and donald trump doesn't like ooh, it is cold outside. even for the month of december. the arctic blast is prompting wind chill advisories and even warnings to be on the lookout for dangerous frostbite as well. as new york city prepares for the biggest party of the year, with security high as millions prepare to ring in the new year. they thought that they'd won the lottery. that was until they were told about the error that meant they might not get paid. and a reminder that christmas cheer means that you're never too old to get down with santa. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm phillip mena. the bitter cold is still biting many parts of the country. millions are facing subzero wind ch

in international falls, minnesota, the self-proclaimed icebox of the nation, they hit a new record low. 37 degrees below zero. and forecasters are now warning people to be on the lookout for signs of hypothermia and frostbite if they venture outside. and in erie, pennsylvania mammoth piles of snow remain the big story there. with a record 5 1/2 feet falling in just four days. nbc's ron allen is there with more on how that city is coping. >> reporter: more snow fell on erie, pennsylvania. all hands on deck at the emergency center, struggling to clear roads and keep residents safe. >> have you seen anything like this? >> not really. >> reporter: county exec. kathy dahlkemper called for help. even the national guard. you haven't had a break. >> we haven't had a break since really christmas eve. >> reporter: guard troops helped dig out this senior center. the exits blocked by snow. >> now, god forbid, in the event of an emergency and we actually had to evacuate, we could get out safely. >> reporter: erie's had 65 inches of snow in just four

what they usually get all winter. one sign of progress, erie's airport finally opened. the first arrivals and departures in days. >> are you checking this bag? >> yes. >> reporter: even deirdre walsh, who told us she had christmas dinner from the vending machine, had a flight out. >> i'm quite happy. yes. >> reporter: but the mail service is no match for the snow. delivery to homes canceled. and just look at what's happening on the shores of lake erie, south of buffalo. frozen solid. everything is coated in ice. the big chill expected to last through the weekend. already putting new year's eve plans across the country on ice. in colorado the red rocks celebration will move inside. and as the bitter cold moves into the northeast, workers in times square spent the day barehanded in 20 degree weather. >> it's honestly brutal but we've got to do what we've got to do. layers of clothing, you know. >> reporter: putting the finishing touches on the world famous crystal ball where come

new year's eve folks can experience temperatures in the teens. and here in erie, pennsylvania they may still be digging out come new year's day. look at all this snow. these cars are blocked in. they haven't even been touched. today they optimistically lifted the state of emergency because the snow is pretty much stopped. but there's another storm in the forecast for this weekend. phillip? >> that is not what they want to hear. all right, ron, thank you. let's bring in meteorologist bonnie schneider with more on this cold snap. bonnie, good morning. >> it's a frigid snap really. we're looking at a dramatic change in temperatures, so uncomfortable and really dangerous. are not mentioned the risk for frostbite, and it is there, as sustained temperatures will be well below freezing. we have wind chill advisories and warnings from a multitude of people. this time it's the northeast. same area that got all that lake effect snow. well, now we're seeing the cold temperatures. our current wind chill in boston is negative 5. it's also brutally cold in green bay. look at this. 30 minutes outside in green bay you'd be dealing with frostbite. that's how dangerous it is. phillip? >> all right, bonnie, thank you. with just three days left until new year's

across the country are stepping up security for their celebrations. in las vegas authorities are taking extra precautions. despite expecting smaller crowds in the wake of octobering horrific mass shooting that killed 58 people. federally deployed helicopters and over 300 national guard troops will be on hand for the festivities. armored cars and snipers will also be positioned along the strip. and sheriff joe lombardo says the public also has a very crucial role to play here. >> i'm asking that while you are out enjoying the festivities that you also be observant and notify police if you notice anything suspicious or that it just doesn't look right. the mantra, see something say something. nothing's too small to say something. >> that's right. and in new york city workers are putting the finishing touches on the famous times square ball. about 1 million people are expected to pour into the square to celebrate the new year, and police say they're ready. local outlets reporting that uniformed and plain clothes

and in hotels in times square. extra security is expected also at nearby parking garages as well as large rental trucks. they will be under closer scrutiny this year. this morning with just three days left in 2017 president trump is taking stock of his accomplishments, and he did so yesterday when paying a visit to firefighters near his mar-a-lago resort. he praised his own work in office this year. take a listen. >> you know, one of the things that people don't understand, we have signed more legislation than anybody. we broke the record of harry truman. and they were saying if we get this big tax bill, because that's the legislation of all legislation, that's the biggest there is. >> so he's claiming that. he claimed that legislative record. despite his signing the fewest new laws of any president going back 60 years all the way to dwight eisenhower. his work on legislation isn't the only victory that the president is touting. for more on this we go nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, phillip. good morning

and this morning president trump is of course waking up in south florida where he has been spending his working holiday vacation. and i'll tell you what, he spent a lot of the time here when we have seen him either online or in rare instances publicly talking about 2017, talking about his accomplishments, what he perceives as his to-do list for the last year basically, capped by of course that new tax law. you saw that from the president when he made a surprise stop at the west palm beach firehouse, talking with firefighters there, talking about not just the economy but also his tax law, tying it also to the repeal of the individual mandate. so for president trump he's in a little bit of a routine. golf, tweeting, talking about 2017. but we're looking ahead to what's coming up in 2018. and that is going to begin really in just six days from now. that's when the senate gets back to work in washington. and then in that first weekend of january you're going to see top republicans huddle with president trump, we expect, at camp david to hammer out which priorities should really take precedent. so fairly

florida but certainly not for long for donald trump. back to you. >> the storm awaits. all right, hallie, thank you. this morning a last-minute announcement from the irs could hurt homeowners that are looking to get ahead of that new tax bill. it puts a new $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes that people can deduct from their income. after the agency said people can pay their 2018 property taxes in advance only if the bills had been assessed within 2017. and with only two business days left in the year, it could cause even more confusion for taxpayers. the governors of new york and new jersey signing executive orders requiring their state offices to collect early tax payments that have already been asse assessed. while major cities like san francisco and los angeles say they are not allowing any prepayments of property taxes and they cite their inability to generate the bills in time. this as we get word that homeowners have already been lining up to get a head start in paying their property taxes before the new law goes into effect. dozens of holiday lottery cash winners were left w

empty pockets due to a computer glitch. it caused machines to give out these bogus tickets. that is not the bogus ticket. that is the line, though, of people that wrapped around the building at the south carolina lottery headquarters. when they got inside, they thought they were all winners, but then they were told, nope. you're not. they did not actually have the winning tickets. it was a programming glitch that caused people who played a certain game to win nearly every time. nbc's katie beck tells us more about this story. >> reporter: discovering a winning lotto ticket on christmas day. >> when i got those tickets, i thought, ooh, all my christmas is paid for, all my bills paid for, everything. >> reporter: unfortunately, a fleeting moment. winnings never came. one of many south carolina gamers feeling lottery letdown after learning their winning ticket, some worth thousands of dollars. >> i've got about $10,000 worth of tickets. in my hands. >> reporter: was awarded by mistake. generated incorrectly by a

worthless. wednesday morning a line of angry players demanding answers at the state lottery office. lottery officials say they suspended the holiday cash add a play game as soon as the problem came to light. by then the glitch had been spitting out bogus tickets for two hours. upset winners are being told to hold on to their tickets while the lottery investigates. many now feeling like a christmas miracle came and went. katie beck, nbc news, atlanta. >> they need to make that right. college football bowl season is kicking into high gear. this is that time of year. we begin at yankee stadium. pinstripe bowl. iowa-boston college. hawkeyes coming off four straight bowl losses. they would hold off an eagles comeback attempt. iowa beat boston college 27-20 in the bronx. now to louisiana and the independence bowl, where florida state quarterback james blackmon threw 3 out of 4 touchdown passes to that man number 18. seminoles beat southern miss 22-13. now to houston where a few bad breaks inclu

longhorns beat the missouri tigers 33-16. and here's the nail-biter of the day. arizona wildcats. they lead the purdue boilermakers 35-31 with less than two minutes to play. >> makes the catch! and fights in for the touchdown! >> purdue, they won 38-35. here's a look at today's college football bowl games. got the military bowl, camping world bowl, alamo bowl, and holiday bowl in san diego. all right. check out this time lapse video nerie, pennsylvania. we told you about those five feet of snow in some places. the build-up, though, just incredible. also in erie one scantily clad man, he makes a brave run and look at that, slow motion dive into the snow bank. it's not quite a belly flop, but still. shouldn't try it at home, though. check out this. this guy skiing while being towed behind a car. not supposed to do that but i'm sure it's fun. on the snow-covered streets it was the perennial favorite, though, throwing this hot water into the frigid air. every time, every yr

powder. science, man. it's amazing. let's check in again with meteorologist bonnie schneider who agrees with me, right? >> yes. i know a lot of meteorologists that love doing that on a cold day. but don't dive into the snow. that's for sure. frigid cold air that's the big story of the day. we have dangerous wind chills across the country, especially in the northeast, where in erie where all that snow is it feels like it's 1 degree. it also feels very cold in boston. the wind chill factor there is negative 5. negative numbers across green bay. that's where it's dangerous. 30 minutes outside in the temperatures there, you'd be dealing with frostbite. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. now here's a closer look to the day ahead. temperatures are brutally cold, but remember, the wind chill factor's going to be even colder than those single digits and teens you see in the upper areas of the plains. into the northeast, the sub may be shining but your high in new york city is 19. philadelphia, 23. the brutally cold air is here, and phillip, it will b

with us straight through new year's eve. >> kind of a bummer, but did expect that. all right, bonnie, thank you. dosomething.org is out with its annual list of most charitable celebrities, those who use their impact to effect social change in the world. check out who's topping the list this year. chance the rapper. he knocked off beyonce, who was last year's winner. there he is. number 3 hat. that's him. followed by ariana grande, rihanna, and colin kaepernick. nicki minaj also appeared in their debuts on this list. good for them there. a new poll, america's most admired men and women. can you guess who made the cut? plus donald trump is about to have a brand new train station named after him in israel? drastically. ♪ i tried hard to quit smoking. ♪ but when we brought our daughter home that was it. ♪ now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me.

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he did win the electoral vote in this, though. pope francis is number 3. this marks the first time since 2008 that a sitting president did not win this title. hillary clinton tops the list as the most admired woman for the 16th year in a row. she won narrowly over michelle obama, followed by oprah winfrey. wow. oprah. i thought she'd be number one, right? israel's transportation minister says that he wants to build a train station near the western wall named for president trump. the proposal includes building two new stations to connect a soon to be opened high-speed rail line from tel aviv to the western wall. it would also require building new tunnels near the old city, which houses sites holy to christians, jews and muslims. previous excavations have sparked protests by palestinians with more expected should the current proposal move forward. and if it's approved, it would cost an estimated $700 million and it would take four years to complete. a year after carrie fisher's death her daughter took a trip to honor her mother. the

tribute to fisher saying that the pair was obsessed with the northern lights but they never got to see them together. actor mark hamill also took to social media to remember his "star wars" co-star, writing, "no one's really ever gone," a line hamill's character luke says to his sister leah in "the last jedi." coming up, we will have much more for you on the last thursday of 2017. can you believe that? you're watching "early today." ♪harry's meeting clients...♪ ♪...from far away. but they only see his wrinkles.♪ ♪he's gotta play it cool to seal the deal.♪ ♪better find a way to smooth things over.♪ ♪if only harry used some... ♪...bounce, to dry. ♪yeah! ♪he would be a less wrinkly, and winning at life.♪

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starbucks isn't wasting any time ringing in the new year with a new temporary drink. the coffee chain is rolling out their tuxedo-inspired black and white mocha. the company says the drink is topped with whipped cream and a stripe of sparkly chocolate sequins to resemble a black tie. you'll have to get these drinks fast, though. they disappear after the first week in january. former president obama's first and only interview since leaving office has now been released. so who got the scoop? it was none other than britain's prince harry. in the sit-down mr. obama talks about leaving the white house and his problem with social media while never actually taking aim at his successor directly. nbc's kelly cobiella reports from london. >> it's fun. >> reporter: it was more of a friendly chat than fierce grilling. former president barack obama opening up to

his last day at the white house. >> you're sat in marine one, the presidential helicopter, flying over washington. you've sat through the inauguration with your game face on. not giving much emotion away, as we all saw. what's going through your mind? >> you know, the first thing that went through my mind was sitting across from michelle, how thankful i was that she had been my partner through that whole process. that was mixed with all the work that was still undone. >> reporter: the talk was taped in september, when harry and obama were in toronto for the invictus games. and although president trump's name was never mentioned, the q&a touched on social media, with obama saying it should connect rather than divide. >> one of the dangers of the internet is that people can have entirely different realities. they can be just cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases. >> reporter: thenry

questions. >> lebron james or michael jordan? >> jordan. although i love lebron. but i'm a chicago guy. >> aretha franklin or tina turner? >> aretha's the best. >> "suits" or "the good wife"? >> "suits" obviously. >> great answer. >> reporter: the former first family and young royals have been friendly for years. so will the obamas have the invite to the biggest wedding of 2018? >> we haven't put the list yet. wouldn't want to ruin that surprise. >> reporter: a royal dilemma for another day. kelly cobiella, nbc news, lon london. trouble aboard a nonstop flight to japan when two brothers revealed one of them should not be on that plane, and it's raising new questions about airport security. we also get a celebrity cameo here. you're watching "early today."

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a police chase and a nasty crash sends eight people to the hospital. how it all unfolded next at 4:00. meteorologist chuck bell, we're in weather alert mode for you this morning to help you get prepared to face a biting chill as soon as you step out the door. windchills down below zero in some neiborhoods. ghf

good morning everyone. i'm chris lawrence starting things off in the weather center with chuck bell because, well, it's down right frigid out there. the temperatures look

first grade daughter's math homework. >> i was wondering where we were going with that. >> 1, 5, 7. >> a lot of single numbers out this morning. that's going to be the case the next couple of hours. getting your thursday started, know that you need to start with an extra cup of hot tea or hot chocolate. whatever you need to drink to get yourself warmed up. a hot bowl of oatmeal perhaps. temperatures in the teens areawide. 16 at national airport. 18 by the bay in annapolis. when you factor in that necessary nest wind, windchills just below zero in gaithersburg. below zero in winchester. layer up this morning. not much of a warmup coming. we'll stay below freezing all day today. temperatures in the teens between now and 9:00, 10:00. only the low and mid 20s. this is the tip of the iceberg. more ab