manassas, the cold spot at 30. we sit at 43 in washington. the winds are pretty light. wind chills not too bad above gaithersburg reporting wind chill of 27. for this afternoon, sunshine. winds northwest to west, a to 10. temperatures on the bay. perhaps a little bit cooler in annapolis. the rest of us, upper 50s to around 60. beverly farmer your timesaver time save traffic. >> i-95 corridor, looking at the new shot of the new intercounty connector opened a couple of days ago for business. toll free until december 4th. the shot of the road with no traffic over top of i-95 is the icc. 95 looks good between the capital and baltimore beltways heading up north toward the tidings bridge. virginia drivers, good break if you're making the drive on 395 up toward the 14th street bridge past edsall road, very

light volume. hov lanes open in your favor. north cap tool street, on-going work. vehicle into a building. the northbound lanes of north capital remain closed before missouri avenue. they reopened everything southbound. here down on the 95 corridor, nice, light volume points south toward richmond. we're good to go with the nice bridge. that's a look at timesaver traffic. back to you. at 6:01, we're keeping the focus on the travel rush. >> wednesday wasn't too pretty on the roads. >> let's take a live look at breezewood, pennsylvania. this is where interstate 70 meets up with the pennsylvania turnpike. you have to go through the traffic lights. so far, you can see not too bad in either direction. >> i've been there before. let's go live to reagan national airport. should be a good day flying out of town because we just checked the board. it seems as if all of the departures and arrivals are on time. >> amtrak had quite the crowd yesterday. this is what it looked like inside union station. so far this morning, all of the traipse in and out of

washington are on time. >> my dad was telling me about the next one when he was coming into town yesterday. the thanksgiving drive was slow for people heading north on 270. a fatal crash tied up the road for hours. >> police say a stolen car went off the side 270 before the scenic overlook. the car crashed into some trees and exploded. the driver was killed. his name has not been released. witnesses tell police the car was seen driving erratically just before the crash. some families in st. mary's county, maryland are thankful this morning about the quick actions of a school bus driver. he was behind the wheel tuesday night when the bus was hit by a drunk driver. the bus went off the road and into some trees. about 20 people were hurt. the bus was carrying the girl's basketball team from great mills high school. the school credits the driver's maneuvers from keeping the bus from tipping over.

>> his main concern was not for himself but for the students. >> the man who caused the crash was drunk and had hit another car. charges are now pending. for most people, thanksgiving is all about the big feast with the family. >> but some people aren't healthy enough to make it out of their homes so they can enjoy it with others. that's where the group called food and friends comes in. >> surae chip is live in northeast washington where thousands of meals are being made. making sure people do have a happy thanksgiving. >> well, good morning, guys. they put me to work. we've gotta wrap all of the turkeys by 9:00. we've got 750. that doesn't even count for the cranberry sauce, the sweet potato pies and all of that good stuff. we've got don and andy here helping. they've been working for three years together for thanksgiving morningsms they've got this down to a well oiled machine.

i'm in the mix here trying to get all of this together. but they've been working since sunday to cook all of the turkeys. months and months of planning. what's it like really helping these folks out who have the debilitating illnesses, cancer, h.i.v., a.i.d.s., to be able to help them this thanksgiving? >> i enjoy it. it is a great cause, a great organization. i've been doing this the last five or six years. i volunteer here a few times a month during the year. i enjoy it a lot. it is great. >> it is really wonderful. all of the volunteers, some 500 volunteers who will be coming through food and friends to make sure these families get a great meal and have a happy thanksgiving. so, for now, we'll send it back to you. we'll keep working. we've got lots more turkey and lots more stuffing and all of that kind of stuff to get prepared by 9:00. we need another one. >> all right, get busy, surae. surae chinn working hard live this morning in northeast

washington. cheerleaders from dunbar high school provided entertainment for thousands of people enjoying an early thanksgiving dinner at the washington convention center. for the 12th year in a row, safeway provided the meals to d.c. residents in need. the convention center donated the space for dinner. mayor vincent gray and d.c. delegate eleanor holmes norton volunteered, serving meals. just about 6:06. we're focusing on black friday. the start of the holiday shopping season is here! just about. a lot of places, black friday starts tonight. there is one shopping center in virginia raising eyebrows though because they're going to track shoppers with their cell phone signals. whether the shoppers know it or not. the shopping center is just outside richmond called the short pump town center. lorenzo explains how and why this is happening. >> reporter: your cell phone isn't just good for making calls, or sending messages, it is a great tracking device. that's what the managers of the

town center think. some shoppers aren't taking this call too kindly. >> now, they're going track me by my cell phone and i won't even know it? >> there are no visible warning signs posted at the mall but mall managers say they're using your cell phone signal to track your shopping pattern. including which stores you visit most, the amount of time you spend in the stores and why you're ignoring others. >> i just think it is terrible that people don't have any privacy anymore whatsoever. >> fourth city commercial management says the tracking system works like a gps device in your car and doesn't take away any of your personal information. they say they'll use your habits to figure out if they should adjust the mall's layout. spokesperson for the american civiles liberty union says this is legal but an example of how technology is outgrowing the law. >> many technologies these days enable us to track people, to track their private movements without their knowing it. yet there are virtually no laws preventing it. >> meanwhile, we spoke with

some shoppers who don't think this type of tracking needs to be prevented. >> they're not going to call your number or anything. i think it would be ok. >> going to stimulate the economy more. help them figure out what to sell to us. >> it feels kind of creepy to me. lorenzo hall reporting there. the shop's owners say this type of tracking is voluntary. you can opt out. shut off your cell phone when you get there. a similar kind of technology is used to put the travel times up on the electronic signs along the highways. we have a special section on our web site for black friday deals. head to wusa9.com and check out the hours of the stores, for the malls in the region. you can also check out the big door buster deals, too. >> big brother is watching. >> in four minutes, we'll head back to a prince george's county restaurant ready to make a thanksgiving feast for thousands. find out how carolina kitchen does it all. >> howard has your thanksgiving day forecast. he promises it will be a great one. your weather first when 9news

now returns.

>> 30s and 40s out there. by noon, a 3. northwest to westerly winds at a to 10 will boost our temps. still not bad but getting cooler back in the low 50s. i'll be back with the weekend

outlook in the next five minutes. beverly farmer is watching the roads for you. >> hitting the roads for turkey. i-95 corridor, virginia, maryland checking in with the d.o.t.s, not only locally but further out. 95 at the tidings bridge, moving freely. no early problems heading up toward the delaware memorial bridge. south end of the tunnel in baltimore, next check of timesaver traffic at 6:18. >> a tragic start to thanksgiving in arizona. several people are dead after a small plane crashed east of phoenix. >> that's one of the stories making news now at 6:12. at least one child is confirmed dead. three children and three adults were on board the twin-engine plane went it went down in the superstition mountains. the plane had just picked up the children for the thanksgiving holiday. a tentative truce in egypt appears to be holding right now. police and protestors stopped fighting early this morning. at least 40 people have died in the protest over the last week. people are demanding egypt's

military rulers step down. a snowy start to the holiday in maine. more than ten inches of snow fell across a good part of the state. at one point, more than 14,000 people lost power. most of them have it back now. today, a prince george's county restaurant will provide meals to thousands of people who might not otherwise enjoy a good thanksgiving dinner. >> it is a big operation for the people at carolina kitchen in hyattsville. joining us how to explain how the whole thing is done, lance london, the ceo and founder of carolina kitchen. look like you have friends with you this time, lance. >> good morning, everybody. >> you've got lots of friends with you. who are these people, lance? >> these are some of the workers, some of the employees here at the carolina kitchen, ready to help everybody today during this great day on thanksgiving day. >> we want to say thank you to them because we know that you guys are helping out a lot of people. do you have an idea of how many people you're going to try to serve today? >> between 300 to 400 people we'll try to serve today.

helper and volunteers are coming in at 10:00. we've been here all night long cooking. we've been cooking for two days getting ready for this event. we're excited about it. >> lance, what's on the menu? how many pounds of potatoes, whatever, turkeys, what are you serving? >> you know, that's a good question, andrea. i was going to say -- i'm just going to say a lot. >> it is a whole lot. there is a lot to cook for this many people. we've been cooking so many turkeys. i'll send the pictures over and show people all of the wonderful things that we cooked. we have everything from southern fried turkey to candy yams, collard greens. >> you have two locations, you decided to shut both down to help people out today. why did you decide to get involved and is the first year you've done this or have you been doing this for awhile? >> i've been do it four years. we'll do it every year.

we'll reach out to the community because god has blessed me and this great operation. we think it is vital and important for us to reach out and touch other people. we understand here at the carolina kitchen, helping other people get what they want, you're going to get what you want. we're excited about it. this is it. >> you say you're going to be doing this through february. it sounds like you need volunteers. can people volunteer to help you? >> yes, ma'am, if they want to volunteer, we'll be here at 10:00 letting volunteers come in to help us feed the less fortunate. then we'll start the actual event at 11:00 today. we are just excited about it. it is a lot of good people. a lot of people ready to eat right now! you saw the layout. it is ready to eat. i'm going to send you food over there because you guys -- >> music to our ears, lance. thank you very much. a very happy thanksgiving to you for doing so much. >> we want to -- we want to say one thing. the carolina kitchen want to say -- >> happy thanksgiving from the

carolina kitchen! see you tomorrow! >> thank you, lance. wonderful volunteers who could be sleeping in but they're there. >> giving back. >> such an inspiration. >> he is. >> so much enthusiasm. >> i like the whole service attitude. serving others. it pays dividends, i believe that. >> if you want to volunteer, not just for today but for other days, give them a call. >> we've got a cold morning out there. it will cooperate. our weather today, tomorrow, saturday, sunday, looking good. beyond that, we've got some questions we may not be able to answer for a few more days. let's talk about the short term first. a fine thanksgiving ahead. sunshine, a chilly start. a really great afternoon with temperatures between 55 and 60. winds northwest to west. 5 to 10. there won't be many clouds at all in the sky today. it is cold this morning with clear skies. we're at 43. lots of 30s in the suburbs here this morning.

low 40s down in southern maryland. spoke to jan in readville, she's at 43. just a touch of frost closer to the bay. locally, we've got 35 in bethesda to 32 in reston. manassas is down to 30. 39 for leesburg. columbia, 33. reagan national, sits in the low 40s right now. nationally, pretty quiet until you get to the west coast. we've got rain from california extending up to parts of the northwest, a couple of storms in the pacific. between the west coast, the central plains, the east coast, hey, there is very little weather to talk about which is good. yesterday, maine, they had upwards of 15 inches of snow and the highest total being reported. here is the travel forecast if you're going out of town. rain on the northwest. rain extends to boise and great falls as well. san francisco, clouds, looks like the rain will stay north of them. l.a., vegas, phoenix looking sunny. 70s in phoenix. northern plains look great near 60 in minneapolis.

dallas, 68. new orleans, 72. a beautiful thanksgiving for them. florida looks good except for miami. there may be a few showers or storms near 80. 60s, atlanta to charleston. northeast, sunny but chilly. 55 for new york. detroit and chicago in the 50s. we're going to be in the upper 50s to near 60 this afternoon. looking at the next three days, upper 50s today. back in the 30s and 40s tonight with light winds. tomorrow, the wind chill more southerly. low 60s. mid-60s saturday. as we head into sunday, 62. a few more clouds. early next week, we could be seeing some rain showers and cooler temperatures and we'll just have to tweak that a little bit more as we get closer to it. beverly farmer, it is a good- looking thursday. >> it sure is. good-looking on the roadways, too, with the nice weather for the drive. let's check out the long haul. folks making the trip into town for your turkey or maybe you're headed out of town. i-70 west of 270 frederick headed toward breezewood, i-68

no problems after the rockslide in cumberland. smooth traveling east over toward baltimore. 270 corridor maryland has been in good shape. checking the ride on the beltway, right now, silver spring, nice, light volume. you can tell it is a holiday. the outer loop and the inner loop equally light. left side of your screen is the outer loop heading out of bethesda. maryland, 50 to and from the bay bridge, bw checked in all right. 95 corridor has been incident- free heading south toward fredericksburg. northbound with the hov lanes open to northbound traffic moving up to the beltway and 395, we're good at the wilson bridge. our next traffic at 6:25. mike, back to you. that's a mouthful, bev. next in sports, a run-down of the football games today plus hockey time. jets go into overtime. >> another check on the question of the morning. we ask it every day. 17% of preme say this is their

favorite place to hide money. is it a, under a mattress. b in a freezer or c, in a shoe? >> our facebook friends are up early. debra says under a mattress. my great grandma said it was safer than banks and maybe she had right all along. >> antoinette has no answer but a good point. if i tell you where it was, it wouldn't be hidden anymore. >> very smart. keep the guesses coming, we'll have the answer at 6:49. [ speaking french ]

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jason clark had 26 points including a big three-pointer with 51 seconds left. hoyas upsetting eighth ranked tigers, 91-88. georgetown picks up the fifth place title sort of in the maui invitational. >> 6:25. still to come, the virginia county saying thanks following this past summer's earthquake. >> a last-minute rush to the grocery store packs the parking lot. ahead, just how much food the mayor will be eating today. >> a check on the holiday get away.

good morning. we're back at 6:29 on this thanksgiving morning. this is always the place to get your weather first. here is a live look at old georgetown road in bethesda. the annual turkey trot begins here in about 90 minutes. clear skies, 37 degrees there right now. >> thanks for starting your day with us. happy thanksgiving. i'm mike hydeck. >> i'm droin andrea roane.

howard bernstein is with us. >> thankfully, the winds are light. it will be a beautiful morning. skies are clear. winds are light. and it is going to be not just a beautiful morning but a beautiful thanksgiving. here is a look at our day planner expecting sunshine all day. temperatures by noon into the lower 50s. this afternoon, 55 to 60 with a 5:00 p.m. temperature of 65 degrees. some rain yesterday afternoon. that's long gone. you can see how nicely we've cleared out. with light winds, win chester, 32. manassas at 30. even southern maryland below 40. la plata at 37. wind chills not too bad. again because the winds are fairly light. sunshine today. 55 to 60, enjoy it. not too bad on the roads. here's beverly farmer with an update. >> looking good around town. for that matter, out of town

wherever your folks is coming into town from. i-81 corridor north of 66 near middletown, points north right side of the screen heading up toward winchester, on in toward morgantown, hagerstown. all lanes open. 81 corridor south as you make your way down toward harrisonburg. let's take a look at the drive right now on the beltway in maryland. getting past the american legion bridge, good to go each way between bethesda and tysons. nice, light volume around the beltway. virginia drivers, 395 heading into town via the 14th street bridge. nice, light volume there. no problems to report north of edsall road. that's a look at the drive. your next check of timesaver traffic at 6:45. >> thanks, bev. >> we keep the focus on thanksgiving travel now. an early morning for people yesterday who said no thanks to leaving town. so, let's take a live look along interstate 95. this is the toll plaza in

newark, delaware. this was a bear last year when they were under construction. 15 mile back-ups. you may remember that. this year, new express ez pass lanes are open. you can pretty much cruise through there. >> that is a live picture. now to the airport where a lot of people coming and going at dulles wednesday. we just checked the boards. domestic flights are all on time and some early arrivals are due in a few minutes ahead of schedule. >> a frightening start to the thanksgiving holiday for a 75- year-old man from montgomery county. >> someone kidnapped him from a grocery store parking lot and forced him to fake money out of -- to take money out of several at ms. . >> he was taken from the park lot of a giant. a young man with a weapon forced the victim to make several withdrawals from atms around the county. >> we don't know at this particular time. he is a little bit shaken up but he's ok. he's ok. >> the kidnapper is described as a black male between 35 and 45 years old. about six feet tall, 180

pounds. police think he may have cut one of his fingers during the crime. >> this thanksgiving, the head of schools in louisa county, virginia is giving a big thanks to those who have shown support over the last few months. luis is a county was the epicenter of the earthquake. the school suffered more than $80 million in damage and closed two buildings. superintendent debra petit says the community has been supportive and she's making sure students write their own letters of thanks. >> the first family is celebrating thanksgiving if he white house. wednesday, president obama took part in the annual tradition of pardoning a pair of turkeys. >> some of you may know that recently, i've been taking a series of executive actions that don't require congressional approval. well, here's another one. we can't wait to pardon these turkeys. [ laughter ] >> the turkeys are called peace and liberty. they will live out their days

at frying pan park in fairfax county. that's funny. >> it is a busy morning in the kitchen for a lot of people. >> especially for the volunteers at food and friends. they're making thousands of meals who people who may not have a great thanksgiving meal otherwise. >> surae chinn is live. >> we moved off from the turkey and went straight to dessert. it is busy, busy here at food and friends kitchen. we've got pies up to our heads here. they're piling it up. it is an assembly line here. they've got it down pat! their fresh pies. this is a sweet potato pie. that's not all that's going on in this box here. there is lots of food. we have collard greens. corn, pumpkin pie, potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry,

yams, apple pie and fresh stuffing. doesn't that look so good? of course, you can't forget the center of attention, the turkey. i'm told there are 9,000 pounds of cooked roasted turkeys since sunday they've been cooking. i'm told that equals to two ford f-150s. we've got cornbread. roasted potatoes, 1,000 pounds. 1600 pies. that's a lot of food. it smells great here. i can't wait for our thanksgiving meal but they're going to continue to work. they've gotta get it done by 9:00 so it can all be delivered for thanksgiving, in time for lunch for 3500 people! who otherwise can't do it themselves. they suffer from cancer, or h.i.v., a.i.d.s. and other debilitating illnesses. all of the volunteers are here for a great cause to make someone's thanksgiving a happy one. back to you, andrea.

>> lots going on there, surae. she's live in northeast washington this morning. >> a lot of grocery stores in our area will be packed this morning with people getting those last-minute items for dinner. did you remember the rolls? that was the story yesterday at the whole foods on river road in bethesda. employees were out directing traffic. fire hook bakery in northwest was also busy with people grabbing an early dessert. this year, americans will eat 46 million turkeys on thanksgiving. that works out to nearly three pounds a person. we'll also eat 21 million pounds of cranberry sauce, most in the kind from a can. we eat 50 million pump pumpkin pies but most will be devoured today. the bakery will be open today. just in case people have last- minute dessert disasters. >> like maybe your apple pie fell. are you up to your elbows in giblets right now? and confused what to do? there is some help out there. >> in nipe minutes, we'll give

a call to the turkey tip line. find out what is the weirdest question she's ever heard? >> it looks like it is going to be a beautiful thanksgiving here in washington. here is a live look at the capitol. gorgeous sunrise headed your way. what's the weekend going to look like? howard will let you know. keep it right here on 9news now. [ screaming ]

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. look at this. i'm so excited about this. the annual zoo lights event at the national zoo begins

tomorrow night. we got a preview of this year's set-up. it is a great chance to check out the zoo all decked out for christmas. starting tomorrow, it is open friday through sunday, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. are the hours. then beginning december 16th, it is open every night through christmas eve. the best part, it is all free! just like howard's forecast. we want to wish a special happy birthday to our channel 9hr rep. she will love this forecast that you're giving. >> happy birthday! >> good day for any of your outdoor plans. this evening, going out to see the lights anywhere, just grab a jacket. winds won't be so bad. a little jacket, won't even need earmuffs. weatherwise, i've got a good day ahead. sunshine, lighter winds, much lighter than yesterday. winds out of the northwest to west. 5 to 10 miles per hour. 42 at 8:00. by 4:00 p.m., 57 degrees. maybe got a little post-meal

turkey bowl. like to play a little football with family and friends. should be a good day for that. by 8:00, clear skies, 51 degrees. the winds will go fairly light. calm in many areas. our weather headlines, chilly early but a pleasant afternoon. it is going to be even milder friday and even milder saturday. so, once again, looks like we'll have another good weekend. great weekend even. we've had a string of good weekends here. we'll keep that going. 38 this morning in gaithersburg. 32 winchester. also oakland. nothing terribly cold here. 45 still in richmond. warm spot on the board. locally, we're at 43. reagan national. clear skies. dew points have dropped off to the lower 30s. with light winds, 3 miles per hour. only feels like 41. not too much of a wind chill out there. the barometer keeps rising. it will as high pressure builds in at 30.22. the high pressure is out into western tennessee. that will be moving off toward the east. maybe some early clouds or sprinkles in ohio. for us, nothing.

but sunshine. and cool temps this afternoon. tomorrow morning, we start clear and chilly again with 30s and 40s. winds tomorrow, a little more south and southwesterly. we'll be in the 60s tomorrow. potentially mid-60s as we get into saturday here. if you're going up toward chicago on saturday, you might run into some rain by then, the system coming into the mississippi valley. in the northwest, traveling. you're going to see temps in the 40s with some rain even toward montana. the southwest looks good. vegas in the 60s. phoenix in the 70s. plains look great from the 50s in bismarck. mid-50s oak city. near 70 in dallas. gulf south looking great along the coast. 60s for atlanta. 74 for orlando. miami, some showers. they'll be near 80. chilly in the northeast. we've got 30s for caribou and burlington picking up snow from yesterday. they had upwards of a foot or more in a few spots. pittsburgh today looks nice up in the burg. new york, temperatures here, 50

to 55. around here this afternoon, upper 50s for us. there will be spots locally toward fredericksburg and culpepper that might get into the 60s. northern maryland and 60s over at andrews. a very fine afternoon. the next three days, tough to beat this for november. with 58 today. tonight, 30s and 40s, tomorrow, 63. saturday, even milder at 66. a spectacular saturday ahead. sunday, a few more clouds. 62. we may see some showers monday. depends on the timing here. the confidence beyond sunday drops off. a lot of different answers coming from our long-range guidance but cooler with increasing rain chances and temperatures likely only in the 50s and maybe even cooler than that as we head into the middle of next week. let's go over to beverly farmer now watching a few cars going on. >> just a few cars out there. good news for anybody who did travel. they've got better weather today, better traffic

conditions. we've been checking far and wide. this is a live shot east of st. margaret's, route 50. look at the colors for us. eastbound traffic obviously on the right side of the screen heading toward the toll plaza, the bay bridge from the eastern shore maybe bringing crab cakes to the holiday dinner. no problems to report. keep in mind, 50 between bowie and the beltway, hov restrictions in effect. not that you need them. the volume has been light into cheverly. wilson bridge traffic, inner loop, outer loop, we look good between oxon hill and alexandria. no problems reported on the stretch right now. in the 95 corridor heading outh sought of springfield making your way down to the south, northbound has the advantage of the hov lanes open to northbound traffic. no hov restrictions. if you're traveling north, i-95 ced up toward the toll plaza, no incidents to report. we checked out that shot earlier and yes, still just light volume in through the toll plaza and making your way north. your next check of timesaver traffic at 6:58.

>> thanks, bev. capitals left winger troy brower decided he had to give us an assist in the win over the jets. >> he's also giving us an assist in answering the question of the day. >> 13% of people say their favorite place to hide money is a, under a mattress, b in a freezer or c in a shoe. >> i'm going to say b in a freezer. i've never heard of it before. >> the correct answer is c in a shoe. >> i'm not very good at that. >> just as long as he was good on the ice last night, we don't mind. in a shoe. >> in a shoe. >> ok. >> i would have picked the freezer. >> i won't tell you. >> you want to keep it a secret. >> check of the news before you go is coming up next. [ male announcer ] the chicken marinara melt

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>> er crisp out there. we've got 30s and 40s. 53 by noon. a fine day ahead with northwest to westerly winds at 5 to 10 miles per hour. highs, 55 to 60.

milder tomorrow and saturday. right now, andrea roane. >> here's a check on the news before you go. >> a baby is ok after it was taken as part of a car theft wednesday. police say the theft -- the thief took the car from an exxon station on kennedy street northeast. a few blocks later he realized there was a child inside and bailed out. the child was not hurt. we go live to freedom plaza in northwest. that is where 7,000 people are expected to take to the starting line for the annual trot for hunger 5k starting at 9:00 benefitting the charity so others might eat. they're blowing up the balloons in advance of macy's thanksgiving day parade. in new york, there are more than 40 balloons ready to go along with 27 floats and 1600 cheerleaders. >> "the early show" begins in about eight minutes or so. >> erica hill has a preview of what's coming up at the top of the hour. >> mike and andrea, good morning. happy thanksgiving. ahead on "the early show,"

perhaps another reason for many americans to give thanks this year, busy holiday travel day without any major problems. we'll take that. we'll also take a look at your last-minute getaways as some folks are still making their way home for thanksgiving. occupy wall street may be a little less occupied. a little more holiday tradition. tomorrow though, demonstrators are back to work threatening to take action across the country in an attempt to disrupt black friday, one of the busiest sales days of the season. speaking of the shopping which, of course, kicks off for many tonight, doors opening at 9:00. we have the answers for your shopping dilemmas including how to avoid the crowds. that's ahead this morning on "the early show." mike and andrea. see you then. >> a lot of you are up early not only plotting out your shopping but how to get an early jump on the holiday in the kitchen. if you have a question about preparing that turkey, there are some experts ready to help. >> what is a giblet and do you really need to tie up the wings? butterball's talk line is open to answer some of the questions.

joining us on the phone is an expert. and the supervisor over there. good morning, alice. >> good morning and happy thanks giving to everyone. >> happy thanks giving to you, alice. how many calls have you gotten so far this morning? >> we're just getting warmed up here. we're actually full. the phones are ringing off the hook. we just started. we're in the midwest in chicago. >> all of the phones are already off the hook? you're talking to people now? >> oh, yeah. people have been waiting in line to talk to us. oh, sure, they get up early. they've got a lot of concerns. >> obviously this is something we go through every year. are you surprised the phones are as busy as they are every year? >> you know, it is surprising every year is that we get more and more calls. we take over 100,000 calls. >> oh, my goodness! >> during the season. so, yeah, i'm always surprised but the questions are still pretty much the same. people want to know how to thaw, that's the number one question. >> what's the weirdest question you've taken over these years,

alice? >> well, i have taken a call from a young man last year who was cooking for his girlfriend and her parents and he had a beautiful butterball turkey. everything all ready. when he went to put it in the oven, he pressed the button that said clean instead of bake. so, the oven door locked, it all started smoking. he called us in a tizzy because he didn't know what to do. but you know, butterball is here to make it better. we want to help him out. and he knew where to go for help. we're here to support him. >> did you call the fire department, too? [ laughter ] >> alice, what's the best way? the butterball has the little pop-up on it so that kind of tells what you to do. do you cover your turkey? we've heard martha stewart talking about cheesecloth and the plastic bag. what is your best recommendation for getting a great, roasted bird? >> the number one recommendation for cooking is open pan roasting so it is very

easy. put the turkey right on a rack in a shallow, open pan and put a little oil on it and set it at 325 degree oven and it should take only about three to three and a half hours. that would be a 10 to 18 pound turkey. >> she just wheels off those things like she knows them like the back of her hand. >> what happens if somebody forgot to thaw? can you make amends? >> yes, there are things you can do. you can certainly thaw it in cold water. 30 minutes a pound. if you're going to be eating tonight, you have plenty of time. or in an emergency, you could cook it from frozen. we have all of those directions here. >> alice, one last question. have you ever had an oops on thanksgiving preparing the dinner? >> personally? no, i really haven't. i've been here about 16 years and so i've pretty much have the turkey down pat. and i work today so my kids are doing it and i've taught them

how to do it, too. >> very good, alice. happy thanksgiving and thanks for being on the other end of the hot line because people do need help and you're there to give it to them. >> that's right. we're here to have them call 1- 800-butterball, we're happy to talk to them. >> happy thanksgiving. we have a link to the web site at wusa9.com. also, check out the butterball mobile app and recipe ideas and we have an app for everything. >> that's what i was just thinking. >> one more check on traffic and weather and you know we have a weather app, too. we'll be right back.

>> great today, 58. even better tomorrow and saturday. might see showers by monday. >> looking great in the weather and on the roadways checking near and far all around looks good for the interstate travel. i-95 including between laurel and beltsville. back to you guys. >> we'll be back here tomorrow at 4:25. have a great day, everybody! happy thanksgiving! good morning! americans preparing to celebrate thanksgiving with food, family, and football. and one of the many reasons they are counting their blessings this morning, hardly any delays for the millions of travelers, despite nasty weather across the nation yesterday. we will tell you what you can