counteracting some of that excitement but the temperature has got to get you motivated to put the shorts on to get out and get off the treadmill and get moving. we're in the 40s in town. some 30s to the west. by noon 55. and we'll see highs today close to that 60-degree mark but still 58 at 5:00 p.m. tonight, though, some showers are going to move in and a better chance for some showers overnight friday -- thursday night into friday morning. just some patchy clouds around here this morning. manassas clear skies, light winds down to 28. culpeper is 32. lots of areas are still in the low 40s. it's 6:00 a.m. monika santami is in. big problems toward the dunkirk area on route 4. if you're planning to head out of dunkirk to waysons corner this is a serious scene of an accident that happened on route 4 at route 258. a medevac helicopter had arrived at the scene about 20 minutes or so ago. a live look from sky 9, route 4 at route 258. you can see traffic being

diverted here at 258 by police. so let me go ahead and show you where it is on a map and what you can do northbound side. go ahead and take route 2 as your alternate route. make your way around to central avenue and on the southbound side, it's going to be route 301 that you're going to need to use again. route 4 is closed at route 258. another problem on the northbound side of 95. this one is in triangle. it's been a disabled tractor- trailer. i would say for almost an hour it's been sitting there along the right side of the roadway. look at that delay on the northbound side of 95 trying to get into triangle and crews there tell us it's going to be about another half an hour before they can clear that one up. over to 66. two separate accidents west and east of route 123. multiple vehicles involved in both of those accidents. crews are just arriving on the scene. we'll go ahead and take a look at the delay on the inbound side of 66 trying to get to route 123. at least you have a heads up on this if you're just heading out the door. i'll keep you posted on all three of those situations coming up again at 6:12.

the final decision on two controversial antiabortion bills in virginia will rest with republican governor bob mcdonald-- >> bob mcdonnell. >> right now the governor isn't so sure. he's not going to commit to a bill at this point requiring women to have invasive ultrasounds before they have an abortion. >> he won't comment at all about the so-called personhood bill. that would declare life begins at conception making abortion illegal. the two bills are drawing nationwide attention. >> i'm trying to remind the legislators that i am a legal person and i have a vote and an opinion and a body which is my right to control. >> we believe that the passage of legislation that gives information to women is very helpful and we support it. >> the house of delegates has already approved both bills. now it's on to the state senate where they're expected to pass it as well. then the big question mark is governor mcdonnell. the entire maryland state senate could begin debate this morning on a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. it would be the second time in

as many years that they voted on it. the senate panel in annapolis approved the measure by a 7-4 vote tuesday. the senate approved the marriage bill last year by a 25- 21 vote. opponents say, however, if the bill is signed into law by the governor and he said wee do that if it gets to his desk -- he would do that if it gets to his desk, they will put it on a referendum coming up in november. the national museum of african-american history and culture will likely be the last new museum on the mall. >> ground break ceremony begins in a few hours. delia goncalves is live on the mall with a preview of this story happening today. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. you mentioned this could be the last museum on the mall. that's because this prime location on 14 rght street by the washington -- 14th street by the washington monument is said to be the last available piece of real estate on the washington mall. so certainly this could be the

very last museum that we'll see and it's the closest that we'll see next to the washington monument as well. the african-american history and culture museum isn't slated to open its doors until 2015, but it's already raising concerns among other african- american museums across the country. there are 300 smaller black museums. directors there celebrate this great achievement, of course, but they do fear that the national museum may take away artifacts, funding and attraction from those smaller museums. however, the director of the national museum has pledged support all of those smaller museums and is hopeful the three million to 3.5 million visitors expected annually will just draw more attention to all african-american museums across the country. coming up in my next live report in a half-hour, i'll have a live interview with the museum's deputy director. she'll be joining us live in a

half-hour. back to you. >> we look forward to that, delia goncalves reporting live from the national mall this morning. the smithsonian museums have been on the national mall for over 165 years. the castle first opened to the public in 1855. the museum of natural history is among the most popular these days. it opened in its current building in 1911. and the air and space museum, the most visited museum in the world first opened july 1, 1976. the most recent museum opening on the mall was the national museum of the american indian opening its doors in 2004. mike? 6:05. jessica doyle and i are here watching your money. we're doing it from the kitchen. this morning we're talking about two of our favorite topics: coffee which is necessary on this morning shift and saving you money. >> a lot of people at home might have k cup machines either at home or at work. green mountain makes these things and they sold about 4.2 million of them over the

holidays. but when it comes to saving you money, these babies may not be the best way to go when you're talking about a traditional cup of joe. mr. coffee might be a better way to go. we're doing some comparison shopping for you this morning and taking, for example, dunkin donuts. here you see a pound of dunkin donuts. it was sold in arlington yesterday for $8.99 a pound. we also bought a box of 14k cups from dunkin donuts. this goes for $11.99. and we bought a medium coffee cream and sugar for $1.99. we're going to make things equal breaking this down price per ounce. it goes something like this. the cup of coffee costs you nearly 12.8 cents for an ounce of coffee. the k cups, you're getting a little better value. 10.7 cents per ounce of coffee. and as for the old pound of coffee, this is bay far a better value, just 3.7 cents per ounce. that means the same cup of coffee made with a k-cup is

three times more expensive. the stuff you get at the store is four times more expensive. let's break this down a little bit more based on how much the grounds cost. you can't really compare the stuff they sell at the store but the pound of coffee costs $8.99. the k-cups, get this, $33.42 a pound. that is a 400% markup. you can save some money on k- cups. one way to do that is to get a reusable k-cup. you can buy these things, put your own coffee in it, seal it up and stick it in your machine in a traditional way. another way, one thing you can do, don't be brand loyal. shop around for your best price. buy in bulk. websites like amazon.com can let you do just that and you could end up getting the coffee for half the price. and you can wait. green mountain is about to lose some key patents on its k-cups so by this fall you might have a bunch of brands coming out with even cheaper versions. the one exception i would say where you can save potentially

some money, if you do a k-cup machine is if you're making cappuccinos. it would be a lot more expensive if you went out to the store to buy them. >> and look for coupons. >> absolutely. >> pretty could. i love my coffee. thanks, jess. today is ash wednesday, the start of the lenten season. it's a holy day for many christians and you'll see them wearing ash oz their foreheads. one comurch in arlington says you -- church in arlington says you can swing by for ashes on your commute. st. george's episcopal church will go one block from its doors to the virginia square metro station. it will offer ashes to people as they head on to the orange line. if you miss them this morning, you can stop by on your commute home. smart move. ash wednesday also means the end of mardi gras and at the stoke of midnight the party officially ended in new orleans. police came through and told people to head home. of course once the police rolled by, the crowds were back into the streets.

thousands of people enjoyed the great weather for tuesday night's mardi gras parade in arlington. it's an annual event in the clarendon and courthouse neighborhoods. floats, bands and of course plenty of beads.

you'll need the jacket this morning with temps in the 30s and 40s. going to be spring like this afternoon. it will be a bit breezy but milder than yesterday with highs around 60. we could see some showers after dark. in southern maryland, anne arundel county a serious accident blocking northbound route 4 at route 260. this is a live look from sky 9 at the delay. you will be diverted at 260. i'll give you details on this accident coming up at 6:18. we're focusing on campaign 2012. we're six days away from a pair of contests in the g.o.p. nomination race. >> latest polls show it's shaping up to be a tight one. in arizona mitt romney has a slight edge over rick santorum. 36 of like -- 36% of likely voters back romney. in michigan it's a dead heat by romney and santorum have switchings. romney is ahead with 32%.

santorum has 30%. the candidates meet tonight in their final scheduled debate. we have a preview. >> reporter: the stakes are high for the final four republican presidential candidates taking part in tonight's arizona debate. it's the last of eight before super tuesday next month when ten states hold voting contests. and it's the first debate where rick santorum will take center stage as a front-runner, ahead of the next two primaries in arizona and michigan. >> we are here not just to debate. we're here to win arizona on next tuesday. >> reporter: recent polls show santorum locked in a tight race with mitt romney in both states despite romney having a home field advantage. >> i think as governor romney is discovering in michigan, you cannot take your home state for granted. all of a sudden things can go really sour. >> reporter: santorum has been the target of recent attacks since his sweep in missouri, minnesota and colorado earlier this month. his opponents have hammered him on his conservative prudentials. >> his voting record is an

atrocious voting record, how liberal he's been on all the things he's voted for. >> a tea party would find it interesting that rick santorum voted to raise the debt ceiling five times without getting compensating reductions in spending. >> reporter: so far the attacks haven't been enough to stop santorum's rise. that's likely to put a bill's eye in his back -- bull's eye in his back when he faced off -- he faces his rivals tonight. there is a caucus in washington state which is saturday, march 3. then it's super tuesday march 6. ten states will hold republican nomination contests, including virginia, massachusetts, ohio, and tennessee. 6:14. right now on this ash wednesday morning, howard is here with an update as we said looking at the temperature on the screen there. we're already in the 40s at 6:14. where do we go from here? >> 60-ish this afternoon. nothing wrong with that. a little bit of a breeze. that's the only negative is the winds will gust at times over 20 miles an hour.

but still a pretty good day around here and we'll be even warmer on thursday. looking at your bus stop forecast, we have some readings in the 30s. you'll definitely need the jackets and maybe the gloves for a little while this morning under partly to mostly sunny skies. our day planner, patches of clouds here and there this morning but generally a sunny day with 55 at noon. 59 at 4:00 p.m. winds out of the south, southwest 10 to 15, gusting to 20 at times today so those highs around 60. then this evening we've got some showers rolling in. better chance south early this evening. we'll get our showers i think here in the metro during the overnight. temps are in the 30s and 40s area wide. in fact, norfolk right now 51 degrees. locally manassas at 2k-8 but leesburg -- at 28 but leesburg is 36. we have 40s coming in from andrews and crofton at 40 degrees. columbia is 40. rockville is 42. arlington is 41. and looking outside on our michael & son weather camera,

generally clear skies. i see a little bit of light on the eastern horizon with a temperature of 44 degrees under partly cloudy skies. south, southwesterly winds at 3 so not much of a windchill this morning. your dew point at 37. piledder temperatures. look at this national, raleigh in the 40s. atlanta in the 50s. all moving northward as the storm systems pass to our north. we're staying in the southerly southwesterly winds. we have a couple of showers coming through memphis and western tennessee. a little thunder with that as well. some of that is going to lift toward us as we head toward tonight. today looks pretty g. here come some of the showers by 5:00. maybe between hagerstown and cumberland. this stuff moves across southern virginia first. then across us during the overnight. see that front way to the west? that guy is going to get here friday morning so that will end the spring preview. 60s today. partly to mostly sunny and breezy. mid-40s with the showers. tomorrow 67, a stray shower possible but a better chance overnight thursday night into friday morning with the front.

friday we start warm but finish chillier. saturday maybe a flurry in the morning. only about 44 for the high. staying in the 40s sunday through tuesday. 6:16. monika is in. more on that serious accident down in senior maryland. that's -- in southern maryland. that's right. here's a live look from sky 9 the northbound side of route 4 and route 260 south of waysons corner. it was a vehicle into a pole. happened just before 5:00 this morning. and crews have been on the scene ever since diverting traffic on to route 260. i'm show you what it looks like on a map and what you can do on the northbound side. i suggest that you avoid that delay that you just saw and go ahead and use route 2 as your alternate route. on the southbound side it's going to be route 301 to get yourself around this accident coming up from dunkirk into waysons corner, a huge backup because of it. it's going to take a while to pick the pole up off the roadway as well. a disabled tractor-trailer long- standing blocking the right side of the roadway.

with that delay coming up into triangle. we'll go beyond that into springfield on the northbound side of 95 which is just fine. beyond triangle at the occoquan river up to this point it's the normal slow stuff. on the inbound side of i-66 there were two separate accidents near route 123. they both have been cleared out of the roadway, but look at all that red. that's the delay you're dealing with on the inbound side with some activity left on the shoulder but again all lanes are open as you head inbound on i-66. we'll take a live look into tysons corner. yuck as usual because of all the construction you deal with but no big problems to deal with here. in my next report i'll update you on the situation in anne arundel county. but before i go, i have a commuter alert. metro wants your help picking names for some of its new stations. as you know, the silver line will be metro's newest line. it will go from east falls church through tysons corner, through reston, herndon to dulles airport and into

ashburn. metro and fairfax county want your help in picking some of the names for the new stations. you can voice your opinion in an online survey. the station on route 123 by the capital one headquarters, which name do you guys like? do you like mclean, scotts run, mclean scotts run or tysons mclean? any opinions, guys? >> scotts run sounds nice. >> something creative. >> how about shoppers heaven station. fairfax county likes highsons- mclean the best. you can -- tysons-mclean the best. you can take this survey online. 6:19 now t. is time to bring you our question of the morning. once again it is 78% of married men say they want this one thing for their birthday. is it a, a new sports car, b, tickets to see their favorite sports teams, or c, just a day

alone? >> monica -- monika agrees with this facebook friend who says a, a sports car because they probably don't want to go to a game with us if they got a tickets and not c, a day alone because they'd miss us too much. >> keep the guesses coming. we'll reveal the answer at 6:48. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] this is not a prescription.

this is mary. who thinks it might be time to listen to her heart. so she talked to her walgreens pharmacist who gave her a free blood pressure test and showed her how easy it is to do it herself at home. get a free blood pressure test any day in february at any walgreens pharmacy or take care clinic location. and we'll donate $1 to the american heart association as part of the walgreens way to well commitment. walgreens. there's a way to stay well.

welcome back. 6:23 your weather first. a piled day -- a mild day with temperatures running 10 degrees above or more. our day planner a couple of patches of clouds early. a decent at of sunshine. breezy at times. winds out of the southwest and south can gust over 20 miles an hour with highs around 60. some showers roll in after dark. good morning, everybody. heading down the final stretch, the maryland terrapins need to muster every ounce of strength they've got to have a shot at the ncaa tournament. their final four games include virginia who just stomped the

terps by 27. north carolina and last night miami. the hurricanes beat the guys in double overtime earlier this month. there's a familiar face jim larranaga back in town. terps down by five. 45 seconds to go, terps down two. can't get it to go. james padgett, a big man. time winding down. the freshman nick fouts gets the steel. that's it. terps with a big win over miami. john thompson iii not going to be happy with his hoyas last night. to jason clark. ties things up at 22. but that was his only 3 of the night. the night belonged to pirates jordan theodore determined to help his team make the ncaa tournament. he post add career high 29 point -- posted a career high 29 points. seton hall upset georgetown 73-

55. another big game virginia tech hosting virginia. a nail biter in this one. in the second, eric green extends the lead by 3. he had 19 last night. the cavaliers come back. up 4, mike scott gets the ball to fall. picks up the end one. they hold on to beat the hokies 61-59. a good night on the hardwood. that's going to do it for your morning sports. have a great day. from the hardwood to the diamond, nationals pitchers and catchers are at spring training. that includes starting catcher wilson ramos. late last year he was kidnapped in his home country of venezuela. he was found days later safe and sound. he says he's ready to focus on baseball and is excited to be with his teammates once again. fans are happy about that as well. >> nice to have him back. 6:25. the dow breaks a 13,000 barrier and pulls back. we'll get a preview of what it might look like today. your facebook profile might be telling your boss just how productive of a worker you are.

in ten minutes what's giving it away. right now monika has a quick check of the traffic. tough situation in anne arundel county here. a live look from sky 9 on the northbound side of route 4. blocked off at 260 with a serious accident. more coming up at 6:30. you're watching 9news now. we'll be right back.

44 degrees in the nation's capital. if you're peeking outside, this is what it looks like. a live shot right now.

wow, look at that. how beautiful. good morning. we're glad you're starting your day with us. i'm andrea roane. happy to have you with us. i'm mike hydeck. howard bernstein sampling the temperatures outside on the weather terrace. good morning. >> good morning. on the chilly side. one thing that beautiful picture was showing us is that cloud deck that has moved in across the region. a few clouds, patchy clouds we'll call them from time to time over the next few hours. that's what i'm talking about. see the line of clouds on the lower part of the capitol dome. that's the leading edge of the clouds that have been moving in from west to east. we're calling for some clouds at least this morning for a little while. then a decent amount of sunshine by noon 55. by 5:00 58 with a high around 60 and the winds at times today a little breeze now but going to be gusting to 20 miles an hour or more at times. there's clouds coming from from west to east across the region. there they go popping up actually off the mountains. a little wind hits the mountains and the clouds develop across northern virginia and right over us.

it's 30 in manassas. we have chill out there. culpeper 32. it's 42 on the bay if annapolis. -- bay in annapolis. 44 here in d.c. going up to around 60 later on. let's go inside to monika santami with more on that problem there we were having in southern maryland. in anne arundel county, you're taking a live look from sky 9 on the northbound side of route 4 heading toward waysons corner. the accident happened just north of route 260. you're being diverted on to the service roadway to get toward route 258 and back on to route 4. this is a car into a pole and that's why it's taking so long. a medevac helicopter long gone from the scene of the accident. i'll show you where it is on a map to give smu perspective as you -- to give you some perspective as you come up from dunkirk. you'll be diverted at route 260 and can get back on 258 and route 4 and be on your way. it's about a three to four-mile

backup. northbound side of 95, in triangle, it looks a lot better than if did just -- it did just a few minutes ago. a long-standing disabled tractor-trailer looks like it was moved out of the roadway and delays are cleared through that area. now over to 66 on the inbound side where there were two separate accidents here at route 123. because of it about 17 miles an hour coming in from route 50 at least trying to get toward route 123 and the beltway. more on area roadways coming up again at 6:44. 6:32 now. he's known as fast eddie. a fugitive who has eluded police nationwide for decades. he was finally caught with the help of one woman. >> that woman will be talking in the next hour on cbs this morning. gail king on-- gayle king joins us live from new york with a preview. good morning, gayle. >> hi, mike and andrea. fast eddie isn't so fast as luck runs out for him. the international fugitive accused in a $1.5 million

heist. it was a 19-year manhunt that stretched all the way from britain to missouri. you'll hear from the 25-year- old woman who unraveled the mystery and she' tell us why -- she'll tell us why she's so scared about what could happen next. >> we'll be watching. this morning president obama and the first lady will attend the groundbreaking for the newest smith smithsonian museum. it's the national museum of african-american history and culture. >> it will be the last museum built on the mall. it will go on the north side of the mall between 14th street and 15th street. good morning, delia. >> reporter: good morning. it's an exciting day. we've been telling you all morning long about this great achievement and the ground breaking that will be happening here on the mall just a few hours. but here to give us her personal take is the deputy director of the museum. this is a pretty significant day, long time coming. what does this mean to you

personally? >> it is really a realization of something that i as an african-american, as -- a howard grad, i'm just so proud. it's a moment that puts african- american history and culture at the center of american life which is where i think it belongs. and those of us in the d.c. tradition of howard and this museum know that african- americans have made extraordinary contributions that have affected all americans and this museum will be for all americans. >> reporter: i've heard lots of folks say this is a quintessential american experience, not just the african-american experience so this has broad aappeal. it talks about the struggle and the dream and success. >> absolutely. you'll hear our director talk about the resiliency and spirituality of african- americans being deeply rooted in the american experience. we were just lucky enough to have a wonderful moment with chief justice roberts, a number of our group who were here for

groundbreaking week, groundbreaking year. he talked about how the african- american experience is threaded through the legal system. so whether sad moments or wonderful on moments -- wonderful moments, we'll tell that story and those stories as well as stories of music and sports, entertainment, and also the sweep of african-american history from tuskegee airmen to harriet tubman to the mothership of george clinton. we'll do it all. >> reporter: lots of fun, lots of learning, lots of laughter. talk about the significant real quickly because we do have to wrap, the significance of this prime location. i'm also told it's next to a former slave pen. >> it is. this is a sacred ground n. is where african-americans were bought and sold and this triumph fans moment to honor them and all african-americans who have come before. to have the. here with us today is such -- the president here with us today is such a thrill. >> reporter: thank you so much

for joining us. a homecoming of many sorts for her. the groundbreaking at 10:00 ap. the president and first lady among 600 invited guests who will be inside at 9:00 a.m. >> a big day down there. delia goncalves live on the national mall this morning. thanks, delia. there will be a few roads closed near the national mall today for this museum dedication. already this morning 15th street is closed between independence and constitution. madison drive and eferson drive both -- jefferson drive both closed between 14th and 15th. at 8:00 this morning the 12th street ramp from constitution avenue to madison drive will close. then at 9:4514th street will close between constitution and independence. and constitution will close between 12th and 17th. the best advice? avoid the west end near the mall till this afternoon. in charlottesville jury deliberations begin today in the george huguely murder trial. the former university of virginia lacrosse player could get life in prison if convicted of murdering his former girlfriend yeardley love.

she was found dead in her apartment in may 2010. huguely admits to kicking a hole in the door of her bedroom but says he didn't kill her. medical experts explain several reasons why love might have died from blunt force trauma. today maryland lawmakers are going to look at expanding possibly gaming in the state. this comes a week after prince george's county executive rashern baker announced his support for a billion dollar casino on national harbor. he talked about it right here on 9news now in the morning. right now only slots are allowed in the state. maryland voters would need to approve any expansion into table games like blackjack or poker before it become as reality. english is now the only official language in frederick county, maryland. county commissioners approved the measure last night. 4-1 was the vote. all official actions in the county must now be done in english. however, it does not supersede state and federal rules and the county may still use other languages when it comes to public health and safety issues. 6:37. jessica doyle is here and she's watching your money.

>> 13,000 big mark yesterday. is it going to stick around, though. >> that's right. we're wondering will today be the day that the dow actually closes above 13,000. we crossed that milestone yesterday for a little while. the dow has nearly doubled in value since hitting rock bottom since march 9, 2009. up 98% since its low. it hasn't been this high since may of 2000 # before the -- 2008 before the crash of leiman brothers. asian markets headed higher overnight but we are seeing red arrows in european trading today. the white house looking to overhaul the corporate tax system. the obama administration is expected to announce today plans to lower the top tax rate to 28% from 35%. but it wouldn't -- but it would next dozens of reductions. the nation's tax rate is the the second highest in the world behind japan. few companies pay that rate, though, because they take advantage of so many tax breaks. can someone measure how

successful you are based on your facebook page? a new study subjects yes. within a matter of minutes researchers can look at a person's facebook page and determine that person's taste in books, music as well as how social they are. the study also says facebook information may be stronger than personality and iq measurements that are currently used by human resource departments. researchers say the study must be done again to see if the same results can be achieved. >> did they get paid for that study? >> it's interesting because do you really put everything on your facebook page that says who you center. >> there was another sort of tongue in cheek study that says because we put all the best stuff on there, eight sort of skewed. >> it -- it's sort of skewed. >> it will probably show if you're interested in things that have to do with your city, how outgoing -- your industry, how outgoing you are. these could make a difference in careers. you can see how they can make some of those judgments. >> thank you. the white house saying --

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hi. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. welcome back to 9news now. i have good news now coming out of -- into waysons corner out of dunkirk. route 4, route 260, an accident that's almost two hours old has finally been cleared but you have about a three-mile backup getting through there with the lanes open. let's take you outside live on the northbound side of 395.

you've got the normal slow stuff through landmark up towards seminary road. then it pretty much breaks loose up to the 14th street bridge. let's go to 66. delays begin out of manassas all the way to route 123. a solid backup because of two separate accidents that were cleared. as you can see the lanes are open. beyond this you'll be fine to the beltway and a last live look at 270 on the southbound side, delays begin at father hurley boulevard down to falls road. then it's good down to the point where the lanes divide. coming up in my next report, another look at the big picture at 6:58. >> we can't blame the bad traffic on weather. it's good out there. and getting better. >> unless people are looking at the beautiful pinks in the sky and being distracted by that a nice day today. a few clouds around for a couple of hours this morning but generally a sunny day and a breezy day. let's get you going with the bus stop forecast. we're calling it partly to mostly cloudy. temperatures are a big range. we have some areas near 30 down towards man fan sas.

some areas in the -- man that sas. some areas -- manassas. some areas in the 40s. highs in the 60-degree range. winds out of the south, southwest. we've got sustained winds that means we'll have some gusts 20 or better. by 6:00 south of town going to have a couple of showers starting to show up. we'll see more of those during the nighttime hours. we are watching the clouds. you see how they pop here. there they go. they hit the ridgetops. just the right flow gives it a little bit of lift and we get those clouds to develop. temp in town 44. there's the 32 for culpeper. martinsburg, we know they're in the mid-40s. low 40s in the northern neck near newland. upper 40s near the bay. across the bay easton right now 41. look at this color of the sky. got a lot of pink out there. the sun about to come up in a few minutes lighting the clouds from beneath and giving us a

beautiful morning. 44 degrees. feeling like 43 with a light wind at reagan national right now out of the south, southwest at 3 miles an hour. so there are the clouds that are coming right now. actually over us. to the west we've got a pretty fast flow so we'll see the mild temperatures. main storm track still well to our north but this is going to get a front here by friday morning. out ahead of it mild today. we'll be 60-ish. showers tonight. they start south. they come across the region during the overnight period. here we go into thursday looking good. here comes the front. that will be here friday morning. so tomorrow night into friday morning another chance of showers. looking at the forecast today 60, breezy. a few clouds this morning. tonight we'll be in the 40s with showers. stray shower late tomorrow but look at the warmth. upper 60s, maybe even 70s south and west of town. early showers friday turning colder in the afternoon. still about 61 for the high. then a flurry or two can't be ruled out saturday with highs by then only in the low to mid- 40s. annual dray ya? -- andrea? >> thank you, howard.

at 6:47 we have a commuter alert. yet another change coming from beltway drivers in virginia. vdot admits it screwed up when it took alain away from the ramp -- a lane away from the ramp to the outer look on westbound 66. that caused backups into maryland. this weekend vdot will restore the second lane. all of this shifting is for the express lanes project and the new lanes should open later this year. well, new flights between the d.c. region and cuba are going to be delayed. weekly flights to havana were supposed to start march 21 but they haven't sold enough tickets. they'll try again in october. >> more and more people are flying in and out and through reagan national airport. 18.8 million passengers moved through that airport last year which is a record, a 4% jump from the year before. it may get busier this year as well. u.s. airways is adding more flights. it 16:48. time to -- it 16:48. time to reveal the answer to the question of the morning.

78% of married men say they want this one thing for their birthday. is it a, a new sports car, b, tickets to see their favorite sports team or c, a day alone. >> the answer is b, getting tickets to their favorite sports teams. guess what? the red sox are coming to nationals park the last game of preseason. just a little hint in case you're listening. >> let's go to jessica for today's daily deals. maybe there will be something there for you. >> i wish i had tickets now, mike, but i do have some stuff. we've been combing through the day's daily deals to find you deep discounts. we've got some favorites. spring right around the corner so how about some al frescoe dining by the fire. target's daily deal, a 33-inch smith and hawkin fire bowl is going for 89.99 plus free shipping. the outdoor fire pit normally goes for $119.99. now to some car maintenance. kgb deals is offering this one with nickels imported car service in northern virginia.

$17 for an oil change. normally 38. $69 for a front brake pad change normally $140 and $75 for a back brake pad change normally gldz 150. groupon is selling a go-carting package for two. you pay 55 and you get a one- year membership and one session credit. this package usually sells for $126 so you're getting a 56% savings. there's also a larger package available for eight people. if you have an offer you've seen or you're a local merchant and want to share a deal with our viewers, i'd love to hear from you on facebook. a check of the news is up next before we go. -my toes know. -my shoulders know.

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at 6:53, we've got 44 degrees in town. some high clouds overhead. 55 by noon. it's going to be breezy today with highs around 60. even warmer tomorrow. i'll have that seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. michael, over to you. >> thank you. today is wednesday, february 22. here is a check of the news before you go right now. a man accused of plotting to blow up the u.s. capitol is due in court later this morning. the f.b.i. busted 29-year-old amine amine el khalifi friday. he thought an al qaeda operative provided him with a gun and vest full of explosives but the operative and those explosives were fake. we're learning the woman who was killed when her car crashed into a kfc in landover had a history of speeding. authorities say 29-year-old hellena smith of d.c. was driving on a suspended license. her passenger was hurt in monday's collision. simply put, georgetown got smoked by seton hall. the eighth ranked hoyas lose

big 73-55. cbs this morning begins at the top of the hour. actor alan alda stops by to talk about his roles, everything from mash to the west wing. before that one more check of traffic and weather. keep it right here on 9news now. it feels totally different from regular toothpaste.

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one more thing before we go. >> mike found this really interesting story and the term madam ma sell usually means someone who isn't married but some say it's too sexist so the town is getting rid of it good they say au voir.

in the meantime everybody says mrs. a lot of places in germany had already dumped -- [indiscernible] >> a changing world we live in. >> exactly. >> changing weather. we're going to be windy today, breezy the next couple of days. 60 today. some showers tonight. upper 60s tomorrow with showers again thursday night to friday morning and then much colder. hello, february still around over the weekend with maybe some flurries in the morning. a quick look at the beltway on the east side of town. the inner loop is going to be the left side of your screen. no problems at route 50 in maryland. the accident in waysons corner on route 4, route 260 has been cleared. a quick look at 270. an accident on the ramp that gets you on to the beltway on 270. wemp' looking at -- we're looking at the dow 13,000 but right now things are looking a little lower. cbs this morning is next. of course howard and monika will be back in 25 minutes with an update. we'll see you again tomo