look at all this rain fall that will be moving in tonight. it will be a soggy night. looking at the storm reports, these are all severe weather reports, from flooding to ice to snow to even winds damage reports. looking to the west here, so far, so good in georgia. that is were the heaviest rain is. not seeing severe weather being a threat out of this, but flooding is possible with as much rain as we have had. let's get you in closer. showers moving into the north carolina mountains. the rain is moving into oconee county, pickens county, back towards raybun county. heavy rainfall on the way for clayton and bryson city. a soggy night on the way. we have a flood watch until thursday at 7:00 a.m.. a short rate tomorrow before more rain moves in on wednesday. the future plus shows, heavy rainfall tonight picking up by 10:30.

commute to work tomorrow. be careful. 2-3 inches possible over the next 48 hours. gabrielle: thanks, chris. the weather is causing some country. here in our area, dozens of flights coming in and out of gsp are delayed tonight. a few are even canceled. nigel: depending on where you're headed, it may be a slow go. nbc's wendy woolfolk has the latest from chicago's o'hare airport. wendy: the trek home from the holidays, a slow one for millions across the country's midsection. >> i'm stressed. wendy: at chicago's o'hare, hundreds of delays and cancellations. >> my flight was canceled, but i didn't find out 'til i got here. wendy: all part of a wicked weather system marching across the heartland, the same system that dropped two feet of snow in new mexico. a state of emergency declared there, as winds gusted up to 82 miles ananour. that w wd and snow closing highways near roswell, and forcing drivers to seek shelter. >> i was just driving, and a big

and i couldn't see where i was going. wendy: the treacherous driving conditions stretch all the way to parts of texas and oklahoma, >> people need to slow down. the roads are slick. wendy: where sleet and freezing rain caused numerous accidents, and shut down highways. severe weather across texas, leaving long lines and frustrated passengers at houston's george bush international airport. >> the flight's actually showing up as being available, but i think we may've gotten bumped. wendy: across the country, more than 1,000 delays and cancellations making "making it home" a hassle, with the midwest in the crosshairs of a massive winter storm heading into the new year. wendy woolfolk, nbc news, chicago. gabrielle: it was one of the hottest gifts given over the holidays, but concerns over the safety of hoverboards continue to mount. wyff news 4's mandy gaither is live and local in ouanderson newsroom, with more on how an upstate organization says you can stay

safe. mandy? mandy: safe kids upstate says, use common sense. all the safety measures you use for a skateboard or bike, use with a hoverboard, as well. from falls to fires, concerns over hoverboards, catching the attention of the consumer product safety commission. the federal agency now investigating hoverboard complaints across the country. in a statement, its chairman, elliott kaye, saying in part, "i have directed agency staff to work non-stop to find the root cause of the fire hazard, how much of a risk it might present, and to provide consumers with answers as soon as possible." the cpsc recommends not buying a hoverboard from a place that's not permanently there, like a mall kiosk, or from a website that doesn't provide info about who's selling the product, and how that company can be contacted if there's a problem. the organization also says to let the device cool before

charging it, and don't charge overnight when you're not around to watch it. experts say people also shouldn't downplay the fall hazard. >> we think about brain injury, we think about concussions. we're concerned about broken bones, contusions, all those types of injuries. and really, the best thing to do to prevent those, is to wear a helmet. mandy: and those helmets aren't one size fits all. heads should be measured in centimeters to get a proper fit, says amanda leeson with greenville health system's safekids upstate. >> she should be able to talk, open her mouth comfortably, and that's the way you know it's fitted correctly. >> and it doesn't bobble? >> and it doesn't bobble. haha. mandy: you can get more safety tips on our website, wyff4.com. and coming up tonight at 6:00, a quick demonstration for you on how to fit a helmet. some of my co-workers said they learned a lot from it. you'll see it, coming up.

in the anderson newsroom. gabrielle: mandy, thank you. did you know we are just days , away from the orange bowl. it was another day of practice and press conferences for clemson. nigel: wyff news 4 brad fralick and marc dopher are in south florida. they have more on the tigers' road to the title. brad: back in sunny south florida with marc as the clemson tigers prepare for the big game. we heard from the clemson defensive players and :00 -- and oklahoma offensive players. one thing that really stuck out talked about clemson. almost as if the sooners did not defensive side. marc: it was shocking, especially when youu heard the running backs t tt they are angry about what happened in the a leading bowl, they are tired

looked like clemson, they were saying they are clemson, but we are oklahoma. >> they are a good defense, but they have areas where we can expose and, i'm not going to say anything in particular on camera, because i want -- i don't want to be disrespectful. but there are areas. we have to make sure we expose them. marc: we heard one message from the oklahoma offense and a different message from the clemson defense. they seem to understand that the team they saw in the russell athletic bowl is a different team. brad: this is a different offense. it is a new system that lincoln riley brought to oklahoma. baker mayfield was not there. i think you are right, i think oklahoma is a little angry about last year.

but ryan even said this, he thought clemson's defense was better last year than this year. we will see what happens on thursday at 4:00. nigel: the big clemson playoff game is a few days away. and before that t me, wyff news 4 is airing an hourlong special covering their playoff appearance. it's called "road to the title." it is airing wednesday night, at 7:00. you just heard them talking about it there. our sports team, as you saw, is live from miami with a preview of the game, and a recap of the clemson tigers' undefeated regular season. the excitement is building. if you're a tigers fan, this is something you don't want to miss. gabrielle: what do you think about this story? a group of photos spreading on social media has made a cliff in brazil a hot tourism attraction. it's in rio de janeiro. the site is now attracting curious hikers who want to pose for photos on its cliff. where are the pictures? there you go. tourists first have to climb the hill for over an hour, thth wait in line for perhaps

another hour. it's all in order to get a chance to stand on a stone, nigel: no. gabrielle: would you do this? nigel: no. gabrielle: look at all the people lining up just a pose for pictures. some tourists even hang from the stone for their photo. nigel: coming up, in our commitment 2016 coverage, a new gallup poll out today has some interesting findings on what americans think about donald trump and hillary clinton. gabrielle: this 7-year-old gotot the one gift every clemson fan was hoping for. his very orange christmas story, coming up.

lineup. anncr: when the attacks come here... ...the person behind this desk will have to protect your family. will he be impulsive and reckless, like donald trump? will he have voted to dramatically weaken counter-terrorism surveillance, like ted cruz? will he have skipped crucial national security hearings and votes just to campaign, like marco rubio? 27 generals and admirals support jeb bush. because jeb has the experience and knowledge to protect your family. right to rise usa is responsible

gabrielle: commitment 2016 news, there's big news today in the political world. former president bill clinton is hitting the campaign trail next week in new hampshire. nigel: he plans to stump for his wife, the democratic frontrunner. but before he utters a word, donald trump is already on the attack. nbc's brian mooar has the story from washington. brian: bill clinton is hitting the campaign trail next week in new hampshire, and donald trump has already fired off a preemptive, potentially risky strike against the former president and his wife, democrat hillary clinton. the gop frontrunner says, "if hillary thinks she can

unleash her husband, with his terrible record of women abuse, while playing the women's card on me, she's wrong." >> the trouble for donald trump, bill clinton remains the most popular democratic surrogate, and somebody who's very popular with independents and moderates, those same groups donald trump himself struggles with. brian: and without support from women and minorities, jeb bush says trump can't be a serious nominee. >> to win, you got to get to fifty. to get to fifty, you have to draw people toward your cause rather than push them away. brian: in an interview with npr, president obama touched on the negative tone of the 2016 race. >> i don't think that this country works best on fear. i don't think this country works best on on hate. i don't think this country works best on cynicism. brian: the president was named top man in a new gallup poll of people most admired by americans. trump tied for second, with pope francis. and hillary clinton was named most-admired woman, for a record twentieth time. brian mooar, nbc news,

gabrielle: time is running out for verizon and sprint customers to claim millions of dollars in refunds. what you need to do to get your money back. nigel: plus, many shoppers are heading back to the stores this week, to return gifts from santa. ahead, some things to keep in mind before you hit the mall. chris: you should probably hunger down for the next few hours. expect temperatures to stay mild. for the asheville area, rain, heavy at times.

gabrielle: if you use sprint or verizon, you could have money coming your way. you have until this thursday to claim refunds for authorized third -- unauthorized third-party texts. charges for those texts, for things like sports scores, were then allegedly buried in bills. the activity is known as "cramming." both wireless carriers agreed to pay $158 million to customers to settle claims with the government. current and former subscribers who paid for unauthorized texts beginning july 1st, 2010, can file a request on the companies' refund websites. nigel: if you're still enjoying that real christmas tree in your house 'til the new year, don't let it dry out. fire officials say it will become a fire hazard.

quickly. fire officials say a dry tree can burn faster than newspaper. it's a good idea to bring down the tree when it starts dropping its needles. gabrielle: if you're looking for a job in the new year, here are some of the top paying jobs, with or without a degree. elevator installers and repairers hold the best-paying job one could find with just a high-school education, earning a median annual pay of $78,000. that's according to the labor department. job seekers with an associate's degree could qualify to become an air-traffic controller. the median annual salary is more than $122,000. nigel: fitbit was a top holiday gift this year. company officials say the activity tracker's free app from the apple store was one of the top downloads in the u.s. on christmas day. while downloads don't give a clear picture of fitbit's sales, the surge suggests that many people are setting up new devices. so the gifts have been

exchanged, and the presents opened, but the holiday shopping ritual isn't quite over yet. gabrielle: as nbc's kurt gregory tells us, many shoppers will be heading back to the stores this week. kurt: so, santa and his reindeer did their part, and you have done yours. now, it's time to hit the stores, again. >> no one likes to do the gift returns, but on average, most consumers tell us at retailmenot that 20% of their gifts go back to the store. kurt: those dreaded holiday returns, almost as much of a holiday ritual as putting up the christmas tree. for some, though , it's christmas all over again, just a few days later. >> shoes, shoes, shoes. debare shoes $23, michael kors $24? i mean, come on. kurt: holiday returns are whatever you make them. before going out, experts recommend doing your homework first. know

expect. >> so, definitely want to try to get your big ticket items back first and foremost, because there's a time frame with a lot of retailers. kurt: things to remember before heading out, if you have a gift receipt, take it with you, and don't expect cash back. and in today's high tech world of smart technology, >> having mobile computing power in your pocket is going to make you a smarter shopper, so you can get not only get the best quality product, but can get he -- the best quality product for a great price. kurt: be sure to bring your i.d. most stores will require one to cut down on fraud. kurt gregory, nbc news. >> now, your live super doppler 4 hd weather forecast. chris: check out this massive storm system moving across the country. heavy rainfall moving into our area while it is snowing, heavy snow towards the midwest from

this is the same system that was towards texas, giving them severe weather and blizzard conditions. a very strong low-pressure system has the cold air on the north side, the warm air on the south side. look at this line of storms about to move into atlanta. that will do a number two traffic. a tornado watch from southern alabama down towards the panhandle of florida, -- from powell -- panama city to tallahassee. here at home, heavy rainfall moving into the area. it will be a very soggy night. getting in a little bit closer, scattered showers showing up. the heaviest rain is on the way. back towards the west, you can see from franklin all the way to clayton and rabun county, the heaviest showers are pushing up

maggie valley, cullowhee, waynesville, the heaviest of the rain will be with us all evening and overnight. that is why we have a flood watch across the area and could -- until thursday. we will see another heavy rainfall round move in on wednesday. we have not had that much rain today. a few drops in the bucket. the rain we have had over the past few days is the problem. the soil is saturated. it is mild across most of the ad -- the area. there is the cold front. it got hung up across the piedmont, so areas like rutherfordton and spartanburg did not cool down. 43 in boone. they started in the upper 60's. a20-30 degree drop. tonight, a mild one. mid-to-upper 60's. this is the typical low for

tomorrow, we may see the sunshine by the afternoon after morning rain. we will warm up to nearly 70 degrees. and at bank, partly to mostly cloudy as the afternoon comes about. we start off soggy and foggy with rain showers but end the day near 70 degrees. in anderson, eventually seeing sunshine by the afternoon. upper 60's. and spartanburg, a warm day, as well. temperatures start off in the 60's, warming up to the upper 60's. highs tomorrow should be around 50. those that see more sunshine will be hotter. nationally, there is the big system moving across our area. after that, it is all about the dry, cold air. eventually, we will cap and that. i will show you the national pick your. there comes the cold air. 14 degrees in north dakota. we are at 71. you know something is up. there is the backdoor cold front

the piedmont and the foothills cool down. the warm front goes north, leaving us with warm air tomorrow and drying conditions once the front moves through. sunshine north of i-85. overnight, here comes the front. it moves south of us. like. times. by thursday, thursday afternoon, we will begin to clear out. but not before a lot of rainfall . 2-3 inches possible across the area. here is a-day plus. 70 the high tomorrow, 100% chance of rain on wednesday. into the new year, we drive back out and cool down. highs in the 40's by the weekend. nigel: this young man got a gift from santa that would make

thursday... the orange bowl in miami... will be filled with gabrielle: thursday, the orange bowl in miami, will be filled with plenty of serious clemson fans. nigel: there will be one young man in the crowd who may just be cheering the loudest. after all, as you are about to see, orange is in his blood.

clemson is a way of life. he is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to tiger football. >> well, i am a big sport guy, and i know a couple players. nigel: most likely because his parents are both clemson grads. orange is a way of life in the anthony home. death valley home games are a family affair. >> sometimes we go to the games, sometimes we just watch it on tv. nigel: in bad times, he showed us the cobra pose. >> i'm like, oh, my word. nigel: and in good times, >> i do the cam newton dance. and then i do the dab. nigel: speaking of head coach dabo swinney, did i mention, his parents were even able to use their connections to get a personal christmas surprise message to luke, from dabo himself.

>> merry christmas, luke. go tigers. >> i was shocked. nigel: that's right. along with , as you see right here in this christmas video, look got tickets to miami to watch the tigers play. here is how he described what, quote, was going on in his head. >> bam! oh, oh, oh, oh! i was excited. i felt like all the clemson parts in my body were moving around, high-fiving. nigel: now, this grateful 7-year-old fan will be taking his first flight to his first playoff bowl game, to cheer on his first favorite team. clemson. i was born to be a tiger. nigel: luke already thanked his parents. now, he says he hopes he gets to thank dabo himself. gabrielle: thanks for joining us at 5:00. nigel: news 4 at 6:00 with

michael and carol starts now. >> live, local, breaking news. this is wyff news 4 at 6:00 in high definition. >> every time it rains, it just gets worse and worse and worse , and it finally, it was christmas day, christmas morning that it fell. carol: warm, wet weather causing a traffic headache for one upstate neighborhood that stretches way beyond christmas. michael: a quick check of the weather, from boone to woodruff road, there is a big difference. it depends on where you are. chris justus, winter is coming back strong, right? chris: it is. we will see a very cold air mass area-wide after this week. through the area. we have snow on the northern side of this, severe weather on the southern side. this is impressive. nearly 1000 storm reports from