bruce leshan is live in gaithersburg. sarah pal walsh is in northwest. we begin with the man of the hour, topper shutt. topper. >> let's talk about some of the numbers. over 55 inches at national. let's go to live doppler. you can access this on our website at wusa9.com. we will lapse this for you and see the heavy bands of snow work their way from the east side to the west side of 270 and pretty good snow going on now, up toward, just to the south of frederick, up here on the west side of 270. not far from middletown, and jefferson. very heavy snow there. we'll zoom back out and we found heavy band move back into fairfax county. and in fact, much of fairfax county has heavy bands pushing through. these bands are not crazy, but they are probably 3/4 to almost an inch an hour, which is certainly insult to injury at

this point. centerville, some moderate snow, as you go down 23, as you go out 66, you will find some more snow. take it easy. don't try to go anywhere. the winds are going to be gusting in excess of 30 miles per hour. we'll go to the east, where you folks have been hammered in prince georges county, anarundal county. still some heavy snow in arnold and annapolis, as you go out route 50 and as you go over the bay bridge. the snow over there will stay going for a while. let's go to the computer. and here's what we are looking at. blizzard warnings are now over in the virginia part. they are extended in maryland. that includes you folks in southern maryland until 10:00. so, some improvement there. still, just because it's 7:00, doesn't mean everything is nice. west of the eastern continental divide, the blizzard warnings continue through the nighttime. all right. i put these up against. mitchellville, 21 inches. that's up in frederick county.

arlington over a foot. ashburn, about a foot. if you go out west, only 5 inches. in parts of fauquier county, had 5 inches. here's our storm potential and it has been updated. i try to bring it down to reflect 2 feet in parts of prince georges county. 4 to 6 inches to the south and 1 to 2 feet to the north. tomorrow morning, partly cloudy, windy, cold, teens and 20s. windchills will be below zero. partly cloudy, still windy and cold. high temperatures in the mid 30s and winds northwesterly at 10 to 20 and gusty. look at this monster. it is a monster now as it is still wrapping around moisture from the atlantic ocean. they pick up moisture from the gulf of mexico and the atlantic ocean. sky's the limit, so to speak. it will pull out and move out to sea and take with it the precipitation. reminder, if you lose power, generators must be ventilated. keep space heaters away from

furniture or curtains. never leave burning candles unattended. winds, 32-mile per hour wind gusts at national. and we just reported out in loudoun county, 62-mile per hour wind gusts. it is indeed dangerous out there. back to you guys. >> last hour, top, it's going to stop when it stops. we'll see you in a little bit. normally when it comes to alexandria, we get worried about flooding because of all the rain over there. >> tonight, those streets are at a standstill because there's a lot of snow there. surray chin is live there with the latest. >> in fact, it's resnowing here in old town and it's also the dinner hour in old town. a place where it is usually booming. as you can see, not today. we talked with the chamber of congress about how businesses are affected. >> i walk my pups, i've been walking them a couple times a day and they need long walks, so we have been out in this

ever since it started and now the second time now, but we visit our business owners while we're out, too. >> old town alexandria has a lot of mom and pop shops. how are they dealing with this? >> especially considering that not all of the mom and pop shop owners live here in old town alexandria. it's hard for them to get their sidewalks cleared. hopefully the city will understand that. the city itself is having its own trouble, you know, with the roads. lord knows this is a major storm, so you have to expect it will take them a while to get things cleared out. so it's difficult. >> and one save haven are the bars. >> they are doing very well. murphies have been open. columbia fire house is doing quite well. mr. mcgregory has been very good. very brisk, and they went through at least 12 cases of wine in one night.

so, i think that is the solution for a lot of people. pull up and have fun. >> and that is the hotel, 12 cases of wine. listen. if you don't have a chance to go to a hotel, the red cross is opening up shelters and they have them open and they also provide a gift bag with basics and that is what you have, you know, towels, razor. the basics you need to get through a couple of nights. they have a couple shelters open in alexandria and throughout the region. you can find an entire list on our website. back to you guys. >> thanks. we can't get over those 12 cases of wine. there were eight customers, right? >> right, of course. >> and by the way, hold up that towel. that's an awfully small towel. that won't do me much good getting out of the shower. >> it's a wash cloth. >> i was worried for a second.

het me wipe the lens for you. >> as we know, the crews have been working hard to keep the roads as clear as they can. this is a tough storm. >> that's not keeping folks from getting stuck in the snow. bruce leshan is live in gaithersburg with more, where i originally thought it stopped snowing, but that snow reversal has captured you, hasn't it? >> this is absolutely miserable. we were out here for the last storm, this one is much more uncomfortable. the wind, the blowing snow. the wind definitely the story of the night. if you go up and look at the street lamp, you could get a sense of how the snow is absolutely blowing sideways at this point and the sun went down. it got significantly more cold. you know, thomas jefferson and george washington made note of a 3-foot snowfall in 1771, 1776, 1777 was pretty

miserable, i think as well. and it is starting to feel a bit like valley forge out here. this is one of the biggest challenges folks are going to face on thursday. you see all this snow piled up from the last storm and snow piled up on the side of 355 from this storm. it's taken away definitely a lane here and the traffic, you can imagine, is going to be absolutely miserable once people start getting out in this. joe, if you can safely just back up a little bit, i want to show you the driveway here at the montgomery shell. and this is what is left down on the driveway. if you don't plow. i mean, this was absolutely clear when the storm began and this is what is here now. if i dig in and get some of this powder, you can see how that is going. take a look at video tape that we shot in the neighborhoods.

montgomery village, we were out on the road which felt very appropriate. they have a private plow operator and he was coming through and keeping it pretty clear and the canada geese out on lake wetstone that some people may be familiar with. they were out there. we couldn't see them in the whiteout conditions, but they may have been the only folks that were comfortable in this. so, that's the situation out here in gaithersburg, still very, very uncomfortable. thank you. >> almost feel guilty asking you a question. have you seen a lot of big drifts because of the blowing snow? >> um, i think i can get a sense of a drift over here. look at this. i mean, this is the driveway that was plowed and then some of this is built up from the last snow. but take a look at that there. that is the kind of snow that is building up in drifts. and, i mean, you can see it

blowing sideways, and a lot of that is coming down from the sky. a lot of it is coming up from the ground as well. >> topper said the wind would be the defining element of the storm and he wasn't kidding around. in the meantime, my 9 sports colleague was originally driving around and supposed to be live from northwest washington, but her camera quite literally froze and so, because we don't want to let her indoors, she is out on the weather terrace doing lord knows what. >> yes, thanks very much, i really appreciate that. yeah, we were going to be out on wisconsin avenue. that's where you guys positioned me earlier. yes, the camera man's camera froze and that's not something we typically deal with here even though it does get cold. nothing like today. we did drive around dc today and i can tell you from supposed to be going out on wisconsin avenue that the traffic is dying down. when i say traffic, you have to consider this was a city that was shut down today. i was surprised as we drove around earlier this afternoon, how many cars were out on the

road. the main thoroughfairs were around. you couldn't see pavement, but you could drive on them if you were going extremely slow. i want to show you some of the pictures we took earlier today and people were walking on those thurofairs. this woman was carrying groceries. visibility is poor, so drivers cannot see pedestrians and pedestrians cannot see drivers. these are pictures from the road. visibility extremely poor. this is a familiar scene for many folks that tried to get out and about. this truck driver shoveling the snow from out of the truck that got stuck. if you can come back to me for a second. i don't know if you can see. the wind gusts kick up again and we kind of get hit in the face with another pile of snow. so as soon as we happen to think this is over, it's not because of the wind. so, i really appreciate you sending me out to the weather

deck and i can tell you certainly the wind is still going here in northwest dc. >> we thought about sending you to montreal tonight, but the weather is too good. >> it would have been warmer. it would have been nice in montreal. >> thank you, sarah, we appreciate it. we'll be right back. stay with us. with fios you have instant access

to news, traffic and weather without changing the channel. i will be ready for whatever the day throws at me. uh, looks like torrential rain, bumper to bumper traffic and some kind of weird smell downtown. i will be working from home today. my sister's coming. i can make it. i'm sure she's lovely. [ male announcer ] instant weather and traffic without changing the channel and 2 times more very satisfied customers than cox. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v.

you're watching 9news now's continuous storm coverage. >> welcome back. our own scott broome making a reputation for himself out on the road during these snowstorms, surveying the conditions, taking on everything it throws at him. he joins us again live via skip from frederick, how is it out there tonight? >> well, it is still snowing hard and it still blowing. not quite blizzard conditions. people here are wondering when it is going to stop and it's because they have a serious situation right now. not just with stranded motorists, but stranded first responders. a story we've been covering throughout the afternoon on bucky town pike south of frederick. there are at least six firefighters that are in the process of being rescued. it's been there since 12:30 and let me let tom owens, who is the director of fire and ems services who i interviewed on the telephone pick up the story from there. >> they are telling us that 12-

foot drifts seem to be the norm that they are encountering. we have had everything from standard highway plows, none of which are being successful to get through that heavy snow accumulation. and then a couple hours ago, as we reached a point where darkness was going to set in, it really became a time to stop the effort to recover the vehicles and just begin the effort to retrieve the crews. and we are in the process of finishing that up right now. so i think a couple more people, the snowmobile has to retrieve and we'll be fine for the night. >> that's right, tom owens said a snowmobile is the only thing that can come in and get those firefighters. meanwhile, the plows. the plows are back on the roads, at least the state plows are, out here in frederick county. the county will be restarting operations as soon as they feel the roads are safe and they are

dealing again with 12-foot drifts here, we still have a lot of wind. this is farm country with big flat fields. it pushes huge amounts of snow and that's the problem they are dealing with. 85, that's south of frederick, is completely impassable, as are most of the roads in that south section of the county. the firefighters are from the carol manner in fire department. i can't get to the emergency operation center to do the interviews. i've had to do that by telephone and i've been told u.s. 340 and 15 through frederick county are not officially closed, but for practical purposes, they are impassable tonight and that's all because of the wind and these huge snow drifts that are building up here in frederick county. i'll keep you updated as the evening moves on. for the moment, i'm scott broome reporting live in frederick, back to you. >> those firefighters have now been trapped in fire vehicles coming on seven hours. is there fear that they are

trying to get extra catted that they may have to spend the night in there? >> that was the big issue early on. they were afraid if they stayed in the vehicle, they would run out of fuel. they made the decision to get them with the snowmobile and tom owens told me they have four of the six out in the remainder of this hour, it's likely the last two will be out. he doesn't consider this a life threatening situation. they are taking them back to the fire house. they should be safe for the evening, but you know, any motorist who is out here that they don't know about, this could be a serious problem. there are a number of abandoned vehicles south on 85. i've been told, they believe the motorists are all out. they have been taken out by front loaders and snowplow crews or those motorists have gone to homes nearby and are being kept by good samaritans for the night. they don't think they have anybody out here in vehicles. if they do, it's obvious they

can't get their own people with plows, that could be a serious situation. so they are keeping tabs on all of that. >> any time a huge grater with a blade can't get through. that tells you it is beyond bad out there. scott broom, thank you. you heard about what's happening in frederick. what about the roads on 95 near baltimore where once again, they have tractor trailer issues. >> oh yeah, that's right. i'm on this route because it is still causing problems. they shut down this road because of this huge accident. six cars and four tractor trailers is taking crews a long time to get this through, as you heard from scott and emergency personnel having a tough time. watch out for 95. stay clear of that area. let's head out to 495, where the roads look passable, but very icy as we go into overnight. the advice is stay off the roads with the visibility problem still out there for you and switch over to 395, where

we are seeing problems on the ramps and the exits. if you want to take that video. shay shut out the ramps because of this problem. a lot of cars getting stuck on there. back to you. >> lesson from the people is that firefighters are stuck in snow drift for six hours, you should not be on the roads at all. we'll take a quick break here and be back with our continuing storm safety coverage on 9news now right after this. 

time was, if you got into trouble out here, chris collins,

volunteer firefighter, would be there to save your life. then one night, hit by a car at an accident scene, it was his turn to ride in the ambulance. after years of rehab, chris has learned to take care of himself. but money is so tight, he has trouble staying warm. he just can't afford heating oil. nice to meet you, chris. nice to meet you, and thanks for the oil. you look like you're a fighter, chris. well, i guess i have to be. chris is among the millions of americans who risk their lives each and every day to keep us safe -- our firefighters, our police officers, our emts and first responders -- men and women who sacrifice for others and sometimes need our help. chris: thanks, joe, and thanks to citgo and the people of venezuela. hi, i'm joe kennedy from citizens energy, your nonprofit oil company. if you need help staying warm this winter, give us a call at... because no one should be left out in the cold.

you're watching 9news now's continuous team coverage. live from the 9news now safety center. >> welcome back. this big storm isn't just making us miserable. it's making everybody miserable as far south as roanoak and new york. he joins us live from time square in the big apple. the snow is coming down upon you. let me start with this. we know here in washington, our

public transportation system has been in bad shape. how bad is it in new york where they rely on public transportation? >> things have gone pretty well here, brett and derek. i don't think we have been hit quite as bad as you have been in washington. the snowplows have been out all day here in this area in the middle of the metropolitan area. new york says it costs a million dollars an inch to clear the snow. take a look. traffic is pretty light tonight, but the snow is just starting to stick. it has been snowing here since 3:00 in the morning nonstop. we are getting a pretty wet, sticky snow now. so might have a few more problems in the next couple of hours. so far, so good, it would seem. >> looks good. i see black top up there. but that is time square. what about in the burros, are you hearing anything about that? >> it's worse up there. the snowfall has been heavier. time square, i got to say, they

maintain it pretty well. there's an association here, they keep the sidewalks clear. the snow is piling up and they don't remove it the way they do right here in the center of town. not as readily. it piles up on the streets and certainly in the burros as well. heard about heavy snowfall. some coworkers have been talking to their loved ones and they don't think they'll get home tonight. >> >> manuel. having lived in new york, i know -- get a taxi. has it come to that yet? >> yeah, you know, i got to say, it's been pretty quiet. a lot of people skipped out of town early because the storm was going to get worse in the evening hours, which was what we are feeling now. it was going to get a lot windier and colder leading up to 9:00. a lot of people left earlier. it seems like it might be easier to get a cab.

going by now, they all have their lights off, which means they are occupied or go home themselves. i got into a cab earlier today and the driver was asking me what element on his automatic. i said, okay that's low. maybe we might be in for a crazy ride, i don't know. >> a lot of people are new to the snow and new to driving here in manhattan. >> also having lived in new york, it gets so bad i feel like hopping on the hood of a cab. we appreciate it. >> you're welcome. take care. >> manuel, cbs news, we'll be right back. stay with us. >> you're watching 9news now's continuous storm coverage live from the 9news now storm safety center.

and as a progressive customer, you get to use any of our concierge claim centers. so i can just drop off my car and you'll take care of everything? yep, even the rental. what if i'm stuck at the office? if you can't come to us, we'll come to you in one of our immediate response vehicles! what if mother won't let me drive? then you probably wouldn't have had an accident in the first place. and we're walkin'! and we're walkin'... making it all a bit easier -- now that's progressive! call or click today.

live from the 9news now storm safety center. brett, i'm thinking all of us could use a little help during this storm even those of

us not exactly people. >> are you talking to me? i'm sorry, you meant the furry friends. dave owens takes us to northeast washington with that side of the story. >> reporter: in blizzards like this you can barely see the building but they are in there and while most are being told to stay home these guys don't have a choice. despite the brutal weather. we went along too. >> we are following the animal shelter authority, the animal control services today. as you can see they are right in front of me right now. hopefully about to make a successful recovery. >> reporter: as we made our way to the wind blown corner of 8th and eastern the officers size up the task. a stray cat. in fact, it has been there since the last storm. >> can he hear it in. >> i can hear it over there. >> reporter: indeed he was hunkered down under a couple of blankets shivering but still

alive. >> i feel bad for it. that's why i gave him some blankets and stuff. >> reporter: a good deed by him and these washington humane society officers. 14 in all. working 12-hour shifts around the clock. >> the blizzard conditions it is really tough on animals. >> reporter: so snowball or snowflake or whatever his name might be, well, consider him one of the lucky ones. >> you appreciate these guys? >> meow. >> i think that means yes. >> reporter: dave owens, 9news now. >> the washington humane society says it has responded to more than two dozen animal emergency calls since the last storm. storm from last weekend and wants to remind everybody the humane society is on call around the clock. >> we will take a break and be back with more storm safety coverage right after this.