clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> clayton sandell tonight. clayton, our thanks to you. >>> and now to the third system moving into the northeast, set to hit this weekend. this after that state of emergency already in pennsylvania. at its peak, hundreds of thousands of families in the dark and cold. crews working on miles and miles of downed power lines today. philadelphia turning every night through this to meteorologist cecily tynan and we turn to her tonight, as well, in the weather center at wpvi. first of all, bring us up to date on all the families in the dark. >> as of the last report, 270,000 customers still without electricity. that's down from 715,000. we're talking about a quarter million families entering their third cold night without electricity. david? >> their third night without it. in the meantime, talk about the next system. a third storm in just this week? >> that's right. the good news is, we're not looking at a monster snowstorm. the setup, we've got one low pressure across the gulf coast. another one across the midwest. i

abc's clayton sandell ventured west to find out. >> reporter: this is what an avalanche looks like.n a terrifying closeup. a snowmobiler triggers a slide. seconds later, it catches up with him. instantly, he is buried. he survives, but tonight, with avalanche deaths on the rise -- two more dead now in oregon -- and nearly the entire west on high alert, we journeyed deep into the colorado rockies. to find out what it's like to be caught and rescued from the rush of a raging avalanche. 12,000 feet up, i'm about to be buried alive. are you going to be able to hear me? >> no. >> not at all? >> not at all. >> okay. all right, here we go. >> from the moment i'm locked in a claustrophobic snow coffin, going to be drk in here -- the entrance sealed, the clock is ticking. >> the further you get towards this rope line, the deeper the snow is. >> reporter: for the team "nightline" came here to meet. the men and women bravely taking on one of mother nature's most powerful natural forces. for a potentially life-saving rescue drill. it's already been a deadly avalanche winter with 12 people kille

clayton sandell, abc news, copper mountain, colorado. >>> and from the west to the east tonight, where many spent this sunday digging out from a major storm overnight. another one coming early this week. this image from york, pennsylvania. snow towering over the woman walking beside it. but the worst of the storm this weekend hitting north of there, throughout new england. more than 12 inches of snow in some spots. abc's gio benitez on hard-hit cape cod tonight. >> reporter: a blizzard packing 50-mile-per-hour winds hammered the new england coast, dumping more than a foot of snow in some areas and knocking out power to about 13,000 homes and businesses. >> this is not the new england of my childhood, it's a cold, harsh awfulness. >> reporter: here in picturesque brewster, even the town administer had to reline his generator. you used it four time? >> that's correct. i have no power at my house. >> reporter: his town is like so many others across the nation, where resources and workers are stretched to the limit. look at this snow blower in overdrive, catching fire. the big concern toni

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >>> when we come back, one boy and a grift his garbage man.nside that bag that has tens of thousands of people smiling tonight? see it in the instant index. has tens of thousands of people smiles tonight. see it in the instant index. ♪ ♪ abe! get in! punch it! [ male announcer ] let quicken loans help you save your money with a mortgage that's engineered to amaze. thanks, "g." with a mortgage that's engineered to amaze. imany cold medicines may raisee your blood pressure. that's why there's coricidin hbp it relieves cold symptoms without raising blood pressure. so look for powerful cold medicine with a heart. coricidin hbp. you want a way to help minimize blood sugar spikes. support heart health. and your immune system. now there's new glucerna advance with three benefits in one. [ male announcer ] new glucerna advance. from the brand doctors recommend most. ♪ nothing's missed with tena twist... ♪ because tena gave you a new outlook, we've given tena a whole new look. ♪ nothing's missed with tena twist... ♪ ♪ don't miss a beat... ♪ nothing's m

abc's clayton sandell is in the middle of the storm. >> reporter: here we go again. another storm is bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain to more than two dozen states. >> i'm ready for it to end a little bit. so, i feel like it's been a lot. >> reporter: after monday's blizzard, 160 million americans in the midwest and northeast are in the bull's eye of two more storms this week. how bad is it out here so far? >> it's not too bad yet. >> reporter: in kansas city, missouri, roads are treacherous, schools are closed and the mayor is asking people to stay home. the national weather service says up to 12 inches of snow may fall here, making it the biggest storm to hit the city in 20 years. officials in the midwest took notes on that snow and ice catastrophe in atlanta last week and say they are prepared. >> we've done this enough times that, you know, you kind of get a handle on how to take care of business. >> reporter: they're also taking care of business in indiana. deploying 800 plows on the highways and working crews in 12-hour shifts. here in kansas city, the sn

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> and watch tonight as "nightline" goes inside an avalanche rescuem. >>> when we come back, what's inside that massive sinkhole that had fans of an american classic in tears today? so, what is it? the answer in our "instant index." >>> our "instant index" begins it ... until boom! t your mattress a battleground of thwarted desire. enter the sleep number bed. an innovative design that lets couples sleep together in individualized comfort. he's the softy: his sleep number setting is 35. you're the rock, at 60. as your needs change, you can adjust your sleep number bed, so you can sleep better together. visit one of our 425 stores for the the largest closeout event of the year with 50% savings on innovation limited edition beds. know better sleep with sleep number. this is a map of the pressure points on my feet. i have flat feet. i learned where the stress was at the dr.scholl's foot mapping center. then i got my number, which matched the custom fit orthotic inserts with the right support. find your closest foot mapping center at drscholls.com. i'm a b

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >>> in international news today, the u.s. hurled a tough, new warning at russia. saying a military intervention by russia in ukraine, would be a, quote, grave mistake. secretary of state john kerry urging restraint. saying, quote, this is not "rocky iv." the tough talk as russia flexed its military might today. russian president vladimir putin ordering his troops to conduct military exercises on ukraine's doorstep. >>> and from russia, next to china, tonight in the grip of an epic dome of smog. the air pollution so dire, someone said it's like a respiratory nuclear winter. abc's bob woodruff is on the ground. and he showed us how hard it is to reach clean air through all that smog. >> reporter: this is what it was like to wake up in china's capital. life inside a toxic cloud, seven-straight days. i'm looking at the sky. it's just about as polluted as i've ever seen. in fact, this is an app. this indicates the air quality index. that number is 512. the w.h.o. says 20 is what is safe. i once lived in beijing. but in these past

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> clayton, thank you. >>> the pictures from the west tonight. while in the middle of this country and in the east, millions are bracing for a monday morning commute tomorrow with wind chills as low as 40 below. look at this tonight, a before and after from this winter to remember. the great lakes right here in warmer times, the five of them there in the heart of summer. tonight, though, the view many of those lakes hard to make out because more than three quarters of them are now covered in ice. in fact, scientists monitoring them say they're 78% frozen over. that's the most in nearly two decades. i want to bring in meteorologist julie durda of abc station wplg with us again tonight. the temperatures tomorrow morning are going to keep the lakes frozen in place. >> it is going to be brutal. it's been a horrible winter with the wind chill factor. and because of that, again, we are dealing with some very cold conditions. wind chill advisories across the midwest. you can see, expecting temperatures to be 21 degrees below zero, chicago, 25 degrees be

abc's clayton sandell begins our coverage. >> reporter: winter is gripping the west with floods, mudslides and avalanches. it's snowing in seattle. the streets of san francisco are surging. trees are taking out cars. and cars are taking down power lines. it's so icy in portland, oregon, they're sending out cell phone alerts, warning people to stay inside. in utah, 21-year-old ashleigh cox died late yesterday afternoon after she was swept away by an avalanche saturday while snowshoeing. she was trapped more than 40 minutes. normally the chances of surviving rapidly drop after just 15 minutes, as we recently learned when i was buried during an avalanche drill. one of the extra dangers for avalanche victims is that when you exhale, your warm breath actually melts the snow immediately around you. and then that refreezes, which just traps all of the carbon dioxide that you're exhaling. and it makes it even more difficult to get oxygen. in addition to snow, a foot of rain in northern california is kicking loose rock and mudslides. >> roadways sluffing off. there was one house in jeopardy we evac

abc's clayton sandell tonight with the pictures. >> reporter: extreme weather is pounding the west. in portland, oregon, whiteouts on the runway and havoc on the highways. >> i think i'm in a lane right now. >> you think you are? >> i think i am. >> reporter: it's pouring in sacramento, california. >> yeah, they look great. we need more of them, though. >> reporter: a welcome sight to rancher don debernardi. 90% of the state in a severe drought. take a look at this california reservoir, normally, and now. here's another, before, and today. california's agriculture industry says water restrictions are threatening $11 billion in revenue, 40% of agriculture and processing jobs and half a million acres of farmland too parched to grow any crops. all of that could soon drive up food prices at your local supermarket. the storms will drop as much as four feet of snow, up to five inches of rain. the national weather service says you'd have to fill this bucket to make up northern california's rainfall shortage. but this storm only bringing about this much. >> port land! >> reporter: the storm

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> it is a big business.hey are projecting that this year alone the sale of legal pot will add more than $2.5 billion to the american economy. >> staggering amount of money. but when you have the federal government saying something is illegal and the state saying it is legal, there are all kind of vagaries there. colorado and washington state, they are the ones who legalized marijuana for recreational use. >>> coming up -- the unattainable standard of beauty. see what happens when ordinary women are photoshopped to look like models. you will be very surprised at their reaction. >>> ahead in our next half hour -- candy crush capitalism. now the obsession with this addictive game could turn a sugar rush into sweet success. you're watching "world news now." >> "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. ♪ i'm gonna be a supermodel ♪ >>> so many young girls spend a lot of time looking at magazines, with the featured make-up and in the magazines the models seem flawless. >> but, of course, they ar

i'll be sure to let you know how i did tomorrow if i come to work clayton sandell. abc news los angeles. >>> there is much more ahead tonight. the woman who falls in front of an on coming train. tonight police say she might have been distracted by her phone. >>> later president obama weighing in on the house of cards. the hit show being devoured this why is the president now getting involved [ metal clanks ] ♪ this is the age of knowing what you're made of. so why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? [ gears whirring ] talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. [ cellphone beeps ] this is the ag

dlin sandell, abc news, denver. >>> thank you, clayton. >>> coming up tonight, the plane and the birdtrike caught on tape this weekend, right into the windshield. sband? well, yeah, yes. the "name your price" tool. you tell us the price you want to pay, and we give you a range of options to choose from. careful, though -- that kind of power can go to your head. that explains a lot. yo, buddy! i got this. gimme one, gimme one, gimme one! the power of the "name your price" tool. only from progressive. and this park is the inside of your body. see, the special psyllium fiber in metamucil actually gels. and that gelling helps to lower some cholesterol. metamucil. 3 amazing benefits in 1 super fiber. 3 amazing benefits my feet felt so heavy at the they used to get really tired. until i started gellin'. i got dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. when they're in my shoes, my feet and legs feel less tired. it's like walking on a wave. dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. i'm a believer! my dad has aor afib.brillation, he has the most common kind... ...it's not caused by a heart valve problem. d

and abc's clayton sandell starts us off in the icy mess. >> reporter: after a snowy left jab, winterwing an icy right hook. the second winter storm this week, causing deadly ice build-up on texas roads. today, a truck went careening into a sheriff's deputy and three bystanders. one of the bystanders was killed. in arkansas, a layer of ice is bringing down power lines. and in wichita, kansas, the only thing getting traction, is frustration. in missouri today, we hit the road with snow plow driver kadi horner gonzalez, valiantly fighting an uphill battle. how dangerous is it our here for drivers? >> it's pretty dangerous. people really should stay off the road. let us get out here. let us clear it. >> reporter: just to give you an idea of how fast this snow is coming down. this is what it looked like at about 8:00 this morning. and this is what it looked like at 4:00. winter's relentless slog is showing, on hundreds of miles of roads. >> it's horrible. i actually probably ran over several potholes on the way here. >> reporter: and all of the salt that's being used on the road is rustin

abc clayton sandell has the story. >> reporter: this morning, the investigation into the accident thatone racing champ michael schumacher fighting for his life may now be focusing on his helmet camera. schumacher, in a medically induced coma since december, lost his balance at a french ski resort, slamming his head on a rock. according to "the daily mirror," prosecutors are expecting to say the ski gear worked just fine, but that the french ski academy is investigating why his helmet shattered. new questions about whether the camera itself weakened the helmet. >> if a hole were drilled into the helmet and that were the method of mounting a camera, then potentially it could cause a problem with the integrity of the helmet. >> reporter: these cameras are not just for extreme athletes. now everyone seems to have one. capturing the fun. >> it's awesome. good run s. >> reporter: and the not so fun. >> holy [ bleep ]. that's edward in an avalanche. >> reporter: posting their exploits on youtube. some experts believe the cameras may be encouraging people to take dangerous risks getting the pe

abc's clayton sandell has the story. >> reporter: this morning makenzie wethington, the texas teen whoheated death -- >> i feel good. i'm doing better every day. >> reporter: is talking for the first time about how a wish to skydive on her 16th birthday nearly killed her. >> i remember jumping out of the plane and looking up and seeing that there was a complication with the parachute. >> reporter: just 18 days after her fall, regaling a baylor university medical center press conference thursday with the terrifying moment she thought all hope was lost. >> i just was not strong enough to fight off the wind, so i just remember screaming and then i blacked out. >> reporter: she plummeted more than 3,000 feet crashing into an oklahoma cow pasture, broken bones, kidney and liver damage, bleeding in her brain. but alive. >> i've always wanted to be a surgeon and now i know that i want to specialize in trauma so i can relate to the patients more. >> reporter: it's hard not to marvel at makenzie's recovery from what seems like certain death, walking in less than a week. hanging out with the har

we've got to get to clayton sandell in kansas city for the biggest this season. >> reporter: hey, good morning, ginger, the first flakes are just starting to fall here in kansas city and of's got my shovel because as you say, we are about to get walloped. up to 10 inches in kansas city. this i've closed the schools telling everyone to stay home. this could be the biggest snowstorm here in 20 years. it's the snow that just won't slow. government offices, courts and schools closed throughout connecticut. delaware, maryland, new jersey, ohio, pennsylvania and west virginia. scattered power outages reported throughout the region. at least two deaths and one serious injury blamed on the storm. the northeast this morning shaking off that slop fest of wet and heavy downfall. >> it's getting ugly. >> in yonkers, new york, this suv slid 150 feet into the snowy woods injuring the driver and taking two tow trucks to pull the vehicle out. >> one just doesn't do it. >> close by a commuter bus slammed into the front of this deli miraculously nobody was injured. on long island, that same snow immobil

we've got to get to clayton sandell who is there in kansas city for one of the biggest yet this season>> reporter: hey, good morning, ginger. the flakes starting to come down now. i have my snow shovel. we're about to get walloped. up to 10 inches of snow here. skrools are closed. the major is telling people to stay home. this could be thee biggest snowstorm here in 20 years. it's the snow that just won't slow. government offices, courts and schools closed throughout connecticut. delaware, maryland, new jersey, ohio, pennsylvania, and west virginia. scattered power outages reported throughout the region. at least two deaths and one serious injury blamed on the storm. the northeast this morning shaking off that slopfest of wet and heavy downfall. >> it's getting ugly. >> reporter: in yonkers, new york, this suv slid 150 feet into the snowy woods, injuring the driver and taking two tow trucks to pull the vehicle out. >> one just doesn't do it. >> reporter: close by, a commuter bus slammed into the front of this deli. miraculously, nobody was injured. on long island, that same snow immobi