grant, hardy and hampshire counties. >> snow showers were something. >> she didn't see anything. >> made the ground briefly white for awhile. >> they caused accidents on 270. >> we have a little video to share with you. some of the scenes out of montgomery village yesterday. while they were coming down, i gotta tell you, i got caught in something worse than this. the ground, a little bit of white stickage on the sidewalks. 270 had problems middle of the day. we had all of the problems on i- 81 as well. we're not expecting anything like this today. couple of flurries would not be out of the question later on this afternoon or this evening. for some, this is some of the first snow we saw since october 29th since having a very quiet and mild december. anything but mild this morning with temperatures down in the teens. we're looking at temperatures today again 30 by noon and highs around 35 with a 5:00 p.m. possibility of a flurry or two. not expecting the snow showers,

snow squalls like we had yesterday. you can see some of those, about 12 hours ago. we still had a few around. and they quickly moved around. clouds this morning off to our south and west. we generally have been clear. we've had some reports, folks are able to see the meteor showers going on during the overnight. they were occurring over the last few hours. the folks that went out to brave it, they were hearty souls. temps are now 89 in win chest -- 9 in winchester. warm spots being right on the bay. not warm at all. annapolis at 19. the wind chills this morning, down to 5 and andrews and manassas. 6 in hagerstown. feels like 8 in d.c. with highs this afternoon getting up to about 35 or so. we do have milder days ahead and more on that coming up at about 5:14. right now, here's monika. she's got the timesaver traffic. >> even though the roads are dry right now, we started off with an accident early this morning in bethesda. right here on the inner loop before river road.

in fact, let's go there live right now. crews continue to clean up and investigate what happened there. just along the left side of the road now, looks like they've moved off to the shoulder. it left slow traffic for you at 5:01 heading northbound on the beltway. southbound it looks like everything was cleared up and you're good to go if you're leaving the 270 spur. back over to the map, we'll go over to 270. no problems to report coming out of frederick down to the point where the lanes divide. we'll take a live look and prove it to you. no problems to report as you head southbound on 270. then here is what it looks like right near the willard intercontinental hotel. pennsylvania avenue and 14th street. no problems to report around the ellipse or around constitution avenue downtown. in my next report, we'll update you on what's going on downtown. >> campaign 2012, it does not get much closer than this. >> mitt romney won the iowa caucus by the slimmest of margins. early this morning, the chairman of the iowa republican party announced the former

massachusetts governor had 30,015 votes, only 8 more than former pennsylvania senator rick santorum. each got 25% of the vote. in about eight minutes, we'll go live to des moines for a breakdown of the razor-thin finish and what happens to the candidates way back in the pack. but there is a local political shocker this morning. sources tell 9news now that d.c. councilman harry thomas jr. will resign from office. >> he's been under scrutiny for months since being accused of stealing $300,000 from a city youth program and using it for personal use. 9news now reporter delia gonsalves is live outside the wilson building with more on this. wow. >> he's accused of using $300,000 in city funds for lavish vacations and a luxury suv. the suv was raided -- sorry, was apprehended during a raid at his home. this is pretty surprising. our bruce johnson first broke the story at 11:00. this is the end of harry thomas jr.'s political career.

thomas is expected to cut a plea deal with prosecutors in the coming days, admitting guilt to one felony count which could land him behind bars for up to three years. a council member agreed to pay the $300,000 back without admitting guilt though he missed hit last payment of $50,000 but it was an fbi and i.r.s. raid at his northeast home that proved to be too much to overcome. according to sources, he told advisors "i just couldn't beat the tax charges." now, back out here live outside the wilson building, the council will come back in a few hours this morning and in a twist of political irony, they're expected to cast a vote on an ethics bill later this morning. no word though if thomas will be here. back to you. >> all right, delia gonsalves reporting live from outside the wilson building in northwest. >> d.c. police are investigating the city's second homicide of the year. this was last night, 1500 block of 45th street in northeast.

officers say they got there, they found a man with several gunshot wounds to the chest. police have not released the man's name or any information on possible suspects or even a motive in the case. you've gotta look at this one. police have released surveillance video of a guy being called the bandage bandit. yes, he is covered head to toe, head to neck in bandages and one arm is in a sling but he's accused of walking into a cvs in gaithersburg on christmas eve and threatening to pull a gun on employees. then he didn't demand money. he wanted drugs. he got away with a load of oxycontin, a powerful painkiller. police hope releasing the surveillance video will stir up some leads. five minutes after 5:00. time for "your money" report now. >> jessica doyle is here with today's headlines. >> good morning. that's the way to start the new year on wall street, right? i like it. but before we get too excited, it remains to be seen if yesterday's big rally is the so- called january effect.

let's enjoy it in the meantime. ladies and gentlemen, i bring you the dow's highest level in more than 5 months. >> did you have some coffee? >> i had some coffee. 12,397. it was a 1.4% rally. nasdaq added 43 points or 1.7%. s&p 500 gaped almost 20 points or about 1.5%. the federal reserve is becoming more transparent. it now plans to update the public four times a year on how long it plans to keep short term interest rates at record lows. that could potentially encourage businesses and consumers to borrow money and stimulate the economy. it is the central bank's latest move to make its communications more open and clear. if you have not tried the sugar substitute traoáuf ya yet, you may be behind the curve. it ranks behind splenda as the number two calorie-free substitute on the market. the so-called natural

alternative costs a lot more than its competitors. that's probably why packets tend to disappear at coffee bars and into purses faster than other sweeteners. so much so that stores like whole foods in silver spring tucks them behind the counter now. wall street journal reports there are hundreds of new truvia sweetened products and for example, a light yogurt that's coming out this month. >> i've never tried it. have you? >> i own a packet. like a box of it. i haven't actually opened it. i don't know if it is -- the pronunciation. >> it is like ricola. you say one, you say the other. i've tried it. it is ok. >> all right. >> figure it out. >> maybe we'll do a taste test. >> you won't have that in the next half hour. what will you? >> i'll talk about how spam is getting friendly. >> computer spam? >> you'll have to wait and see. >> if it is the food one, it is

not really. if you went to bed before midnight, the iowa caucus results weren't the only thing you missed. >> you also didn't see the dramatic overtime toepbgd the sugar bowl. highlights ahead in sports. >> will they have the truvia bowl, too? >> we'll head out live to des moines for more on what happens now with the virtual tie between romney and santorum. thanks, mom. who are you calling "mom"?

dunkin' sausage pancake bites, delicious like mom's, only easier to carry -- get three for $1.59. temperatures down in the teens with wind chills near zero. today will be better than

yesterday. we'll have some flurries possible late this afternoon. but we won't have the wind of yesterday. today's winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 miles per hour. the high temperatures this afternoon get to around 35. monika? >> good news. accident cleanup pretty much completed with the exception of police left on the left shoulder. inner loop before river road. all delays have been cleared as well. lanes are open as you travel on the inner and outer loops in bethesda. coming up, more on maryland roadways at 5:19. back to you. campaign 2012 now and this morning, iowa republicans have had their say. and they're split between two candidates. >> early this morning, we learn mitt romney had beaten the surging rick santorum by just eight votes. cbs news correspondent susan mcginnis joins us live from des moines for more on what this means. we say mitt romney won but rick santorum could say the same thing. >> pretty much, andrea. from my point of view, there were two winners here although

romney does get the bragging rights. eight votes. it was incredible to watch through the night. mitt romney comes backs with 30,015. santorum, 30,007. if this was an official contest, this is really more of a straw poll. delegates aren't awarded. they come in later. there would have been calls for a recount. it would have been really intense. i would say two winners go on to new hampshire but new hampshire could be a very different story. >> it is expected to be a different story, isn't it, susan considering mitt romney has a strong lead in the polls so far. >> oh, yes. he's expected to take new hampshire with no problem. also, reports, santorum has a bit of a wallet problem as well. so, he's had some trouble raising money. he's been hoping if he does -- if he did have a strong finish here that perhaps some donors would open up their wallets and help him out. we'll see if that happens. right now, they're all headed there immediately. no rest for these guys. they're going to go out in new

hampshire with others. rick perry doesn't look like he's going to show up. bachmann, we're not sure about. we'll see. ron paul, very confident as well. so, it is going to be interesting and also, it is possible this could go on for awhile. >> you were talking about some of the other candidates, rick perry going back to texas to reassess, that usually sounds like i'll suspend my campaign but michele bachmann said she's going forward until south carolina and ron paul who came in a strong third, he's going to keep going, too. >> reporter: don't forget jon huntsman waiting there in new hampshire as well. he's been preparing for that and he believes he can make a late surge as well. so, we are hoping for another nail biter in new hampshire. two debates this weekend, might be more interesting than the hundreds that we've seen so far. >> it seems like it, doesn't it? one more question. your opinion on michele bachmann. she finished way back in the pack.

she's going to continue on to south carolina. she's had defections in her campaign staff. could she be doing this to pay off campaign debts? >> that could be. because if they stay in, you follow the money, they can still continue to raise money. she is still showing the confidence. another person on her team came out of the media and said you know, something to the effect they were going to reassess as well. she came out and quashed that and said no, she's going to stay in the race. but remember, south carolina is a tough one. this one is really a state that holds a lot of that republican base and so apparently it is going to be a pretty tough test for the contenders who make it down there. but as far as we know, bachmann will be around for a bit. >> and so will susan mcginnis to bring us the results of what's coming up, the debates and primaries ahead. >> we'll have more on the iowa caucuses coming up in the 5:30 half hour plus the capitals are starting to look much better on the ice. highlights at 5:25. >> florida farmers are

scrambling now. they're trying to make sure the cold snap does not kill off their citrus crop. and next at 5:17, howard tells us when we'll warm up again in the seven-day forecast. we'll be right back.

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welcome back to 9news now. coming up on 5:17 this wednesday morning. you're right. look at the screen. the temperature is 17 degrees. >> that's one of the warmer ones. >> is it really? >> and we can see why we have some school delays this morning, too. >> the snow squalls, especially the mountains, the delays are all well west of us where there is snow on the ground. in garrett county, they have more than a foot of snow from the latest round of cold air. so, we've added garrett county to the delays to two hours. in west virginia, grant, hampshire and hardy counties, both two hour delays along with garrett county in maryland. you can get out and get skiing today or tomorrow before it warms up again. do it, probably some of the best conditions we've seen all winter long. >> let's talk about our bus stop forecast. it is a frigid morning out there. treens and some areas we'll warm into the low to mid-20s over the 8:00 hour or so. sunrise, 7:27. a fridge ed morning. thankfully not nearly as windy as yesterday. we've got some wind chills in

the single digits. our day planner, some sun this morning. it looks like we'll end up with a decent amount of clouds today. late this afternoon, disturbance, weaker than yesterday. that will give us a threat for a few flurries here and there. don't expect the snow showers like we had yesterday. but a few flurries. highs about 35 with temperature by 8:00 back to the lower 30s. tonight won't be nearly as cold as this morning. look at the readings right now. single digits in winchester and oakland at 9. 19 in southern maryland. here in d.c., 17. gaithersburg is 10. it is 12 or 10 in bladensville. 14 in great falls and arlington as well. sterling is at 14. leesburg is 12. it is a little bit -- just a little bit warmer off to the east. where baden is 17 and college park is 18. this is the coldest morning of the season. the wind chills at reagan national right now at 8:00 with a northwest wind at 7. yesterday we had gusts close to 40 miles per hour and at the

moment, we have clear skies. so, the cold air in place across the mid-atlantic, northeast, the core of the cold really up in quebec now and that is starting to lift out. so, the mild temperatures, we've got in the middle of the country will be headed this way. another storm system here in the gulf of alaska pushing the milder air back into the western u.s., parts of british columbia, that's helping to keep the cold air really bottled up into canada except for the little shot we had the last day or so. but it is going to force it out of here. so, we'll turn milder starting tomorrow and i think much milder here by the time we get to friday and even saturday as temperatures then will be in the 50s. today, cold. some clouds increasing this afternoon. with the weak disturbance, a few flurries can't be ruled out here late this afternoon and this evening. that will be gone by tonight with looks like some mountain snow showers returning for the overnight but won't be lasting too long. today, 35. a few flurries possible later in the evening. tonight, 25 to 30. not nearly as cold as this

morning. winds both today and tonight southwest. 5 to 10 miles per hour. milder tomorrow, 46. by friday, we're in the 50s, well up in the 50s with low 50s saturday. we could, if everything works out, get a little snow sunday morning. we'll watch that and the normal cold monday, tuesday, low 40s. monika samtani, it is 5:20. construction guys, have to feel for them. >> you tell you what, during the holidays or before, it was easy for them to work overnight. last night, whole different story. the good news is they've packed up for the morning and things should be cleared as you head out the door. here's what it looks like inside the beltway. everything is running at speed on 66, 395 and on 295 inside the beltway. we'll take you outside live to springfield on the northbound side of i-95 as you come up from dumfries toward 644, you'll see the volume on the increase right now which is what it looked like yesterday at this time as well heading up to 395 and seminary road. we'll take you back out to the

maps. southern maryland. no issues to report on route 4, route 5, route 301 out of brandywine down into oxon hill. a live look at route 4 pennsylvania right near andrews air force base as you head southbound toward the wilson bridge and toward alexandria. your lines are open. we'll go north into maryland at 5:26. back to you guys. >> thanks, monica. maryland blows a 20-point lead in the final game before the start of conference play. >> plus, the capitals are getting stronger. hear from the players about their turnaround coming up in sports. we'll be back.

5:24. cold out there. temps still in the low teens with wind chills in the low single digits. by 9:00, couple of clouds mixing in. temperatures low to mid-20s. we'll go through midday. you'll notice a few more clouds, temperatures around 30 here toward noontime. a lot less wind than yesterday. so if you have to be outside, it will be cold but not nearly as cold with mid-30s for highs. just a couple of flurries possible late this afternoon and this evening. mike? >> thank you, howard. virginia tech made a comeback in last night's sugar bowl. >> trailing 17-9, hokies quarterback logan thomas scored on a 1-yard run. then passed for the 2-yard conversion. in overtime, tech appears to make a one-handed touchdown grab. upon further review, it is ruled incomplete. hokies kicker misses a 37-yard

field -- look at that. >> that's a touchdown. >> it hit the ground. >> ah. out of bounds, too. >> the hokies kicker misses a 37-yard field goal attempt. the wolverines kicker doesn't. he hits the distance to down virginia tech 23-20. here's kristin berset with the rest of your morning sports. >> reporter: good morning, everybody. it might be freezing outside but the caps sure are warming things up. bringing a three-game win streak into last night's game. something we haven't seen since the beginning of the season. mike greene back on the ice after missing the last 23 games. alex ovechkin finding his mojo again. scores in the first 2:00 of the game. ove misses with the slap shot. brower with the rebound. caps go up 2-0. flames do get one in the second. backstrom feeds wideman for the goal. capitals win their fourth straight game. this one, they win 3-1.

>> i think we're doing a better job on the break-in. when you make the right plays. >> doing everything it takes to win. we're getting pucks deep. >> to the hardwood, maryland hosting the big red from coors now. alex flynn. they go up 32-13. big red, miller nails the 3 to make it 36-20. the terps blow a 21-point lead. terrell down the stretch. great move. gets the bucket. maryland holds on to beat cornell 70-62. that's going to do it for your morning sports, i'm kristin berset, have a great wednesday. >> well, there could soon be some new graduation requirements for d.c. high school students. that story is coming up. >> plus, we have some developments in a political scandal right here in the d.c. area. sources tell 9news that harry thomas is getting ready to resign. more on that.

monika? >> construction workers work through a frigid night but they've cleaned up for the morning. lanes are open on the beltway through silver spring and college park. everything is moving smoothly. coming up in my next report, more on maryland roadways at 5:31, you're watching 9news now. stay with us.

thanks, mom. who are you calling "mom"? dunkin' sausage pancake bites, delicious like mom's, only easier to carry -- get three for $1.59.

good morning and welcome back to 9news now. i'm andrea roane. food during the break. >> i'm mike hydeck. good morning. monika will have traffic in just a moment. we start with howard and what do we have? >> a bunch of school delays. first, we'll talk about that thanks to the cold that's out there this morning, some of the snow showers yesterday. west virginia, grant, hampshire counties are two hours late. in maryland, garrett county and now allegheny county has come with a two-hour delay this morning. consider the cold that we're dealing with this morning as well. you'll need to bundle up. coldest area of the season, many areas down in the teens. our day planner calling for

some sunshine but also a bunch of clouds mixing in as well and probably clouds will win the day and maybe a few flurries late but not expecting the intense snow showers, snow squalls like we had yesterday which dropped a coating quickly causing some accidents in spots. 17 now but 30 by noon and a high of about 35 degrees. there are some of the snow showers from yesterday. they've pulled away but look how the clouds are increasing this morning from the west, charlottesville down toward rich land seeing the clouds now. this will be moving over toward us. temperatures, 9 in winchester. 11 in frederick. leesburg is 12. while it is 17 in d.c. it is 15 at andrews and la plata. just spoke to bill in newland, he's 18. in cat let, charlie. >> here's monika with more. >> we did have the one accident early this morning like an hour ago on the inner loop at river

road. that's been cleared up. delays are gone as well. that's good news for you. if you're planning to head over on the bw parkway, route 50 inside the beltway through cheverly, everything is fine into the northeast corridor. on the north side of the beltway, also doing fine. all of the construction was cleared up. let's take a live look if you're planning to head in silver spring near university boulevard, you can see the cones were moved. all construction is cleared up. you're good to go on the outer loop of the beltway through silver spring leaving college park. back over to the maps, this time, we'll head over to 270 coming down from frederick, mt. airy, i-70, 270, everything is fine. little further look at clarksburg. lanes are open down to the point where the lanes divide. coming up, we'll go to virginia at 5:40. back to you guys. >> thanks, monika. this morning, republican presidential candidates are moving to new hampshire. the next stop in the big g.o.p. race. >> they're gearing up for next tuesday's primary following the closest race in the history of the iowa caucuses. susan mcginnis reports from des

moines, iowa. >> reporter: mitt romney barely squeezed out a win in iowa. with rick santorum trailing just eight votes behind. >> we're going to change the white house and get america back on track. >> reporter: the former massachusetts governor is pledging to keep the momentum going in new hampshire where he holds a solid lead. >> out of new hampshire, let's get the job done. >> game on. >> but santorum is also ready to compete following his surprising late surge in iowa. >> i've been to new hampshire 30 times and have been more times and dob more events than anybody than jon huntsman. he cheats. he lives there. >> ron paul placed third but still considers himself a winner. >> we will go on. we will raise the money. i have no doubt about the volunteers. >> reporter: for some, iowa could be the end of their road to the white house. after coming in a disappointing fifth, rick perry is heading back to texas to reassess his campaign. >> with a little prayer and

reflection, i'm going to decide the best path forward. >> the rest of the g.o.p. pack is vowing to fight on. >> i'm convinced the republican party will pick an heir of reagan, a committed, conservative and somebody with a track record of changing washington. >> newt gingrich is hoping to jump start his bid today in new hampshire while michele bachmann is heading straight to south carolina. >> there are many more chapters to be written on the path to our party's nomination. >> she's gearing up for the first in the south primary there later this month. susan mcginnis, cbs news, des moines, iowa. >> later this morning, d.c. leaders are going to discuss their travel plans for the nation's first primary state. mayor vincent gray and council members will be going to new hampshire to make their case that the district should become the nation's 51st straight as part of a new effort in which advocates will be asking state legislatures to pass nonbinding resolutions in support of the cause. >> one official who won't be on the trip is d.c. councilman

harry thomas. he's been under investigation for allegedly taking $300,000 from a youth baseball program. >> now, just weeks after federal agents raided his home, sources tell 9news now that thomas is ready to resign and possibly plead guilty. 9news now reporter delia gonsalves is live at the wilson building with more on this. good morning, delia. >> reporter: good morning, mike. i was at his house, the council member's house in northeast last month when the fbi and i.r.s. raided his home. i remember his attorney fred cook coming out talking to reporters. he was very confident and told us all we will fight these charges. now, we know this morning, apparently they are not. harry thomas jr. accused of using city money for his own lavish vacations and luxury vehicles is expected to plead guilty to one felony count that could land him nearly three years of jail time. last month, as i mentioned, the fbi and i.r.s. raided his home. they seized an suv, motorcycle

and several documents when they were there in northeast. according to sources, council member thomas tells advisors "i just couldn't beat the tax charges." thomas is expected, we're told to cut the plea deal in the coming days. it is still unclear if he will head here to the wilson building and report to work a little later this morning. we've reached out to his colleagues this morning and his attorney. we're hoping to hear back from someone soon. mike? >> thanks, delia. delia gonsalvess live outside the wilson building this morning. the chair of kwame brown is requiring each student be required to take the a.c.t. or the s.a.t. upon graduation and apply to one vocational school or college. the proposal would create a workshop to teach students how to apply to schools and get financial aid. his office says it will cost between $300,000 and $400,000. you that morning, hundreds of montgomery county students are moving into new school

buildings. modernization projects have just been completed for three elementary schools. they're cannon road, garrett park elementary and seven locks. the county's new school superintendent joshua starr along with county executive ike leggett and other leaders will gather at garrett park elementary to celebrate the openings. today, the maryland board of public works is scheduled to decide whether to demolish the president's residence at the university of maryland. the existing residence was built in 1956 and it is no longer considered suitable either as a residence or as a venue for important events hosted by the college president. it is also -- it also hasn't been refurbished since 1991 and doesn't meet current safety codes. the college park foundation is planning to build the university house next to the existing residence using its own money. if you rely on coffee to get you through the morning -- >> he does. >> plenty of it. >> you might need some extra change to pay for it, too. >> plus, there are signs u.s.

carmakers can look forward to a very nice 2012. that's ahead in the next your money segment. we'll be right back. it is 5:38. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days.

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5:40. 17 degrees at reagan national. many areas in the low to mid teens. it is a very cold morning. thankfully a lot less windy than yesterday. still some wind chills down in the single digits. bundle up. our day planner today, some sunshine early. we're going to see more cloudiness as the day wears on. few flurries late this afternoon and this evening. high temperatures about 35 with a 3:00 temperature of 33. but right now, it is really cold. monika samtani is in the warm studio with your timesaver traffic. >> you gotta give your car some time to warm up as well. to deal with these conditions. on the inbound side of 66, you will be fine from centreville to the beltway and inside the beltway here at route 7 as

well. coming up, more on virginia roadways at 5:50. at 5:41, time for another "your money" report. >> jessica is back with the war on spam. we're not talking about the stuff in a can. >> do not trust those offers for free ipads. come on, people. we're smarter than that! we can do better! we're now fighting that war against spam on a new front. on facebook and twitter. the "wall street journal" reports that facebook says less than 4% of the contents shared on its site is spam. twitter says it is 1.5% of all tweets. they were spamming in 2010. facebook adds the volume is growing faster than its user base. the american auto industry is gearing up for another solid year. the industry reports u.s. sales figures later today. analysts predict auto dealers had their best december in five years. the strong sales are forecast to continue this year and that's good news for americans looking for work. carmakers are expected to keep adding jobs in 2012.

and starbucks raising prices for the first time in nearly five years. the seattle coffee chain is raising prices by 1% in the northeast and the sun belt. that means the old tall coffee will go up by 10 cents. if you drink grandees, the prices are staying the same. starbucks says it is necessary to pay for coffee beans and fuel. i'm talking about sugar sweeteners this morning. coffee, i think i need a cup of coffee. >> grande is medium? >> no, that's the large. >> i can never remember. >> grande is medium. venti is large. >> venti is large. tall is small. that's what i usually get. >> now, i am confused. >> it is all expensive. what's the difference, right? >> thank you. >> i would say large. they get upset. >> an alert along part of australia's coast after a surfer narrowly survives a

shark attack. >> farmers in florida are heading out this morning to see if a cold snap has caused a problem for their crops. >> coming up, let's see who's celebrating a birthday today. he led the miami dolphins to a perfect season. coach don shula is 82. presidential historian goodwin is 69. it was the end of his band and he knew it. r.e.m. front man michael stipe is 52. if it is your birthday, happy birthday. we'll be right back.

>> closings to our north and our west. >> we've got some problems, some of the roads, 5:22 is closed in part there in virginia and west virginia for some of the snow yesterday and the cold temperatures but clark county, they're two hours late. then in frederick county, virginia, frederick, virginia, not maryland. frederick, virginia and winchester city are closed for

today. they have closed for today. now, as far as the delays in west virginia, grant county, hampshire, hardy and mineral counties all on two hour delays due to some slick conditions and also just very cold. in maryland, we know in western maryland, allegheny and garrett county are in two hour delays. so, these are things you need to know schoolwise. as far as weather, it is cold. you know that. it is going to be cold for today. then some moderation heads this way starting tomorrow in the 40s and 50s by the time we get to friday. it is a short-lived arctic spell. here we go with a look at the arctic forecast. frigid this morning. teens and some areas will make it into the lower 20s. most in the teens and if there is any good news, the winds are a lot, lot, lot lighter than yesterday. sunrise at 7:27. as far as today is concerned, we'll have some sunshine mixing in this morning. partly to mostly cloudy. 30 by noon. winds southwest to southerly. about 5 to 10 miles per hour. there will be a chance for some flurries late in the day.

but for the most part, a much drier day. yesterday, picked up a quarter inch. the coating causing some problems with some accidents along 270. i-81 down south in fauquier county. other areas had a quick burst. that caused the issues. 17 this morning in washington. 9 in winchester and oakland. 10 up in montgomery county. 12 in hagerstown. 19 in southern maryland. when you factor in the winds even though they're a lot lighter than yesterday, we still have wind chills. same up in baltimore. easton, it feels like 9. feels like 6 in southern maryland and hagerstown. very cold morning. the good news as i said a moment ago, today will be the last of the really cold mornings for awhile. 17 feeling like 8 though in town with a northwest wind at 7. that dew point at 2 below zero. this is an arctic air mass. it is leaving already. the core of the cold, it is in quebec in canada. you can see where the white and pink are north of caribou.

this yesterday was back in this area. this morning, it is here. tomorrow, it will be there. pulling away from us. what you see behind, 30s and 40s. this is what will be building in. not nearly as cold tonight. we're seeing some cloudiness this morning out across areas from chicago to indianapolis. with this weak disturbance, little clipper is coming across. there is not much moisture. there is hardly any moisture to work with. still expecting the threat as this gets across us late this afternoon and early this evening. it may just squeeze out a few flurries or snow showers mainly in the mountains. so, cold today. mostly cloudy through midday. here comes the snow showers and flurries this afternoon and this evening coming across the region. we're not seeing a lot of blue on the map. by 11:00, northern part of the bay through jersey, a few flurries. we'll see this clear out. then the moderation begins looking at the forecast, another cold day. 35 but not nearly as windy as yesterday and some late flurries possible. tonight, 25 to 30. winds southwest at about 5.

tomorrow, milder. 46 degrees. could even be a little breezy at times west winds 10 to 15. friday, nice. 57. saturday, we're in the low 50s. sunday morning, maybe, just maybe, i'm going to throw it out there, the threat for something coming in from the south. cold air may be in place. we'll see if there is threat for snow. sunday, monday, tuesday looks seasonable with highs in the low 40s. it is now 5:50. monika has a little bit of a list developing here. >> a little bit of a list. just the volume. no big deals to worry about all around town. i'm happy to say, good morning, everybody. here's what it looks like on the beltway. south on 95 on the northbound side, the construction where you see the triangle on route one should be cleared up by now. let's take a look live at 95. you have your initial delay beginning around route 123 as you cross the occoquan river. volume up in springfield. we'll take a look at 395 where it was quite heavy yesterday by 6:00 trying to get to seminary road. you may experience that as well on the northbound side of 395

for all of those newcomers to the mark center this week. we'll go back out to the map. this time, to talk about some delays. mark brunswick line 870 is 10 minutes late. also on metro, traipse to glenmont are delayed because of a disabled train at the brooklyn catholic station. keep that in mind for your travel plans this morning. we'll go back out to the roads at 6:01. >> thanks, monika. making news now, joran van der sloot is scheduled to go on trial for murder. he reportedly confessed to killing a 21-year-old woman, stephanie flores in a hotel room. van der sloot has been a suspect but has not been charged in a 2005 disappearance and presumed death of alabama teenager natalee holloway in aruba. >> the look is on for more sharks in australia. a 28-year-old surfer was attacked there last night. was able to paddle back to shore. the man survived but suffered severe injuries to one arm.

citrus growers in florida are anxious this morning. farmers set up their irrigation lines with hopes of creating a fog overnight and spraying warm water into the freezing air. they hope it will raise temperatures in the groves by 3 to 5 degrees which could possibly be enough to save this year's orange crop. we have a winner! the local winner of the virginia lottery's new year's millionaire raffle has come forward. >> his name hasn't been released yet. the ticket was bought at great falls 7-eleven, one of three tickets drawn for the top prize of a million dollars. the owner said he didn't believe it at first. >> new year's eve. calling me and playing a prank on me. then i found out to is true. somebody won actually one of the three million dollar raffles from my store at great falls. >> the storeowner says the winner is a regular customer. that's good. a special presentation planned for tomorrow at the great falls

7-eleven. 5:53. a look at the question of the day. a recent study found this has 60 times the germs of a toilet is. it a, a keyboard. b, a cell phone or c, the kitchen counter. >> facebook friend says how many people do you know clean their keyboard? probably not too many. it just gets -- it sits there and it gets used. he says a. >> log on to the facebook.com/wusa9 page and leave your response. we'll reveal the answer in about an hour. >> if you failed on some previous resolutions to lose weight, we'll reveal some small changes to help you get started coming up in our next hour. >> next, a place to post secrets online was working great. that is until its local creator tried to make it into an app. we'll explain. well, speaking of resolutions, here is one you can keep. we'll do it together, people. that is coming up at 6:07.

you're watching 9news now. from the bedroom you could see the fire and that work me right up. and it was absolutely terrifying. we got out of there as quickly as we could. i'm watching the house burn up and i'm sitting there saying, there goes everything. these days you don't have to lose your house in a fire to know what it's like to be left on the edge in the cold. the shelter gave us a place to stay. and citizens energy helped the shelter with heat. i'm excited to finally have a place of my own. citizens energy is helping us with the oil. citizens energy was created to help the forgotten ones keep warm. we asked the big oil companies and oil producing nations to help. only citgo and the people of venezuela said yes. and this year, in spite of soaring fuel prices, congress

cut home heating assistance nearly in half. while people need help more than ever. for the last seven years, citgo has helped families and homeless shelters in good times and in bad. thanks joe and thanks citgo. so if you need help staying warm this winter give me a call because no one should be left out in the cold.

5:56. a frigid start. we've got temperatures down in the single digits. winds are a lot less. clearly, go out with hat, scarves, earmuffs, whatever will keep you warm. by 9:00, mid-20s in town. low 20s in the shenandoah valley. as the day progresses, i think we'll see more clouds and less sun unfortunately. 30 by noon.

but without the sunshine in spots, not going to feel all that great. mid-30s at best this afternoon. maybe 35 or so for that high. we also have a threat for a couple of flurries here as we get into the late afternoon and evening hours. but better days, warmer days on the way by tomorrow and friday. mike and andrea? you a he's been collecting people's secrets for years and posting them online on a sign called post secrets. >> when this germantown blogger created an iphone app that did the same thing, it backfired. lindsey mastis has the story of a popular application killed off by bullies. >> i want to join the army to serve my country. the weird thing is i hate my country. >> it is a secret writ on postcard sint to frank warren. he's been posting ten a week on postsecret.com since 2004. and the blog got so popular, he decided to create an app. >> the app was a way where using your smart phone, you could photograph an image and then type your secret over that

image and share it out. >> it launched just a few months ago. >> people were sharing around the world 40 to 50,000 secrets every day. >> just like the postcard, the people that created digital secrets remained anonymous. unfortunately, bullies started harassing users and even uploaded horrible images. >> beyond pornographic or showing gruesome images. >> moderators tried to screen every secret submitted on the app. but it was impossible. >> people were submitting secrets almost every two to three seconds. >> a few bad apples spoiled the app. >> so, in the end, we felt the right decision was to shut it down. >> the bullies have won the battle. at least for now. >> i think there is great potential for another postsecret app. i have ideas about how to make that possible but i'm not ready to pursue it right now. >> in germantown, maryland, i'm lindsey mastis, 9news now. the bullies also made direct threats to warren's

family. the iphone app has been pulled from itunes and warren has ended plans to launch an app for android but he'll continue to update the web site. well, good morning. we begin 9news now at 6:00 a.m. with a list of school closings and delays this morning. in virginia, frederick county and winchester city schools are closed. also in virginia, clark county schools will open two hours late. >> in maryland, allegheny and garrett county, schools are on a two-hour delay and in west virginia, these schools will open two hours late. grant, hampshire, hardy and mineral counties. again, opening two hours late. monika will have a check on traffic in a moment. right now, howard bernstein has our weather first. >> some areas out west, even in northern virginia had an inch or two in the snow squalls. had a quarter inch drop where i live in upper montgomery county then the sun came out and it was gone. it did cause problems on the roads. we'll talk more about that in a moment. we're down in the teens in