i finally went back to indiana highway and i sat for hours and hours and hours without moving. i got home at 3:00 this morning. >> 3:00 in the morning. oh, my goodness. poor pat. we know a lot of yu had a similar story to tell us. tweet us your story on the nbc facebook page. tell us what you're dealing with and what you have to deal with. especially if you're just getting home and you have to turn around and go back to work today. >> and because of that snow we had yesterday, lots of schools already making changes this morning and also in anticipation of what is ahead, and we're expecting a lot more. right now, prince william county schools are closed. schools in fairfax, spotsylvania, and king george counties are opening up two hours laid. alexandria. >> fredericksburg, manassas, and manassas park schools are already on a two-hour delay. the federal government is open

as of now. this is just the beginning. we'll put the schools and buildings scrolling on your screens. back to you. >> thank you, erika. it is a "storm team 4" weather alert day as we get ready for the next big storm. >> chuck bell, if that was just a taste, i can't imagine what we're dealing with on friday. >> everybody's all looking on the weekend, and i mentioned yesterday that little clipper coming through. it didn't leave an inch of snow some place but, boy, oh, boy, that was just an inch. imagine what's coming. today's the day to get ready. get your saw, your water, gas up your car, make sure you have plenty of medication. decide where you're going to be when the sun goes down tomorrow. you're going to be in that same location tomorrow night, all day saturday, all day sunday, and

probably into monday or tuesday as well. be ready to find somebody you like because you're going to be spending a lot of time with them over the weekend. watch out for some icy spots here. first thing, once we get the sun up and above freezing, it will continue to not be a problem by lunchtime today. but i do know we've got the red light on for conditions. we'll start talking amounts and impacts a little bit more with the winds coming up in a few minutes. taking a look at a live picture right now, we're going to start with a couple of different live pictures for you here this morning. whatever you're doing, stop and look at this. this is the outer loop right here. it is jammed. we have an eight-mile backup here. bottom of the beltway. that is not going to get any better any time soon. as folks start waking up, they may be thinking, maybe i'll take

the outer loop. you don't want to. top of the beltway, not much better. an eight-mile backup. outer loop, we have megan mcgrath on the way to this issue to show us what's going on there as well. the beltway at st. barnabas looking nasty too. also take a look at this. a crash inner loop at st. barnabas with the right side blocked. you can see where the camera was a second ago. just those taillights turning everything red. icy conditions, top of the beltway and bottom and sort of sporadic northbound. you can see 66 and 95 overall the best two spots in the area right now. road-wise, prince george's county, worst spots will be indiana highway southbound. back in a few minutes. a deadly crash in beltsville overnight. this hatched at the corner of baltimore avenue and maples avenue. police tell us a pedestrian was struck and killed by a pickup truck and that it had an

attacked snow plow to it. we're working to learn more, and authorities are working on notifying the victim's family. erika, thank you. it's 4:34. right now we're on blizzard watch. "storm team 4" meteorologist telling us all of us will get at least a foot of snow and this morning mayor muriel bowser will detail her snow plans for the city. so far we know the city has 20 new plows in its fleet this year. the mayor has asked already for the national guard to offer some vehicles and is prepared to ask for more help if needed. a remind e if a snow emergency is declared in the district, you cannot, do not park on those snow emergency routes or you eat get a big fine and probably be towed. governor larry hogan met. they're coordinating all

available resources to clear roads and clear incidents. >> we've got a lot of snow on hand. all the guys are champing at the bit to move some snow. >> emergency malkt is ready to assist local respond ores related to the storm. while maryland says it's ready to handle the snow delays and contracts for independent plows raising concerns. some are worried there wouldn't be enough plows to clear all the streets. the statement from the maryland state highway states sha has been working for several days to clear up confusion regarding requirements for contractors. that's a big relief for contractors and residents who will depend on them to clear the roads. metro has dedicated 900 workers to snow preparations but if there's 8 inches or more, the metro transit may shut down.

we know there's going to be more than 8 inches, so there you go. metro can operate under ground to some spots in d.c. the pentagon, for example. too much snow on the ground will shut down the bus too. a live look at reagan national airport. the snow sometimes means cancellations or delays. they're running as scheduled at this point. dulles, flights are also running at b.w. marshall. a homicide investigation now under way in rockville. just after midnight, fire and rescue teams were called to the scene of a burning tent. they tell us this was part of a homeless encampment. they say somebody was trapped

inside the tent and once the fear was extinguished they found a man dead. we're work tock get you more information, when we do, we'll bring it to you from the live desk. let's give you another look at the roadways where the evening commute has become the morning commute. you're looking at a live pi of the beltway to the harbor from last night. this is a view of our city. as we mentioned a few minutes ago, a lot of schools are closed today or are on a two-hour delay. chuck has

d.c. police are investigating a homicide that happening in southwest washington. they responded to a man who had been shot just before 6:30 wednesday night. that man died from his injuries. no suspect description has been released. we, of course, are keeping an eye on the roads this morning. melissa, what do you see? >> it is a mess out there. we have the right side blocking

some things. the top of the beltway is jammed on the outer loop. the bottom is also completely almost stopped on the outer loop. we have an almost eight-mile backup. it needs the place you want to be. bottom of the beltway, outer loop, it's nasty. this is the outer loop here on the right side of the roadway that. is just very, very slow here this morning. inner loop at st. barnabas also have that right loop blocked. much more coming up. chuck? >> thanks, melissa. yeah. it's amazing what a half an inch to an inch of snow can do when they're not properly treated. be on the lookout. icy spots will be a real issue until we get the sun up. between now and then, watch out for the slipperiness on the sidewalks, the roadways, any of the bridges and overpasses. use extreme caution. you should be able to tell by those traffic pictures, this is nothing to mess with this morning. plenty of sunshine, above

freeding this afternoon. today's the day. we get everything done. when i see you in ten minutes we'll time it out, when it will get here, whenld it will end. you don't want to miss this. stay with us. it is a weather alert day here at "news4." 4:42 your time right now. you're looking at live pictures of the beltway at the national harbor, where we're still seeing a ton of traffic in the overnight hours. we're going t

all right. here's a live look at the beltway. you can see that bridge over there. this is the kind of morning where bridges are still very slippery and dangerous. melissa has been talking about backups all around our region. this is a lot of leftover traffic from last night when the

snowstorm hit. and chuck bell will have much more on our forecast in just a minute. it's now 4:45. a state trooper in virginia is recovering after being hit by a van during the scene of crash. this happened last night in rush hour in northern virginia. the trooper was transported to fairfax hospital and is expected to be okay. this is a preview. that big blizzard is hitting us tomorrow and we're following all the preparations around the area. some schools already closing early tomorrow. others will make the call that morning. loudoun county schools rescheduled some events to today. d.c. leaders say they'll have 20 new plows they'll put on the roads and thousands of volunteers ready to shovel sidewalks in particular for those who can't do that. first responders say it's going to take them longer to get to you during a storm keep that in mind.

firefighters, police officers, and others will take longer to hit. keep that in mind when the snowstorm hits. say the one thing you can do to help get there is clear three feet around your nearest fire hydrant. that would be very helpful to them if they need to get to it >> cold pipes means they're more susceptible to breaking. they say they're ready. this has been updating -- it has been updating contact lists for electrical suppliers in the area and testing mobile equipment. they also have salt and snow removal locations. you can help out by reporting water main breaks as soon as possible. d.c. water wants you to keep the water flowing too. here are reminders. if you have pipes that are outside and exposed.

wrap them and insulate them now. keep them trickling. open up your kitchen and bathroom cabinets to let warm air inside especially the your pipes are on an outside wall and run warm piets. governor larry hogan says he's ready for this weekend's storm. he had a cabinet meeting focused solely on this storm. state agencies are coordinating all efforts to clear roads and prevent potential incidents. >> we're watching and preparing. i would advice you to be prepared. go out and do your shopping and get ready before the crowds move in. >> they're up and ready to help local responders relating to the storm. >> this just in. we've been talking about some school closings. we just learned arlington schools are closed and prince george's is on a two-hourdelay.

that's at the bottom of your psychiatry. >> let's check in with melissa mollet to find out more about the situation on the roads. we know it was bad, melissa. >> it was bad. i came down from rockville and 270. i saw 19 cars abandoned on the roadway, a lot of them crashed into walls. this is right now, a crash on the roadway. the top of the beltway getting a little bit better. by that, we're about a 4-auerbachup. here a five-auerbachup. outer loop on the right side of your screen, woodrow wilson bridge. jammed. a lot have been sitting there for hours. kn no doubt it's going to get

worse. inner loop at st. barnabas, the right side is blocked. again, this is what you need to know for today. icy conditions top and bottom of the beltway, major delays. chuck? >> thanks, melissa. that's part 1 of the problem. part 2 of the problem arrives here tomorrow with enormous amounts of snow and wind coming our way, but first thing this morning, wow, look at how cold it is. 21 in gaithersburg and manassas. roads that were untreat, very cold and a difference this morning. probably won't get much above freezing before noontime. we'll have sunshine out. once we get the sun on there, tonal shady spots will be a problem. by later today, at or above freezing. all this will be a distant nightmarish memory. this is the day to get things done this afternoon and evening. blizzard watches are posted for all of the d.c. area. it's likely to be upgraded. the storm it is still sitting

back here across kansas city, missouri. it's diving to the deep south. it will refire off north carolina and virginia capes. the proximity to the coastline is the real wild card in all this. snow arriving during the day tomorrow. lit absolutely start and end as snow. it's the middle of it. this is going to be the real wild card. here's 11:00 friday night. here's the rain/snow line coming into southern maryland. our future weather by 6:00 a.m. there may be a brief period where it goes over to a rain/snow mix around the metro area. if that happens, that will dramatically cut back the snow. instead of 18 inches, it might be 12 or 13. sko it's still going to be a crippling storm but this will interfere with our ability to get a snow total. by 10:00 saturday morning, there's the rain/snow mix in the metro. notice it stays all snow all the

time the airport out to the blue ridge. this is the area that will get the hardest with snow totals. everyone stands to get at least a foot except perhaps far southern maryland. here's what we know. major storm coming in for the entire mid-atlantic. heavy snow, friday night into saturday. we're continuing say at least a foot of snow. west of dulles airport, 2 or 3 feet might be possible. what to expect. snow starts after 1:00 tomorrow. conditions go from bad to worse very, very quickly. on saturday, snow at 2 to 3 inches per hour, especially west of dulles airport. could even have thundersnow. be on the lookout for that. northeast winds, 30 to 50 miles an hour. a severe impact on travel and potentially on power as well. if you have a generate e get it gassed up today. have a car? get it gassed up today.

medication? keep extra on hand for all of this. saturday night into sunday is when it comes to an end. there will be a whole lot digging out to do sunday into monday. another small chance of a rain/snow convenient on tuesday. whe we'll come back and let you know who wins the snow lottery. >> you make it sound like a good thing. put a big "l" on your forehead. >> take a look here. megan mcgrath just left the station. she's heading out for a closer look at the roadway. she'll bring you a picture of what we can expect

good morning. take a look at the roads where people are still trying to get home from work f you can believe that. this is the top of the beltway, connecticut avenue there. there are still people stuck in very slow traffic. look at the right-hand of your screen. if yesterday is any indication with one inch, tomorrow we could really be in for it with the blizzard watch. >> the most recent being snowmaggedon on february 5th and 6th of 2010. that time was similar to what we're tracking this week.

here's video that knocked out hundreds of thousands that left many schools closed for days. the biggest snow stom on record was 94 years ago when 28 inches of snow fell on january 27th and 28th in 1922. this storm was called the knickerbocker storm as heavy snow caused the roof collapse of the knickerbocker theater in washington, d.c., unfortunately killing 98 and injured 133 people. many people remember the blizzard of '96. i know i do. a nor'easter brought two waves of snow bringing at least 10 inches. flooding occurred because of warm temperatures leading to fast snowmelt. the other top two snow events had 20 inches and 19 inches. for more, open up our washington

app and search "biggest snowstorm." seniors are going to have to rely on others in the district. they started going door to door to make residents are ready. they say there are some seniors who need immediate help. >> we have a few cases a month and those cases are usually related to, you know, lack of heat in the home or somebody's experiencing some sort of medical emergency. >> now, the district has 2,000 volunteers ready to shovel sidewalks for seniors. they're also making sure they have food once the storm hits. >> police in virginia want to keep you safe during the upcoming snowstorm. if you can avoid any up necessary travel, don't hit the roads. be sure to keep your speed down. use the headlights especially during the day. this will help you see slick spots on the road. don't tailgate. make sure your windshield wipers

are in good condition and you have the correct pressure in your tires. make sure you buckle up as well. >> good story. now a story. a white house supervisor will be in court after the fbi uncovered a theft team. erika gonzalez has on that from our newsroom. fbi says andrea turk doctored one of her employee's time sheets giving her employer extra overtime pay and then insisting the employee funnel the money back to turk. turk was fired when they became awife the details of the case. this is far from the only federal case involved doctored time sheets. the "news4" i-teem found 60 so-called time and attendance proud case costing taxpayers more than a million dollars.

the fight to keep open laurel regional hospital continues tofrmd local leaders are holding a roundtable discussion in annapolis. both laurel and prince george's county residents are urged to attend that meeting. that's happening today at 3:30 in the afternoon at the low house office building in annapolis. a d.c. high school student is recovering right now from a stab. the student was stabbed -- at the tenleytown area. police say he's expected to be okay. they say this happened during the fight and they're look for two teen suspects right now. wils wilson's principal sent a letter to parents saying, quote, we remain committed to ensuring your students are safe. thank you, erika. a this just into the news room.

anne arundel schools on delay. >> and montgomery. that list expected to continue to grow. keep your eye on the bottom of the screen. >> we'll post it on our facebook payment and website as well. stay with us. "news4 today" continues now at 5:00 a.m. watch out, watch out. he's sliding, he's sliding. >> it's so icy that once they go down the hill, they slide into one another. >> the tow truck hat stopped and he's jamming it. there's no way through. >> you can see there's a