it's a family pgram and 's 4:00. >> they will have to hit that delay button in the control room. >> oh, yeah. i'm eun yang. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. another world beingsed to describe the temperatures is dangerous. for that reason, the region and local schoo districts are taking steps to make sure you stay safe. allegheny county schools are closed. in virginia -- >> now, to the delays. montgomery, prince george's,er frk and washington county schools will open two hours late. invirginia, fredericksburg city, arlington,fafax, stafford, and king. coun

manassas city, alexandria city and falls church avschools. e all of that information at the bottom of your screen. it is so icold,t is historic.s the temperatuf the week are the coldest in a generation. the weather is blamed sor at leasen deaths at this point. thousands of flights have been canceled, leaving passengers stranded. and 85% of c thentry is feeling this at some level, with 230 million people impacted. >> our melissa is standing by with your commute. we start withtorm team 4 belorologist chuck everyone is suffering this morning. >> the temperature when i pulled in was 6 degrees. national airport, typically, one of the warmerplaces, is a frigid 11 degrees with a 1 below zero windchill.

dulles has dropped toro i think the old record was 2 for the date. 7 i fnt royal. 3 in gaithersburg. it's not as windy as it was yesterday. but a little breeze at these temperatures have windchills running below zero. gaithersburg, the big winner or the big loser, minus 10. here's your planner. the good news,et will bright and sunny. it won't be as windy as it was eisterday. that said, it will stay cold today. afternoon highs will struggle mightily, just to get up in the low and mid-20 it won't be this cold for the weekend. we'll start talking about that coming up. he peake bay bridge and the harry nice bridge, wind rnings but no restrictions this morning. leesburg, evergreen. and inner loop and outerno loop

road work to worry about. 270 in germantown lookinggood. >> thank you. people across the region are taking steps to make sure they cold.rm and safe from the t d.c. has opened warming shelters forhe homeless and everyone is bundled up right now. news 4 went to a home depot last night and the item flying off of the shelves was ice melt. bethesda had to get a new shipment because it ran out of stock. the temperatureta are b and one employee is trying to look on the bright side here. >> i'mot inchicago. this is bad. but it's not 55 degrees below. thiss what io for a living and i bundle myself up. >> that's the standard, at least it's not 55 below. >> perspective, guess. >> if you're using an indoor space iheater, keep away from anything that can burn. you want it directly in the

wall. we have other safety tips for you in the nbc washington app.us that man said it, if you think it's cold here, think about the people in chicago. it is negative 15 degrees there. that's having an impact onro everything, schools, businesses, to travel. our meagan fitzgerald is t at live desk. >> unimaginable, whght? does that feel like? we don't want to know. chicago experienced its second-coldest day in history. and the frigid temperatures will continue today. if you're watcatching a flight the midwest, check with your airline thismorning. this polar vortex is causing a lot of flight delays and cancellations across the u.s. there's more than 1,400 flight cancellations at chicago o'hare's airpo outside of the airport, residents there, are having to deal with unbelievably col. temperatures

i have on leggings, pants, two jackets. >> it feels rrible. my face is burning. >> and just to put this even more in perspective for you, crews tried to u fire to keep sock of the train t from clogging. on train track s yesterday, it was quite the sight. these are the four things among the list of t complete shutdown today in chicago. allm track midwest corridor services to and from chicago. all united states postal service deliveries. chicago public schools and even disney on ice is closed. it's just too cold for families to try to make it to those indoor performances. back to you. >> that says a lot about how cold it is. meagan, thank you. if you have to be etside, be sou have the nbc washington app to download to your phone. you can find out up-to-date

forecasts and closures you need. now, to a developing story in charles county. we're learni ining more about t horrific crash, involving five people, including two children. you can see the impact of the crash here, scattered debris all over the road. the buick crossed the center line and collided head-on with the nissan. everyone involved was flown t local trauma centers or treatmenth no updates or conditions. a bizarre investigation is under way in prince george's county >> two men were found shot to dead next to a running car in bladensburg. thas car that running was towed away and is being examined for evidence. bladensburg says it is not clear if the men were inside the car when they were shot. >> we need any witnessom to forward. anyone who saw something, heard something, could be importants well. >> police say there was not appear to be any security cameras in that area where the

shooting took place. ey want anyone who may have seen anything unusual to contact them. gun violence has claimed the lives of 18 people in the district so far this year. and now, some council members are asking the mayor to beef up crime prevention efforts. >> we should be at a state of emergency when it comes to the crime andiolence in our city. >> many people in his community don't feel safe. he wants additional resources to prevent homicides and gun olence. whitupports the work of the community justice action fund. it has launched a five-year program called the building for us campaign. joshua samuelspes time talking to people about keeping the community safe. >> what i'm trying to do is show them they're not alone.ns but ther is educate yourself. and we need to connect guys throh different job opportunities, different resources. >> the office of neighborhood safety and engagement says,t

identified 24 young men at risk of being involved in violent crime. 22 of them are now working on being placed in mlong-t employment. guns will not be allowed in virginia churches if governor ralph northam gets his way. he said he would veto any bill that includes packing heat in the pews. the gontrol measure the governor supported all failed in the general assembly. let's go back to meagan fitzgerald at the live desk for details on a house fire in annarundle. >> want to show you some video. annarundle fire and county, found one child in the basement. that 4-year-old has life-threatening injuries. fire crews found three adults and one child upstairs. they're expected to be okay. right noau the is still under investigation. back to you. >> meagan, thank you.

newdetails in that possible hate crime. icago police hav released surveillance images calling people of interest. the people areressed i black. the police want to know if the two were involved in thettack or would have witnessed it. officersed have examundreds of hours of video, but none of it shows the attack. smollet said two masked men beat him up and hurled racist words at him. they threw a substance on him and put a rope around his neck. in capitol hill, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to prevent a government shutdown. they're rolling out a border security plan that does not have a dime for president trump's border wall. the plan includes new cash for customs agents and aircrafts and

border.or police at the border barriers are part of negotiations. there's a sense of urgency here because government funding expires on february 15th. today, most of the federal workers furloughed during the partial government utdown should have the full back pay. congress passed legislation guar the workers missed two paychecks during the 35ay shutdown. now, to vision 20 20. howard schultz is pushing back on criticism for his run. democrats and progressives say he could cut into the anti-trump vote. he said that democrats failed americans while he was m oing hi wealth. >> you're going to criticize me for being successful in my company over the last 30 years, theca only company in amehat gave comprehensive health insurance, equity in stock options and free college

division. >> schultz is rolling out n a book tour. new developments in the tragic shooting death of a st. louis mrupolice officer. noto prosecu believe police have obstructed the investigation. caitlin alex was st by an officer during a game of russian roulette. drugs and alcohol may have been involved. she said police collect urine tests and a breathalyzerr when fice wanted blood samples. the city's direct of public safety maintains alex's death was an accident. >> to suggest that an offic is engaged in any obstruction of justice is ludicrous. >> officer nate hendren is charged with involuntary

manslaughter. he was on-duty at the time of the shomeing. mont county will soon need a new police chief. the chief said he will retire in april. he has been wearing a badge more than four decades. he was an officer in 1977 and later served as fairfaxy' cou chief for six years. he became chief in montgomery county for 15 years. he has no regrets about his lifetime in law enforcement. what a miss being a chief t in last 20 years, is being out on the road, being dispatched to calls. you have a front row seat to the greatest show on earth. i enjoyed being a police officer and that kind of work. >> he won't be sitting still in retirement. he will be leading the major city chiefs association as it expands its legislativegea. >> i'll bet he has a lot more to give. a father and son in new hampshire are being called

heroes this morning. both jumped into action after seeing a jeep in front of them crash into a semi truck. >> inside the jeep was an 18-year-old student heading to college. we're about to showou that crash. th is some dramatic video here. the dash cam caught the jeep swerving into the opposite lane and slamming into the back of a truck. his car exploded into flames. the father and son in the cash with the cam, nearly crashed into the wreck themselves. they recover and immediately helped pull sam outhe of car. he suffered burns and a brain injury. buthis morning, he is up and speaking and is expeced to mak a full recory. the fact that he even survived this at all is a miracle. >> look at that, head-on, or sort of head-on, and right into the flames. >> thank goodness for the two men who came in to help when they did. two major recalls to warn you about. one is impacting medicine that

may be in your cabinets. the other about the food in your frid. and keeping your pet safe without breaking the bank. we're working for you. andrm a s team 4 weather alert. for dangerously low windchills this mning, mtos p our craftsmen begin each day... ...perfectly seasoning our hillshire farm smoked sausage. so by simply adding the right ingredients... ...you can end each day crafting a perfectly delicious dinner. when i walked through a snowstorm for a cigarette,that'w i had to quit. for real this time. that's why i'm using nicorette. only nicorette gum has patented dual-coated technology for great taste. plus intense craving relief. every great why, needs a great how.

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welcome back. if chicken nuggets aremenu, you to cour freezer. some people found rubber pieces inside the product. the recall is for nuggets with a best if used by date of november 26th ofs year. food inspectors recommend you throw out the recalledor produc take them back to the store. so far, no reports of anyone getting sick.al another r could affect how you keep your children safe. the drugmaker says additional

lots of ibuprofen could contain high amounts of that drug. they are sold at cv walmart and family dollar stores. we have information in nbc washington app, searchibuprofe ibuprofen. most of the country is below freezing this morning. >> t arctic air mass is bringing record-breaking cold in the midwest, the great lakes, and the east coast. look at the time-lapse video of this week's snowstorm. look how quickly conditions became treacherous. here's another angle of theov stormg across the brooklyn bridge. >> yeah. and this is fromph philad, the city of brotherly love, where it's 6 degrees right now. it went from churvirtually clea nearly zero visibilicy y.

the city didn't get a lot of snow but the wind made things rse for ivers. it's so tough to drive in that kind of weather. you can't see uanything. ust feel out of sorts. >> i was in annapolis, and is 37 degrees and sunny. 1:00 in the afternoon. by the time i got back to the city, not 45 mutes later, 25 degrees and snowing outside. welcome to the arctic front. >> i was practically crying walking in the building. chuck, it's11 degrees. >> i know. but crying? there's no cryinglo d. >> i know. i was almost there. >> i would say we put you on a plane and send you to chicago, but you can't get a >>flight. no. i'm not going to chicago. >> if you get to, 30 below zero, you can cry. >> all right. >> it's notle aant morning to be spending serious time outside.ti li your outdoor activities

as best you can, i b yourt course of action. 11 degrees. and the wind won't be as ferocious today as yesterday. windchill isin mus 1 in town. 7 in front royal. 12 in annapolis. 11 in fredericksburg.d that northwest wind has windchills as much as 10 below montgomery county and windchls in southern maryland sub zero. it will look like a great day to be outside. but lime your t outdoors. temperatures will beeovering in single digits, all the way to 17 by lunchtime. afternoon highs will be in the low to mid 20s. not so, so bad. app.our nbc washington i will be digging up weather tidbits about how cold it's been here and elsewhere. and a chance of winter weather coming our way tomorrow. alberta clier across the midwest. it's fast-moving and moisture-starved.

we're not looking for a big snowstorm. there will be likelihood of light snow here during the day tomorrow. his r skies today and evening, clouds come in this time tomorrow. and a little hit of light snow. how much? generally speaking, an inch or so. not a high impact event, b it will be snowing for the day. what a warm-up coming. mid-40s on saturday. low 50s on super bowl sunday. and flirting with60 on monday. >> i didn't know there was a bar ng. leesburg, evergreen mls road, roadblocked because of down wires. inner loop, outer loop, noms prob nothing to worry about. bay bridge, hear nice bridge, wind warnings in effect, but no restrictions you can cross them, just a warning for you. and 95 in maryland cherr hill

road, northbound and southbound looking good.yo >> thank it's 4:21. still ahead, healthar is expensive. not for you but for your pet. >> how t cut costs without sacrificing care. later on "ellen" the cast of "the big bang theory" stops by. they play a game of triviatrivi. they play a game of triviatrivi. "ellen" at super emma just about sleeps in her cape. but when we realized she was battling sensitive skin,

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you're watching news 4 today. >> welcome back. nearly $30 million. that how much money americans spent on veterinarianr services heir pets last year alone. >> there's no question, owning a pet can be very expensive. news 4 consumer reporter, susan hogan, shows us the ways we can keep costs down without sacricing care for our pets. >> reporter: more than a quarter of all pet owners worry they won't be abl to afford their pet's medical treatment. >> we want our dogs to be healthy. it costs more to keep them healthy than us sometimeet >> reporter: owners spend ,000 to $13,000 for medical anatments over the course of animal's lifetime. and costs can continue to rise if your peteeds a prescription. "consumer reports" says,efore u buy the meds from the vet,

scha shound. >> you can buy a lot of your pet's medications from a regular pharmacy. >> reporter: a number of the ds prescribed to pets are the same we use and some pharmacies will give you the same discounts on drugs they offer their human customers. online pharmacies is another way you can save, filling your pup's prescription. make sure you're buying them from a safe site. >> there's the safe pharmacy program that screens online pharmacies for humans and for pets. itakes sure the storing their medication correctly, dispensing it correctly and dispensing the right medication. >> reporter: and always follow the label's diction. if you have questions about your pet's medication, ask your veterinari veterinarian. >> the aspca suggests that you spay or neuter your pets to help their pructive system.

>> i feel bad for them. come on. >> as soon as your puppy -- no. snip. >> let's not give too many details. okay. are we done over there? dangerously cold this morning. tracking a chance for some snow tomorrow. i'll show you future weather coming up. e a cha of heart in college park. the university of maryland's president is not stepping down. details on the decision to delay his retirement. it seemed like a sinkhole, until crews saw where it went. until crews saw where it went. more on the mysterious

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right now, but it feels even colder than that. it feels like nothing degrees. that bad. noe. degrees outs >> i never heard anyone say that before. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm eun yang. >> you're going to need that extra layer. put on everything you have in the closet. i think theids will even now put their coats on. >> finally, right? >> a lot ofre schools cancelling or delaying classes. alleganychools are closed. >> shenandoah, fauquier, manassas, clarke county and winchester city in west virginia, hampshire, berkeley, hardy, grant, mineral, jefferson are closed. >> montgomery, prince george's, frederick and washington county schools in maryland will open two hours inlate. virginia, fredericksburg city