it's blue and matches my uniform. >> reporter: does it keep you warm? >> yes, it does. >> reporter: with that in mind we set out to find the best snow hat in washington. the first snow stick challenge

of 2015. best hat gets an official pat collins snow stick. these are some of the entries so far. we called this the pool hall snow hat. the skull hat. the cat in the hat snow hat, complete with beard. oh santa. look at this. the russian snow solution. not one, not two, but three party hats! and i can't wait until it's st. patrick's day hat. and this woman, i think she just likes the color green. what do you like best about it? >> the fuzzy little ears yeah. these guys. and it reverses. >> reporter: oh really? >> but -- this is a little trick. >> reporter: oh a little hat trick. that's a hat trick. >> a little hat trick! there you go! >> reporter: hat trick. now, if you have a special snow hat, and you want to enter the

challenge, put it on take a picture of it tweet it to to @patsnowstick and enter the challenge. coming up we'll have children's entries in this challenge. i'll see you then. live in northwest, pat collins. news4. >> our own pat in the hat. nobody else has it. >> i like that woman's hat. >> yeah that was pretty cool. >> it looked good. even down. >> oh some tricks to it. >> and speaking of tricky that's exactly what this storm system was. we're putting it out there. a lot of times it's the small ones that can be the trickiest. so we saw with carmageddon. this was no carmageddon, but the fact we had this occurring at just the right time during the morning rush it did have more moisture with the system and hence the higher totals. and because it was not the dry type of snow it stuck right away and made conditions awful out there for just commuting this morning. we've got a lot more full explanation.

all you have to do is go to our storm team 4 facebook page or nbc washington on facebook. we've got a full explanation there for you. all right. let's take a look at radar right now. what's left a few light snowflakes north of 66. and i'm continuing to see this area get smaller and smaller, so before long another hour or two, and it's going to be completely gone. though snowflakes falling with the sun coming out. but it gets very icy tonight. just a reason why i think we're going to have some pretty good delays tomorrow morning. probably a lot of two-hour delays until the sun comes up. it has a chance to at least help matters. you know we're not going to get above freezing tomorrow. look at the low temperatures starting out. 21 gaithersburg. 24 in d.c. 27 la plata. so from waldorf to manassas to warrenton and leesburg we're talking about a hard freeze tonight, folks. and it's only tomorrow during the day where it could improve a bit. 26 at 9:00 a.m. 26 at 11:00 a.m. so an icy start. and then some bitter wind chills for the day. because as temperatures really start dropping as we get to the afternoon, 28 26 between 1:00

and 3:00 the winds will start picking up. and tomorrow afternoon, we could see our winds gusting to around 30 to 35 miles per hour. falling temperatures and increasing wind because of the cold. the impact forecast for tomorrow is moderate. so let's take a look at your storm team four-day forecast here. for wednesday, again cold. 28 degrees. and then we've got yet another day. thursday we start out in the teens. 13 degrees. we're going to see single digits to the teens throughout the area for the actual overnight temps with wind chills that will be subzero. we'll talk more about that later. 24 the high temperature on wednesday. then at the end of the week upper 30s for friday. it's going to seem like a heatwave. and the weekend right now, 29 to 37 degrees. our weekend right now is split. i know it still seems cold with averages just around 40 degrees. 39 to 40. but this weekend, at least, we've got sunshine on tap. more sunshine on saturday. but colder readings lower temperatures.

37 on sunday. and at least we're keeping it dry through the weekend. right now, our next chance of seeing any rain and maybe a little bit of snow is not until the early part of next week with temperatures back into the mid and upper 30s across the area. again, a lot of wind for tomorrow. so i'm going to take you hour by hour and we're going to show you those wind chill readings what you can expect for your neighborhood for tomorrow in a few. >> veronica thank you. first at 4:00 a change that could impact what you feed your pet. weenchts >> we're going to tell you about the large retailer pulling this product off its shelves. blast from the past. you could soon be spending your snow days listening to this familiar gadget. but it's going to cost you. and after today's big snow we want to know which d.c. area schools got it right? >> it's our nbc washington flash survey of the day. so during the break, call or text the number on your screen there. you can also vote on the nbc washington facebook and twitter pages. we're coming right back.

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i'm drooesianna russini at the live desk. the redskins will hire scott mcline as the new general manager. i'm told this will be a four-year deal and the contract should be signed by the end of the week. then he will be introduced formally as the new general manager. so what about the current gm bruce allen? he will remain team president.

now, mclieuen is the former gm of the san francisco 49ers, also senior personnel executive with the seahawks. he left both jobs for personal reasons, and recently opened up to espn about his alcohol abuse, but also his strong desire to get back into the nfl. coming up at news4 at 5:00 why people are calling this a home run hire for the redskins. we'll have more. >> all right. thanks dianna. hot commodities in the news. iphone 6. a new sony walkman. what? and girl scout cookies. >> suddenly we're craving s'mores. kane. so new flavors of girl scout cookies, something we haven't seen in the 98-year history? >> a ridiculous amount of time. they actually did some market research and actually discovered people wanted new flavors. although how could you not love

samoas? >> that's the best. >> they have three new flavors, gluten free. toffee tastic trios, oats chocolate chips and peanut butter and yaya raisins, which sound delicious too. >> and they're glute en free. >> no, the first two. toffee tastic and trios. just so you know. otherwise you'll have a long night. >> the iphone 6. if you like it but you don't want to be married to a carrier, there's something new now. >> yeah so it became unlocked today. so that means it doesn't belong to any carrier whatsoever. >> nice. >> here's where you can make money, though. people are exporting the iphone 6 and 6 plus to other countries overnight. there were several for sale for $1200 online on ebay. depending on the screen size and how much memory you have. >> old-school now. we all remember putting on sony's walkman. making a comeback now huh?

>> why? >> that's what some people are saying. but there is this new class of people who want really hi-fi dellty sound. i'm from a cd generation. i don't know the sound, according to my parents. but they're going to do it. and it's going to cost $1200? oh my. >> that seems to be the price point today. >> yeah, it does. but sony says this will be huge. they have a whole bunch of high-end stuff, including speakers. >> kane i never get to see you. >> i know. >> hot 99.5. >> we'll listen tomorrow morning. happened again all too soon. we'll tell you about the intense search after new york police officers find themselves in harm's way yet again. >> it's a story everyone is talking about at the nation's capitol, about to get another big dose of winter. our team coverage from storm team 4 continues, fir as a small

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you're watching news4 at 4:00. first at 4:00 the thing everyone is talking about this afternoon. a winter blast that isn't quite done with us yet. brace yourselves for some bitter cold folks. welcome back i'm jim handly. >> and i'm wendy rieger filling in today for pat lawson muse. our meteorologists are blanketing the area like the snow. >> after this morning's snow we're tracking what comes next and it could make for even more trouble. >> so we're going to begin with storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson in the weather center. how cold is it going to get? >> we're going to see a hard freeze tonight. we'll show the actual temperature values in a moment. but, yeah icy conditions not good. and that's what we're going to be facing for early tomorrow morning. take a look at the radar. storm team 4 radar, not much left here. this is a flake or two around 15 just north of 66 now.

south of leesburg heading east getting close to fairfax. and maybe a drop or two a little flake there just on the north side of bowling green, headed down toward that location. but in terms of accumulation we're not going to see that anymore. temperatures the big story from here on out. temps and wind. let's head outside to meteorologist doug kammerer with more on what you can expect overnight. >> yeah, veronica this winter blast started off with snow and now we'll see extremely cold temperatures. tonight the sun will set in about the next ten minutes or so and what we're going to see here are water. the snow and ice will quickly turn over to all ice in the area. notice everybody that saw snow today, below freezing. 30 in manassas 30 in leesburg. 25 in gaithersburg. 28 in martinsburg. the warm spots, charlottesville, fredericksburg, in the upper 30s to 40. snow snow towards that area but

some areas will see problems overnight. everything will freeze. roads will become slick. walking will be tough as far as sidewalks are concerned. so please give yourself extra time. we saw a lot of accidents early this morning. i think we could see more tonight. and then again tomorrow especially in some of those side roads. vj now we're talking about not just the cold but the wind chills. >> right. and really you've got to prepare yourself for the next two days. the next two days temperatures like these in the 20s, below freezing. and what that means for wind chill values falling temperatures tomorrow the winds pick up. the wind chills 10 to 15 tomorrow. and then 0 to 10 below by thursday morning. again, we'll have more on that coming up a little later this hour. >> great. and we're not the only ones feeling this winter blast. >> no we're no. it's all brutal conditions gripping much of the country now, shutting down highways and cancellinging flights. nbc's jay gray live from one of the hardest hit areas, upstate new york. jay? >> reporter: hey there, jim,

wendy. yeah they've seen their fair show of snow here in pulaski, new york already. a few flakes. veronica talked about the winds picking up and there is concern more is on the way here. the winter storm moved in overnight. >> very cold. >> reporter: plunging temperatures. snow and ice, locking down millions across the country. >> want to stay in. so it goes from heat eat some food watch television get ready to go back out. >> reporter: but getting back out was close to impossible for many this morning. the rush reduced to a crawl. accidents littering highways. school buses sliding on the ice, plain stuck in the ice. hundreds of flights grounded by the severe conditions. >> we're on the plane for about an hour and a half. until they told us that the flight was cancelled. and then we have to wait another, like 30 minutes to get off the plane. >> reporter: the arctic blast dropped temperatures into the single digits and teens, prompting winter storm warnings

and advisories across 22 states. and as the week continues, so will the bitter weather. wind chills tomorrow will be unbearable in places like bismarck international falls and minneapolis. by thursday record low temperatures from chicago through pensacola. conditions heading downhill fast. those kids like so many across the country, trying to make the best of what's a very messy situation right now. that's the latest live here in new york. i'm jay gray. jim, wendy, back to you. >> thanks jay. and right now we're also watching how the weather is impacting the commute this evening. let's get the latest from melissa melai. >> good evening, guys. good afternoon. i've never been so excited -- i've been here too long first of all. i've never been so excited to show a camera of 270 and montrose road into town and out of town. i've obviously been here longer than normal. taking a look here at 66, headed out of town no problem at all

through vienna oakton same thing if you're headed inbound. 95 and virginia and dale boulevard moving nicely. prince george's county no problems here. behaving itself. connecticut avenue also looking good flowing well. 95 out -- or into town a little bit slow right now. otherwise, looking quite good. i'm going to go take a nap. >> alrighty. if anyone has earned one -- the new year is here so we're going to help with those resolutions, showing which workout tools can get you there without having to leave your home. her story is inspiring the country. a 7-year-old girl the only person to survive a plane crash. now her community rallies together to help. first at 4:00.

we're counting down folks. a few days to go until the nbc 42015 health and fitness expo. >> it opens this saturday morning at the washington convention center. in the meantime follow our twitter page download the all-new nbc 4 expo to go app. for your iphones. you can make your way around that big convention center and the fun stuff we have down there. >> and as we say, we'll see you there, right? you want to exercise but you can't find the time? well well that's one of the most common reasons people skip workouts. >> what if you had all the equipment you needed in your home? then what's your excuse? consumer reporter erika gonzales joins us with the new rankings on treadmills and ellipticals.

>> my friend you cannot use that as an excuse if you've got the equipment already in your home. so "consumer reports" has said -- come on now, work with me people. "consumer reports" tested a new batch of exercise equipment in a variety of prices and styles. take a look. whether you want to walk run, stride or glide, "consumer reports" latest tests have ellipticals and treadmills can help you find at-home machines that rival the gym. >> we want a machine to be able to keep up with you as your fitness level increases so a wider range is a plus. >> reporter: testers also look at how easy the machines are to use. this recommended $3700 precore treadmill has a screen that looks like a tablet. and the buttons on this top-performing $2300 sole tt 8 are easy to read and push. and this $1500 nordic track

offers excellent exercise range, plus it folds up so it will save space too. as for elliptical ergonomics are key. >> we get people on the machine to see how easy it is to pedal, how easy it is to accelerate and decelerate. >> reporter: you don't want it to be too hard or too easy. >> on this machine, when i try to start pedaling very quickly, it's almost instantaneous. on this machine, when i try to pedal as fast as i can, it's hard to get it started. and when i try to stop it's almost impossible to stop it. >> reporter: a good machine like this schwinn 470 smooths out the pedaling pedaling. it also offers 29 preset workouts and as a "consumer reports" best buy at $800. that's not bad. >> that's right. and ahead at 5:00 tonight, making the hard shift here we're going to be talking about the best ways to melt and gain traction on the ice as this

freezes tonight. plus how to protect your pets from the toxic chemicals and cold. we want to be on the lookout for them. please treat your pets kindly. if you've got a story idea for consumer watch, send us an e-mail consumerwatch@nbcwashington.com. and the phone number is on the screen. >> we'll see how you're doing on the elliptical. >> call us. >> okay. >> we'll be at the pizza place across the street. >> thanks erika. a movie landmark is the target of an arsonist. whether police believe it's linked to a famous film or something else. gone in an instant. two u.s. skiers with promising futures lose their lives doing the thing they love. how their colleagues are honoring their loss today.

♪ the snow made for big problems here in our area but it's just what other people were hoping for. >> oh yeah. like here. these are pictures from liberty mountain ski resort in pennsylvania, and you can bet that skiers will be headed there tonight and tomorrow after a reported 5 inches of fresh snow. you know tomorrow this time, vj you say the story of the day is going to be wind chills. >> wind chills for sure. so the temperatures will just continue to drop. the wind will start picking up. it's just going to be a biting wind tomorrow. ugly feel if you're outside. so right now as we check on the wind chill reading, really isn't too bad.

31 degrees. the wind chill, what it feels like at 26 degrees right now. so going out this evening, late for 7:00 8:00 9:00 yes, temperatures below freezing. most locations, it is going to get icy. and we're talking about a hard freeze where a lot of the secondary streets, a lot of the neighborhood streets by tomorrow morning. so anything that isn't clear is just going to freeze up and be slick to drive on. at least we're done with the snow now. storm team 4 radar getting the area live nothing to show here. and it's not until days from now when we've got our next chance of picking up any snow or maybe snow/rain mix. drive time forecast tomorrow morning, this is early on. icy spots. i think we could see that everywhere. some of the rain roads, of course clear. but even with some of the lanes far off to the right there, there could be some icy patches. so just watch that as you navigate and you'll want to get an early start too. cold conditions windy conditions 24 degrees. the other thing about tomorrow

morning is if you do have to go out and clear your car off, make sure you dress in layers. it's going to be a thermal underwear kind of day for tomorrow. travel and exercise we give you caution for tomorrow. it's really a day to be indoors for exercising. travel again, watch for ice out and about, again, just stay inside. look at the wind chill readings. 5:00 a.m., starting utilize in the teens. anything left exposed. then it's single digits by 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon. so it's actually going to feel better in the morning than it does in the afternoon. and late wednesday night, 10:00, gaithersburg minus 3. minus 2 in frederick. and we head on down to the single digits by early thursday morning, some areas, though could be down to around 10 below. so you're going to need everything, pile on the kids for early on. real quick look at your storm team seven-day forecast. this weekend, 29 to 37. here's your next chance of some rain maybe a little bit of snow monday and tuesday. a lot more on the nasty wind chills coming up on news4 at

5:00. >> thanks veronica. a deadly avalanche kills two promising u.s. skiers in the austrian alps. they were honored today in croatia. laura aguirre has our report. >> reporter: the road to the ski area in the austrian alps where 120-year-old ronny berlack and 19-year-old bryce astle died remains closed today. avalanche warnings remain in effect. the u.s. ski team is trying to cope with the deaths of berlack and astle. >> first, you don't believe something like this happened. and there was a little bit of -- took a little while to really understand what happened and how the guys are doing. >> reporter: six u.s. skiers were descending down the mountain when they left the prepared slope and apparently set off the avalanche. four were able to escape. two were not. >> bryce had just started training with us skiing with us. ronny was with us for a couple

years. two very excited young men, excited about the sport, the future. >> reporter: alpine police said the skiers weren't wearing avalanche security equipment. and they were found about 9 to 12 feet under the snow. the head of u.s. alpine skiing said there is a strong support system for the skiers and their parent. >> yeah we were in touch right away with their parents, and the whole support system. so everybody is super supportive. and -- but also very sad it happened. >> reporter: the moment of silence before the world cup slalom race today. and who will be remembered by those who knew them as having died doing what they loved. laura aguirre, nbc news. we're also following big developments now out of new york city where an alleged gunman is now in custody, suspected of wounding two plain clothes police officers responding to a robbery last night in the bronx.

a second suspect is also being questioned now. police say one of the suspects is seen in this surveillance crime scene. one officer was shot in the arm and back. the other in the chest. both are expected to recover. the officers were looking for suspects who had just robbed a grocery store. today the city's mayor said the officers went above and beyond the call to protect their fellow new yorkers. >> these officers had come off their shift, and upon hearing this call went back out in search of these criminals. >> reporter: this happened two weeks after two other new york city police officers were shot and killed while sitting in their patrol car in brooklyn. a home made famous by the late robin williams is believed to be the target of an arsonist. this is where the movie "mrs. doubtfire" was filmed. it appears someone set fire to the door and door mat. fans made a memorial outsidefter his

death in august. investigators don't believe the fire had anything to do with the actor or the movie. they believe the current owner's occupation could be the reason. he's a doctor who works on transgender patients. you won't see the made in china label in the pet treat aisle at petco any longer. the store has pulled all china-made dog and cat treats from more than 1,300 stores across the country. it's the first national pet retailer to do it. the move comes amid concerns that china-made treats are making pets sick. last may, the fda reported nearly 5,000 pet illnesses, and 1,000 dog deaths after eating jerky treats made in china. testing hasn't discovered a cause, but the fda is still investigating. well lots of you sent us your snow pictures, as you were out and about today. check them out on nbc's washington's facebook page. many drivers in our area are hoping that the evening ride home isn't as long or as slippery as the morning ride in.

in montgomery county police responded to more than 100 crashes. news4's chris gordon has a look at road conditions in the county. >> reporter: this is chris gordon in bethesda along landy lane one of the many side streets still covered in this mushy mess. i saw a pickup truck spinning its wheels here just a few minutes ago. it borders river road which is now clear of snow but wet and that raises concerns whether it will freeze and be slippery tonight. this morning, the challenge was a heavier than expected snowfall during the rush hour. the season's first snow made it a slow go. cars crowded on route 28 crawling from quince orchard to rockville. buses sticking to main roadways but many face delays. for some riders determined to get to work it took patience. and you're on your way to? >> to rock ledge drive. >> reporter: yeah. from? >> from brooklyn and d.c.

>> reporter: and it's taken you? how long? >> four and a half hours? >> reporter: you are a dedicated person. >> no this person is dedicated. she started at 2:00 a.m. >> reporter: all-new at 5:00 tonight, we'll hear from that woman, who spent seven hours on a bus trying to get to work. and we will update you on this evening's rush hour. that's coming up on news4 at 5:00. her survival and ordeal has touched the nation. as her friends and family grieve they're coming together to make her future a bright one, despite the odds.

there is a huge outpouring of support for the little girl who survived a plane crash that killed hermida family. >> and that's just what she needs now as she grapples with such a frightening, life-changing experience. >> as nbc's gabe gutierrez reports, many people still can't believe she made it. >> reporter: this morning, nashville, illinois population 3,000, is grieving. but also rallying around the 7-year-old that has captivated the nation. >> we firmly believe there is a reason she walked out of that wreckage. there's a purpose for her life. she will positively affect lives. >> reporter: on friday sailor gutsler was flying home from a florida vacation with her family when their twin engine plane plunged into the kentucky woods. killed in the horrific crash,

sailor's parents, her 9-year-old sister and 14-year-old cousin. this is the exact spot where the plane crashed-landed. local authorities believe that sailor was able to crawl out and soon headed in that direction. she scrambled nearly a mile through heavy brush to knock on larry wilkins' door. >> i get emotional. >> reporter: he says her relatives have now thanked him personally by phone. today in illinois visitation will begin for sailor's cousin sierra who leaves behind four brothers. the other funerals are scheduled for later this week. >> just so full of life and laughter and fun. it was just always fun. i mean if the gutslers were there, you knew it was going to be a good time. >> the second grader is recovering from cuts to her legs and a broken wrist. once she feels better she could soon talk to crash correctors investigators to help them figure out what went wrong. a preliminary report is expected

in ten days. the former governor of virginia is going to jail for two years. right now at 5:00 the emotional reaction from bob mcdonnell and his family. >> power problems smoking man holes and drama in dupont circle continues. we're live getting answers on when this will be fixed. and winter blast. what a difference a few hours makes. and what we're keeping our eyes on the threat of ice, and the temperature still tumbling. >> here we go. and, indeed what a difference those few hours have made. a big one, folks. >> the snow is done falling, but the temperatures are not. for some it was the first snow but for others it was a nightmare commute. trying to get to schools and trying to get to work. but now the ballots will be on the roads as the sun sets. everything will freeze and bitter winds will be blowing in. we have live team coverage of this winter blast. we begin with our chief meteorologist, doug kammerer with more on what we can expect next. >> well guys you mentioned the fact the snow is out of here and now it is a watch as far as

what we're going to see over the next 12 to 24 hours as the real cold sets in. but this is the way things have looked over the last 12 hours or so. and you can see the snow making its way on in through the area starting off at 5:00 a.m. notice the snow really coming down and as we mentioned last night, coming down during rush hour. that was when we saw the biggest problems. yes, we did get more snow than expected. but it was that rush hour temperatures very cold. that's why we had so many problems on those roads. storm team 4 radar now not showing anything around our region. but we did pick up a significant amount of snow. snowfall today, ashburn, around 4.3 inches. rockville, over 4 inches. reston 3.5 inches. reagan national coming in at about 2.4 inches of snow. so yes, definitely seeing some higher totals than expected across our region. and now we're looking at the temperatures. notice as we move into the overnight hours, temperatures dip into the teens. 18 martinsburg. 19 in