on your side with live team coverage of this winter weather beginning with chief meterologist, eric thomas. eric? >> ok, maureen. have a look and we will start off with a wide shot there's two parts to the storm system and the freezing rain on touch us right now. and then we will deal with this tonight. but let's get you up to speed. anybody thinking of heading out east of i-77 i advise you to give that a second thought this is treacherous. we'll start off in the upstate of south carolina anything in pink is the freezing rain and it is persisting right now. this is highway 601 northbound almost covering union county. certainly the eastern half of mecklenburg. and we continue into cabarrus county a lot of that county covered and that is the same case as well for rowan county. all of the movement off to the northeast. and it's rapid. it's spotty now. on the western side of i-77. but this is where the coldest air is to remain through the evening hours. off with the subfreezing air. and it might be on miss stick and the cold air is contracting in the northern foothills and that is going to be

that's what eric thomas is going to talk about. eric. down the road that you were showing there in linville. and lightning and thunder up that way. we have the rain. we have the ice and lightning and thunder and this squall line. we have seen that closer to at lan that. that is rolling our way. up to the minute. you will see the rain is moving through mecklenburg county right now. and the pinks area that's where it is. >> it is just now lifting newspaper the lake norman area. that's going to condition along 85. >> and boy it will be slow. , this is. >> and we could, that'sism pressive. >> and the last holdout. and in rutherford. >> and. blue and purple. and with the little extra freezing rain. it would not shock me the visibility is down to half a mile. and for the charlotte area. look at the visibilities but what we have to look forward to is overnight and heavy rain coming through at 3:00, 4:00, that should abate that heavy fog that's out there. 42 at the dealership. and you will see a mixture of fobbing, mist on the lens out there. no

here live in the first alert weather center with our chief meterologist, eric thomas and eric, along with more rain temperatures could cooldown a bit. >> yeah, they will. because of the limited sunshine we have. but there is cool air trickling in. it is a combination there. but if you are thinking about heading outside. we do have showers that are creeping through the area and that includes the region right now. eastbound only at 10-miles-per-hour so we have the first patch and a bigger patch out of the foothills. let's discuss this again anybody in mecklenberg county right now, is rolling over us as we speak off to the east at 10-miles-per-hour there's pineville. and matthews are you next, concorde, locust and big lick up in stanly county. and this is just moderate rain some heavier cores imbedded with it. but 485 interstate 85, mount holly belmont and next up highway 16 beatties ford road and yes, center city charlotte is right there in the picture. this is part of a much larger system. we will see widespread rain rolling over the next 12 hours and if that is not enough that is par

and eric thomas is timing out >> they are currently located across the ohio valley. there is a patch. a bigger batch across illinois. that's coming in with colder air and the storm early next week. the first alert forecast. >>> we are hearing the emotional memories of two women who sufficient ired terror in the emanuel ame church. >> i never thought in my wildest nightmare i would lose my child, my friends it at bible study. >> it is powerful and who they credit with saving their lives coming up. >> plan to bring costco to the lake norman area. the problem some people say the wholesale story will bring to this is number one choice >>> a judge is delaying the trial of the charleston church shooter. dylan roof is accused of killing people in charleston in june of last year. his lawyers told the judge they were not ready. the state death penalty trial is scheduled for july 11th t is unclear if it will impact his federal trial. 8 eights after the shootings at the church, we are hearing from two of the women who survived. they have emotional memories about the evening whe

eric thomas has that coming up in a little bit. >> as you mentioned, we have freezing rain falling in charlotte right now. crews have been on stand by ready to keep the roads safe should you need to travel. and the biggest concerns, of course, the bridges. wbtv's pamela escobar live in charlotte with more on what the city is doing. >> yeah, it is raining now heavy rain. the conditions have been changing throughout the day. for most of the day it was a waiting game. here in charlotte. crews have been monitoring the& weather conditions all day long. state crews have been parked at kilo indications seeing how traffic is responding. is the potential for ice to develop and this storm had the potential to be dangerous. c dot says they have to be ready for whatever is possible. >> we are what is called the ice belt. so right on the cusp. sometimes it's ice and sometimes it's rain and sometimes it's snow. we are ready for anything that will come our way. >> now, i have been here for most of the afternoon and so have ncdot crews. can you see them here many of these trucks have both salt and sa

let's start with chief meterologist, eric thomas. and eric, we may see snow actually in the morning? >> well, perhaps, maureen or closer to midday. but, yes, and you know you are getting used to the cold weather when you look at the map and temperatures are in the 40s and it feels mild. 27 is the number in the boone area. and the snow is racing our way. right now located over the corn belt around iowa and it is a little over 600 miles from charlotte. it's moving quickly and it will get here tomorrow. but this looks like the lighter of the two snow events trying to make their way in. 47 is the number heading outside right now. your hour-by-hour forecast drop with the clear skies. 35 by 9:00 p.m. and 32 at 11:00 p.m. that round one. and the bigger storm that will be round 2 and how does it play out? uncertainty. meteorologist lyndsay tapases with more on that. >> changes since this time yesterday. so we want to get you caught up on those. i'm showing you the temperature profile. you are thinking that how could this be other than snow wh

eric thomas wbtv and that's a twitter handle as well. rough stuff around the eastern sections of north carolina and look at the rain and snow pin wheeling around the area of low pressure that continues to turn again the tornado warnings now are finally continued to be decreased here and we have this tornado warning up around elizabeth city and with the upper level low, that is whipping more winds back into our area and whipping the rain in here as well. we still have the showers so don't be caught by surprised. i want to give you a little bit of the alert here. if you're heading out this evening if you're close to meklinburg, highway 321 and wouldn't you know it, already starting to see the rain back over to snow and can pick up significant accumulations that way. we will get into that in a minute. we talked about the winds whipping until noon tomorrow and can see gusts 40 to 50 miles per hour and anywhere is fair game across the entire wbtv viewing area and then the winter weather advisory and this is what we were talking about. this is

coverage as the bitter cold temperatures sweep through the carolinas but first chief meterologist, eric thomas in the first alert weather center. eric? >> paul, i heard from robbie on top of beech mountain they are higher than the boone and blowing rock area they are experiencing wind-chills of -15. how about that? snow is rolling back and forth into the carolina high country rotating around the low and the issue is becoming the cold air. there you see the wind-chill advisory tonight for allegheny, ash, watauga and right now they are experiencing -15 wind-chills and that is going to continue through the overnight. the winter weather sad rizry, this is for maybe one to two inches of snow. a gradual accumulation all the way into friday with that. now, in terms of the wind-chills you heard paul mention it -4 in and the winds are not that strong. it does not take much when the temperatures are in the 30s. the high was 38 and it's 15 in boone and that is without the wind. 28 watch out at 9:00 p.m. 26 at 11:00 p.m. make sure the pets and the pipes are not freezing around your house and the chance of

. >> our chief meterologist, eric thomas is in the first alert weather center. and this is the forecast that we like to pass along. >> it is, maureen after the rough start we had at the beginning of the week with the ice. and the sun has been out and we shot back into the 50s. today's high 54 . and we see disruptive weather and that is pushing high clouds into the scene. you will see that illustrated on the weather net. 50 in uptown. if you are heading out a jacket should work well for you. but that is it. and upper 40s lower 50s in the piedmont. 50 along i40 and into the low 40s into the 30s in the carolina high country. through 9:00 p.m. take you to 44. and 40 at 11:00 p.m. enjoy your evening keep it safe. we will cruise into the weekend. coming out of the weekend, a different story. part of your seven-day first-alert forecast. >> thank you. for a former carolina panthers player. we will talk live to steve smith next. >> and the carolina women defied the odds to become c.e.o.s of major companies. tonight they tell our anchor how they were able to breakthrough

. >> looking good on a friday here is chief meterologist, eric thomas looking ahead to a weekend. >> paul, i tell you what you are right. we could see showers starting to creep in here over the weekend time-frame but heading out for this evening i have no disruptions for you. and this is the first wave that we are tracking. you will notice it's making high country tonight and by 11:00 p.m. that is going to be the long and the short of it. partly cloudy skies throughout and what a sunset. 54 in the uptown area. taking to 52 at 7:00 p.m. and 46 through 11:00 p.m. and back to the showers the weekend and real rain that all hits early next week part of forecast. >> thank you. we are just hours away from the primary. and one new poll suggests a >> the "wall street journal" poll shows cruz cutting into donald trump lead. donald trump is 28% and cruz with 23% of voters support. an average of most major polls gives donald trump a lead. their final push for votes tonight. michael clark is live in rock hill where dr. ben carson is doing last-minute campaigning. michael? >> last-minute campaigni

eric thomas explained how it works. >> whether it is driving her kids on vacation to lego land or justhelping them with homework, keisha is worried that a migraine headache could devastate their plans. >> it is terrible. i get nauseous. >> after years of powerful medications she is turning to the director of acute pain service at stanford health care. he is hoping to freeze the pain away with a device which works by forcing nitrous oxide into a needle-shaped tube. the frozen ice ball on the tip is being produced by the cold. >> it is frozen water. >> instead of reducing inflammation, it gives a targeted burst of cold so intense it deadens the nerves that contribute to the migraines. >> we know these guys are involved in the head pain and maintaining it because patients do get better when we do these nerve blocks. >> first he uses an ultrasound to probe the nerves and map the pain response. with the targets mapped, he will apply the -- they will kill the nerve endings. patients feel a slight burning sensation when they touch the nerve. >> when you feel that that is a great sign and afte

i'm eric thomas. the national park service tweeted this picture of a 74 mile per hour wind gust before sunset. >> abc7 viewer took this video of sand blowing across the parking lot in pacifica this afternoon. winds were clocked between 30 and 50 miles an hour. abc7 news reporter lilian kim is live at nearby rockaway beach in pacifica with more on what has been a messy day. >> eric the wind have been especially strong here along the coast but we saw wind-related damage just about everywhere. >> this large tree couldn't withstand the high winds. it came crashing down on two properties preventing the owner of this home from driving out. luckily no one was hurt and the damage was minimal. >> all of a sudden we heard this boom and it came down on to the roof of the house. we just bought this car last month. fortunately nothing with the house. >> going from one call to the next, just down the hill arcing power lines. one passerby was captured on company raw. >> i turned around and you can see the arcing of

let's go to eric thomas live in the first alert weather and it is cold. are you talking snow. >> and believe it or not. it will be cold and snow moving in. president's weekend underway and and for everyone it will be hazardous, moving back in. the advisories being reissued across at gainny and this for tonight and tomorrow. wind chills below zero. the wind chill is 7 degrees in boone. outside of the mountains, we're around 30. the temperatures overnight you will see the single digits up at the slopes you will see into the low 20s here in the piedmont. we'll add vance it one hour to 8:00. really cold. 23 degrees. that's the way it is now. and the big storm on monday. more on that in the first alert forecast. >>> back to the breaking news. crews are trying to fix a gas line cut by fiber contractors in a neighborhood. that left families without heat. highland creek neighborhood. he has a update. >> reporter: paul, i'm told the crews will be here to get the heat back. the gas line should be repaired soon and reactivatingselves will not be a quick process. i'm

eric thomas has the full forecast at 5:00 p.m. >> thank you. next at 4:00 concerns over the zika virus are growing. next which insect repellants were most effective at fighting the mosquitoes that carry zika. >> hello to lynda, appreciate you liking us on facebook. are you the facebook fan of the day. we encourage everyone to log on to facebook. lots of great stuff on there. wbtv.com/facebook is the place to go. >> it's all love. >> here are the closing numbers from wall street as we head to break. on wbtv news is sponsored by... >> the cdc's command center is at the highest alert level in response to the zika virus. >> it's spreading rapidly. and consumer reports recently tested 15 insect repellants on the market. brave testers stuck their arms into a cage of 200 disease-free mosquitoes. >> the repellant most effective against the mosquito with the zika virus contained 20% and 25% deet. >> your editor there says repellants with 100% deet are no more effective at fighting zika and carry troubling side effects but products with natural ingredien

eric thomas what is going on? >> well, maureen, it's a lot of cold air continuing to pour into the wbtv viewing area and the rest of the carolinas. anddhe biggest problems will be in the mountains. the snow tapering off. we talked about the wind-chill advisory. and protect those pipes and get the pets in and livestock up here with 5 to -15 wind-chills. and for the same counties the winter weather advisory for more snow piling on. in fact we could see 1-2 inches of snow over the next day or two. that is on top of 4-6 especially right now your temperatures are down into the low and mid-teens and beech mountain at 9 and one report down to 1 . here you have it. these animals are putting up with it. cold out the door in the morning. 14 notice that is already at 8:00 a.m. outside of the mountains closer to charlotte around freezing. and the dew point we have a long way to fall. you cannot fall below the dew point. no, we are not going to get down to 1 but no problem getting into the low 20s. we hit 21 this morning. ther

all right, eric thomas with a look at the rest of the seven-day first-alert forecast coming up at 5:00 p.m. >> all right thank you. next, another blue cross/blue shield mix-up a family's personal information in the hands of a woman in raleigh. >> and first hello to sara today's facebook fan of the day. appreciate you liking us on facebook. we kept you updated on the weather and gave you the opportunity to send us your pictures to us. wbtv.com/facebook is the place to go. on wbtv news is sponsored by... >> first at 4:00 more problems with blue cross/blue shield. this time putting a union county family's private information into the hands of a woman in raleigh. >> she never met the family but she knows their birthdates, social security numbers and more. she realized her account was linked to theirs because she was mistakenly listed as jack's wife. she called blue cross/blue shield and the company that handles the hsa. >> at that time i could have manipulated that family's investment portfolio. it is amazing how that one breach could have devastated him financially had we not been the typ

here is chief meterologist, eric thomas. >> we hit 58 after yesterday's 59. we are on a roll right now. how long can we keep it going? you will like the answer. let's get you out the door. do you have plans? unsettled weather to the north cloudy skies and the hd towercam queen city looking good and feeling ok. 52 and winds out of the northwest at 6-miles-per-hour. 43 at 9:00 p.m. and 40 through 11:00 p.m. coming up, changes after the weekend. you might not like them part of your first alert forecast. >> thank you. a charlotte man accused of making child pornography facing a federal indictment. a grand jury handed down the indictment. john faust arrested in 2014. he made the videos in mecklenberg county. and in other locations around the state. police said faust had inappropriate pictures of girls as young as 8. >> we are on your side with information on more suspected cases of mumps in our area. the medical director of the mecklenberg county health department tells us there are at least six more probable cases in the tri county area, mecklenburg, iredell and

and eric thomas the wind has died down. >> yes. you will like this especially if you are a fan of milder weather because we are moving in that direction. and we have the severe weather out of the way and so now we have the sunshine bursting back. what a nice friday today. if you did not mind the cool temperatures. high today 51. upper 40s to 50 right now. cooler 40 corridor in the low 40s. snow has been flying. beech mountain said 5 inches on the ground. 47 all right your weather net and there it is a gorgeous sky we have for you. but the clear skies will give way to efficient cooling. 38 at 9:00 p.m. and 36 at 11:00 p.m. all right in terms of cloud cover disruptive weather you see this rolling into the picture saturday. it's high thin clouds should not be a problem in the mountains. perhaps partly cloudy skies there but for us we will be in great shape. yes it will be a chilly start here to 7:00 a.m. you see that number 30. how about 8:00 a.m., still cold. 33. it is a saturday morning. maybe you can sleep in. high country, well th

the heart felt message from her grateful son. >>> i'm eric thomas, thank you, molly. coming up. warmer weather you will like it but it fuels storms. that's part of the forecast. >>> and donald trump interrupted. protestor. >> in the good old days they would rip him out of the seat. >> the message and how he trumped the situation into a talking point. for news at 11. steve: today is your lucky day. woman: (surprised) oh, my goodness mark: you've just won - a thousand dollars! woman: that'amazing! that' amazing! (shrieks) woman: ok, nice job. mark, way better than yesterday. maria, that delivery felt a little forced. and steve, steve: yeah? woman: i am still missing that raw emotion. woman: pretty awesome for a tuesday, but tomorrow is hump day, so let's really bring it! lucky for life. win a thousand dollars a day, >>> a twist in campaign 2016. donald trump stopped his closest rivals in their tracks with a high-profile endorse. that surprised almost everyone. on the democratic side they are down to the wire in south carolina. >>> i'm here to say i endorse donald trump for preside

. >> i'm live with eric thomas. can you see, the winds are strong. >> they continue to howl. i could not believe it. we had wind gusts at 45 miles per hour. at this hour this is unusual, this a guy who watches us every single day. this is why. over the ohio valley. showers outside of the mountains. look at this we have the snow back with the wind, excuse me the advisory in effect for avery, mitchell and yancy. notice we'll get into the accumulations but it is the advisory, this will be in effect until midnight. there could be scattered outages. you will see the gusts will come down in the 30 to 40 range. we take you through the overnight hours they will be stiff. this is it at 7:00. could see the gusts around 30 miles per hour and 50 up there in the high country. and big up in the mountains and the rest of the first alert forecast. >> thank you. tonight the crews wrapped up the in west charlotte. the crews have been working to open the lanes. and some are bent and lines are dangling making it dangerous. the lanes reopened in the last 40 minutes. thousands of you are without p

eric thomas is live in oakland with the story. eric? >> reporter: that news conference was with an oakland couple who say they were terrorized december 7 by two drunken men they later found out were police officers. they appeared with their attorney who had filed a game against the police department. law enforcement sources tell "abc7 news" the trouble began with a party on tonken street. a couple of police officers attending went outside and, according to police reports, when they tried to go back inside, they were going into the wrong house. the cortez's house. one officer was banging on the door, screaming obscenities. at one point, even grabbed her in a bear hug and both fell to the ground. while dealing with the first man, the couple says they saw a second man coming out of their backyard, carrying what appeared to be a gun. >> i could see the look on his face. i was terrified. i looked back to my daughter and see my children crying and they were scared. i just wanted them to be safe. >> she tried to get information about who the o

eric thomas is in the first what is happening right now? >> well, maureen that snow that moved through and created excitement for us today that is moving out. but it's kicking the door wide open for the cold air to roar back into the wbtv viewing area. wind-chill advisories tonight through saturday. saturday night into sunday morning. you have allegheny, ash, watauga and avery county, wind-chills -5 to -15 that is dangerous. do not get stranded tonight or tomorrow night. right now these are your wind-chills. you will see we are down to 14 in boone and already around freezing here in the piedmont. now actual temperatures through 11:00 p.m., about 35 in charlotte. below freezing 40 and into the 20s up across the high country. and boy, we are dive bombing into the 20s and 9 around boone and blowing rock. all right, the snow continues off and on around the high country. that through 11:00 p.m. but for our part quiet we are

eric thomas explained how it works. >> whether it is driving her kids on vacation to lego land or just helping them with homework, keisha is worried that a migraine headache could devastate their plans. >> it is terrible. i get nauseous. >> after years of powerful medications she is turning to the director of acute pain service at stanford health care. he is hoping to freeze the pain away with a device which works by forcing nitrous oxide into a needle-shaped tube. the frozen ice ball on the tip is being produced by the cold. >> it is frozen water. >> instead of reducing inflammation, it gives a targeted burst of cold so intense it deadens the nerves that contribute to the migraines. >> we know these guys are involved in the head pain and maintaining it because patients do get better when we do these nerve blocks. >> first he uses an ultrasound to probe the nerves and map the pain response. with the targets mapped, he will apply the -- they will kill the nerve endings. patients feel a slight burning sensation when they touch the nerve. >> when you feel that that is a great sign and aft

let's get to eric thomas. he is live in the weather center and analyzing the weather. >> you mentioned three problems we're going to cover all three storm. you see the watch is out here florida and here is the radar intense storms are rolling to the carolinas. and georgia on the moment on the doppler radar, just a few sprinkles around in the area but heavier rain expected to move in on top of 2 inches of rain. the watch has been reissued that's why it is flashing across the viewing area. that's wednesday at 6:00. we have a wind advisory and gusts in the high country and reissued and see 40 to 50. and that's the rest of the viewing area. you will see we are in a slight risk over the piedmont and risk once you get over into the eastern part of the state. the flood issues will be high for folks. a wind field that could be knocking down trees even if you don't get hit by a storm. >> and we are getting the damage across the southeast. >> and there were seven. two are being blamed and mississippi one tore through th

. >> eric thomas is live in the first alert weather center. >> let's talk about that chilly start. the nights are long. the days are getting longer as we get into the early spring. we're around 40 right now. boone and blowing rock. you want to bundle up in the morning as we'll be close to freezing in charlotte and south and in the 20s. i-40s and blowing rock. you will see how we're dropping off. we'll bottom out. 5 a.m. you know we'll hold it there all the way through 8:00. still very chilly. now going into the weekend, mild and dry. coming out anything but. this is coming up up in the first alert forecast. >>> a woman was forced out of her mobile home after it caught fire. this is on path finder street in the fire started on a back tore purchase a toaster oven. the home is a total loss. the homeowner is staying with family until she can figure out what to do next. >>> in matthew as person had to be rushed to the hospital after they were badly burned. this is on big creek road. firefighters responded and were able to put out the fire in the kitchen. >>> new at 11. deputies at a she

and tomorrow that is going to be the tricky time and that is what eric thomas has the complete forecast at 6:00 p.m. here is tonya rivens she has the traffic. >> thank you. and your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. we are starting to see quite a bit of volume on independence boulevard. another look as the weather continues to impact some areas of the commute. and independence by 277 and this is w.t. harris and albemarle road. use central avenue or lawyers road and independence again we can see the red by north sharon amity and by 277. back to you guys. >> thank you. next. >> a horrible crime with a miraculous out come. i'm kristen hampton, the good news is coming up. >> and then coming up new at 6:00 p.m.... >> i'm steve crump outside the governor's mansion in raleigh. tonight, pat mcrory weighs in on charlotte's antidiscrimination law. on wbtv news is sponsored by... >> sometimes the worst of humanity can bring out the best. >> like this puppy, brody was shot 18 times with a bb gun. still alive. >> hundreds have stepped forward to take care of little guy and that comm

eric thomas has your seven-day at 5:00 p.m. stick around for that. >> thank you. construction on the light-rail will impact service this weekend. cats says the construction will be saturday and sunday. the blueline will only operate between archdale and 7th street stations. >> next, population 2. that is right. a local town has only 2 residents. how they are leading the way. and right now, a shout-out to our facebook fan of the day, rhonda harris. if you want to be our fan of the day go to wbtv.com/facebook and be sure to hit the like button and stick around we are updating our feed to the news you need to the funny stuff and the viral videos. >> as we head to break look at street. green arrows all up. beautiful sight. we're back in just a minute. on wbtv news is sponsored by... (donkey sound) (elephant sound) there's a big difference between making noise, (tapping sound) and making sense. (elephant sound) (donkey sound) when it comes to social security, we need more than lip service. our next president needs a real plan to keep social security strong. (elephant n

here is chief meterologist, eric thomas. he is in the first alert weather center. eric? >> all right, maureen. what is the headline this evening? it's friday night! that is what the headline is. are you heading out? temperatures are going to be cool, the hd towercam 46 . skies are clear and when the skies are clear that usually means we will fall off here. you will see again mid-40s in 40 corridor and 20s in the high country where the snow is on the ground. we will take you to 38 at 9:00 p.m. and 36 at 11:00 p.m. coming up, the rest of that weekend forecast and a front may be thunderstorms next week. your first alert forecast. >> we have new information about a story we have been investigating for you in union county. superintendent dr. mary ellis and two other employees will not face charges after a state investigation. the sbi investigated questions about a possible conflict of interest. ellis with assistant superintendent and director of technology formed two companies with the sales executive for lenovo. they held contracts to supply the district with computers. the

so bottom line enjoy the weekend about because we turn unsettled and eric thomas will have a look at the full seven-day first-alert forecast coming up for you at 5:00. >> thank you. next at 4:00 it is a story that might make you squirm. would you watch a loved one be cremated. it is a growing trend we will tell you why people are choosing to watch. >> hello to wade, facebook's fan of the day. appreciate you liking us on facebook and encourage everyone to do the same. hit the like button. first at 4:00 is back in a moment. >> announcer: closed captioning on wbtv news is sponsored by... the only way to make em' better was to make em' bigger. our new center cut 10 ounce filet. our perfectly seasoned 16 ounce t-bone. and our fire grilled 18 ounce outlaw ribeye. big, bold, steaks. only at longhorn steakhouse. you can't fake steak. for lunch, try our steakhouse burger or any steakhouse lunch combo starting at $7. ah, smell that air. yeah. smells good. really good. oh, hold on. i gotta stop. why? i gotta get home and wait for the cable company. k, but we just left your house. oh my gosh, gr

. >> let's get you straight over to chief meterologist, eric thomas in the first alert weather center. >> yeah, and that big storm continues to drift off to the north and the wind field winds into the viewing area especially the mountains. and it's not just the winds but the snowfall it's piling up. reports of 3-4 inches. some of the bands have shifted into the central mountains but affecting avery county. the winter weather advisory in effect through friday 7:00 a.m. and additional 1-2 inches. and then the wind advisory for gusts above 50-miles-per-hour. allegheny, ash, and watauga counties. you will see the snow and that continues to roll in. closer to charlotte down to 42 at 9:00 p.m. and 40 through 11:00 p.m. with the stiff breezes in the air. we will get into the accumulations and the wind gusts part of your seven-day first-alert forecast. >> eric, the winter weather has returned to the north carolina mountains with cold temperatures and snow. this is a live look at banner elk. on the ground. steve ohnesorge has more now from avery county. >> in avery county when a winter day get

73 on the screen here is eric thomas. >> 73 the official high. february 29th. your hd towercam, there is what is going to greet you. how about 72 winds out of the west nice breeze. and across the wbtv viewing area low 70s outside of the mountains in the 50s but mild. your hour-by-hour forecast 56 at 9:00 p.m. and 52 through 11:00 p.m. coming up in the next three days. pay attention to that and snow could mix in again. much on the plate. right now your seven-day first-alert forecast is coming up. here is tonya rivens. >> your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. let's check in in huntersville we have an accident in the intersection at sam furr. right by the target shopping center near statesville road. gilliard road is a great alternate route. and volume on that very busy road already. some congestion on i-77 northbound from 485 heading toward gilliard road. 2-3 miles of stop-and-go traffic. and i mention the accident and a view submitted by huntersville police for the accident in that area. and here is a look at the road by i-77 north and 485. a l

here is eric thomas in the first alert weather center. 24 hours here. and many people have experienced firsthand. here is paul's first point. look at this warm-up. we are 23, 25 warmer right now than we were at this time yesterday. what a turnaround that was. and the only place that has not warmed up is the mountains and that means snow moving back into the north carolina high country and the rest of us we have shower activity associated with the slug here. a disturbance rotating back into the wbtv viewing area. let's talk about the rain first. now, you will see on radar, the leading edge is on top of charlotte but the atmosphere is dry. and we call that vergara before it reaches the ground. and and you see this cleveland, and burke county where is where i have seen the reports of rain reaching the ground. if we track that the motion east at 35-miles-per-hour. shelby, hickory, gastonia, cornelius and charlotte in the chances of rain will be going up and light for the most part but want to alert you do not be caught off guard by that and the folks in ave

i'm eric thomas. that breaking news is out of san jose where there's been a deadly hit and run accident on a major roadway. let's get to abc 7 news reporter lisa amin gulezian. >> reporter: hi, eric. this is the closest police will let us get to the scene. the crash happened around 9:30. we're about three blocks from hicks road. the scene is a massive scene. two cars that were involved. joining me is mateo san cles. he was here right after it happened. tell me what you saw. >> when i pulled up to the scene, me and my friends started running towards it. we saw two cars. and one was pretty badly hit and the other one had his hood smashed in. the driver of that car had stepped out of the vehicle and was responsive. and the other two were still in their vehicle not responding. and someone there called the cops and shortly after i arrived, the cops showed up. >> did it look like it was a head-on collision? >> yeah, one was going really fast probably. >> what do you think happened as far as cars going in whi

i'm eric thomas. the shot you just saw is lighting social media on fire. lebron james has never seen anyone like him in the history of ball. that's steph curry he's talking about. and curry's wife tweeted a series of emojis. first hands over her eyes then tears of joy. abc 7 sports director larry beil is just about in tears of joy as well watching this game. he joins us with reaction. and ridiculous. it was ridiculous. >> he's continually ridiculous. and i think kevin durant has tears. not of joy tonight. just when you think we've seen it all from steph curry and the warriors you get a game like tonight. facing almost certain defeat and then steph happens. the line for steph autographs. we know about his ankle problems. westbrook lands right on steph's ankle. he'd hobble to the locker room and returned. fast forward to overtime. steph hits his tenth three of the night. number 11 would break his own single season record with 287 threes. and then with the score tied in the final seconds from 38 feet, splash. warriors win 121-118. mike schuman after the game

eric thomas has the full forecast at 5:00. >> thank you. >> next, more than 100 cases of the zika virus in the u.p.s. and new reports out today. now we are learning how close scientists are to developing a vaccine. >> first, a shout-out to our facebook fan of the day. ellen thank you. hit the like button and hang around. we are always updating our newsfeed with everything you need to know. show us some love on facebook! on wbtv news is sponsored by... >> nearly 100 confirmed cases of travel-related zika virus in the virus today, a lab in texas is spearheading the research to find a vaccine. >> this is not new for the scientists. maureen o'boyle is on your side with how they have been studying this virus for decades. >> the dirty white powder in this glass vial is the zika virus. dr. the doctor from the university of texas medical branch has known about zika since the 1960. >> until the virus got to brazil and there were a lot of cases nobody was interested in zika. we realized how much we don't know. >> zika may be linked to the birth defect, the condition is marked by abnormally small

eric thomas, "abc7 news." >> good for him. >> yeah.ogether. >>> the gauntlet was thrown down in palo alto and one officer took the challenge. >>> coming up, a pushup contest that might have two winners. >> that's next on "abc7 news" at 5:00. >>> i'm ama daetz in the "abc7 news" room. coming up new at 6:00, crisis averted. the water is safe to drink after all at a local school. we'll explain why parents there still aren't happy after a lead scare. also -- >> it's going to come as quite a shock to my crew mates. >> and to nasa. >> science fiction and science fact. see how local space experts are making sure hollywood moviemakers get things right. and showing real heart. we'll have an update on a valentine, the injured colt and how close he is to finding a permanent home. all that, plus much more coming up in just half an hour on "abc7 news" at 6:00. >> thanks, ama. >>> a palo alto police officer took community policing to a whole new level. >> it's a pushup contest. the department tells us an officer was patrolling downtown when several

. >> i'm eric thomas. the bay area dazzled from start to finish. >> ♪ oh say can you see >> lady gaga hit every note in her moving rendition of the national anthem. fans are calling it a powerful performance. >> assisting me today is none other than super bowl mvp joe montana. >> legendary joe montana flipped the coin joined by other super bowl mvp's from his team and the oakland raiders. >> yeah, that is golden state warrior steph curry not shy about who he was rooting for. he grew up in charlotte and drummed up excitement for carolina during the pre-game. >> ♪ uptown funk you up ♪ uptown funk you up ♪ uptown funk you up >> superstars beyonce, bruno mars and coldplay wowed the crowd during a memorable half time show. >> and tonight one final play from the bay area, san francisco paying homage to the broncos. the trans america pyramid is lit up in blue and orange in recognition to the team's big win. >> we have coverage in santa clara and we start with larry beil. >> and mike shumann live on the field at l

i'm eric thomas. we'll get back to the passing of justice scalia in a moment. >>> first, breaking news. firefighters are just getting a three-alarm fire under control in san francisco. let's go to abc 7's tiffany wilson. >> that's right. right across the street from where that fire began. you can see firefighters going into the building right there behind me. that three-alarm fire is now out. the firefighters expect to be here overnight, though, watching and looking for any hot spots. and just making sure that nobody goes into these buildings. early reports had as many as 50 people being displaced. i just spoke with the assistant fire chief who says it's closer to 20 to 25 people displaced. there are members of the red cross standing next to me. so they are here on scene trying to assist those displaced individuals as best as they can. the assistant fire chief tells me no one was injured but one dog is still missing. the three-alarm fire began around 8:00 this evening. and the initial firefighters who

i'm eric thomas. we start with the developing news in san francisco. that's where police are hoping someone will step forward with information that leads to an arrest in the shooting death of two young men in the twin peeks neighborhood. sergio is live in twin peeks with the latest on the investigation. sergio sph. >> reporter: it is a long holiday weekend and the weather out is beautiful so over the evening we have watched hundreds upon hundreds of tourists and residents get a spectacular view of the city. we have seen lots of police officerss on patrol. we're told they are here because of what happened earlier this morning. san francisco police were out on patrol over looking the cars. they say they are here because of the triple shooting. it happened about 2:00 a.m. when police arrived they found three men had been shot. one a 20-year-old was dead at the scene and the second victim 22 years old died at the hospital and the third an 18-year-old is still being treated. he suffered life-threatening injuries. toby sunshine hopes someone might have seen

i'm eric thomas. 22-year-old stacy aguillar was last seen in hayward eight days ago. police announced her body was found yesterday afternoon. let's get to abc7 news sergio live at police headquarters. >> this is a case that took an interesting turn on friday when police announced they were no longer conducting a search. they are conducting a homicide investigation. and though her body was found yesterday afternoon there is no word yet on the condition of her body and where she was found and any possible suspect. >> hey ready what police have released only the most basic information on this case. they say 22-year-old stacy aguillar was found on saturday about noon, but would not elaborate further. i was able to talk to aguillar's mother by phone from rosarito, mks mix. mexico. she said she has been told very little about what police have found. the alameda county coroner will conduct an autopsy to determine a cause of death. the small group of volunteers gathered to search for aguillar. >> i want to he

meteorologist eric thomas. >> eric: there are a lot of lily pads hoping from one to the next. there is another cold wave coming in over the weekend and we have to see how that impacts the president's day storm that you have been hearing about as well. for now the map is quiet, but here it comes. the first headline is no question. you can see this first patch of snow across mississippi valley. it is 463 miles, the leading edge is a few of those snow flurries. but you saw the motion and it is definitely coming our way. we are going to track that for you. if you are heading out at this moment you don't have to deal with it, 40 degrees. the winds are calm. all right, then you will see with the clear skies we are enjoying it is also going to help us to really give up and radiate the heat through the evening hours. you will be below freezing by the midnight hour. back to your future cast and as we take you through the overnight hours, yep, here comes the snow rolling out of shot here at the mountains and maybe not quite at the mountains yet, but it is no question approaching. that t

. >> maureen: let's go to eric thomas. eric, we have been marveling at our forecast. it is feeling like spring, but we have a ways to go. >> eric: we do have a ways to go. just because we are having a respite right now you don't want to turn your back. >> maureen: because we have had late storms. >> eric: as late as the third week in march. kids you have hope for another snow day. >> maureen: one more. >> eric: well we'll see. this is major scott clark nissan honda. it is cool. and next up it will be chilly and then downright cold by the time you are out the door in the morning. nothing unusual for this time of year. we stand at 48. a dry dew point and a crisp wind. beyond the charlotte area here is what it looks like. 40s are pretty calm. you are still in there at 50. catawba valley in the foothills and freezing in the high country. it is tough for them to get warm as long as there is a snowpack up there. cube in the drink. you have the ice cube or the snowpack and it will keep you on the cool side. in the 20s by 11:00 this evening and 30s north of charlotte and clin

joining chief meteorologist eric thomas in our first alert weather center. you've been tracking what's coming on monday for a couple day now. has it changinged much? has it changed much? >> eric: not much. it is making landfall in seattle, washington. we are not going to pin anything down too much, maureen. you're right. it was fun friday with the snow that moved through. look at these polka dots. these are official storm reports . the snow flurries and the brief light snow that moved through. it is quite a cluster in the charlotte area. with that snow moving out on the dual poll power doppler radar, you folks in the mountains, look at this. this is rolling back to the northwest of the high country. you have the windchill advisory in affect. that's going to be dangerous. we are talking 5 to 15 below both tonight and through saturday night and sunday morning. alleganey and ash and watauga and avery county. in the boone and blowing rock area. everybody outside the mountains, not much wind and the temperatures are freezing in terms of the windchills. meanwhile,

on your side with live team coverage of this winter weather beginning with chief meterologist, eric thomas. eric? >> ok, maureen. have a look and we will start off with a wide shot there's two parts to the storm system and the freezing rain on touch us right now. and then we will deal with this tonight. but let's get you up to speed. anybody thinking of heading out east of i-77 i advise you to give that a second thought this is treacherous. we'll start off in the upstate of south carolina anything in pink is the freezing rain and it is persisting right now. this is highway 601 northbound almost covering union county. certainly the eastern half of mecklenburg. and we continue into cabarrus county a lot of that county covered and that is the same case as well for rowan county. all of the movement off to the northeast. and it's rapid. it's spotty now. on the western side of i-77. but this is where the coldest air is to remain through the evening hours.

eric thomas is live with the efforts to keep everyone safe. a big job, eric. >> reporter: up to this point, we've heard from different law enforcement agencies at different levels explain how they'll do their part and how they're out in force to make sure super bowl 50 is safe. today, we heard from them as a group, explaining how team work would get the job done. >> we're on it. >> reporter: that's what security officials at all levels took pains to say today at a news conference. the headliner, secretary homeland security jeh johnson. >> at this time, we know of no specific credible threat directed at super bowl 50 or related events. >> reporter: but they're training hard in case one comes along. the fbi says up to 90 canine units will be on duty. dozens of bomb squad technicians will be at the heady, and so will several s.w.a.t. teams ready to respond. there are radiation detectors also posted that's just what you'll see. >> there's so much going on behind the scenes. >> a lot of that will take place in an undisclosed location near levi stad

eric thomas, "abc7 news." >>> a u.s. appeals court sided with samsung in its battle with apple. they will not have to pay $120 million in patent infringement. the two have been facing off in court for years now, each claiming the other stole its technology. >>> and the oscar goes to -- those five words keep viewers on the edge of their seats every year. but how do they determine who wins an academy award? >> matt keller joins us live from hollywood with a special behind the scenes look at the process. matt? >> reporter: this is no easy task. the vote counting is highly involved and it's surrounded by some intense security. they are the best secret keepers in hollywood. martha ruiz and brian will carry those famous briefcases again. >> and the oscar goes to -- >> reporter: inside the names of this year's oscar winners. for 82 years, price water house cooper has counted the oscar ballots. 6,261 sent out to voting members this year, on paper and online. >> we control everything from the time they go out, indicated with security codes and those come back to us. we then have those in

eric thomas, "abc7 news." >>> a public viewing will be held tonight for richmond police officer gus vegas who was shot and killed last week. tonight's public viewing will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 on locust drive. a public memorial will be held tomorrow morning at the richmond memorial auditorium at 10:00 a.m. followed by a private burial. a memorial fund set up by the police department has reached its goal of raising $20,000 for the family. he has ten children. we have more information on the fund at abc7news.com. >>> an odd turn in the race for president today mixing religion and politics. >> donald trump publicly trashed pope francis after the pontiff suggested the billionaire wasn't a christian. >> kristen sze is here with the story. >> reporter: the battle between pope francis and donald trump is really catching fire on social media. on twitter, trump supporters are telling the pope to tear down the vatican walls first and supporters are mocking trump. this unlikely war in presidential politics began this morning when a reporter asked pope francis about trump's views on immigration.

i'm eric thomas. we'll get to that in a moment. >>> first, we're following breaking news.ultiple sources say three people are dead following a police pursuit in san francisco. let's go live to abc 7 news reporter alyssa harrington at the scene at 9th and brannon. >> reporter: chp officers just confirmed three people were killed in this crash. you can see the scene behind me. this was during a pursuit with the california highway patrol. a chp spokesman tells me just before 9:30 they saw a white chevy sedan doing doughnuts near fifth and bryant in san francisco. officers chased the driver. the car blew through several red nights and that officers last saw that car heading westbound on brannon. that's when it crashed. a witness says the vehicle was going very fast. >> i was outside where i live smoking a cigarette and heard three cars racing down the street which the car that got in the accident was a white car, and it was racing a blue viper or blue corvette. and a black charger. i heard him flying down the street about 80 miles an hour. and about a minute later, five or six

. >> first eric thomas has more freezing temperatures coming tonight. eric? >> out the door and as maureen mentioned there could be snow in here in the next 24 hours and lyndsay on the president's day storm. metro school in uptown beautiful sunset but the clear skies will allow efficient cooling through the evening hours. 44 right now. we hit 48 for the high today. low to mid-40s in the piedmont. 26 how about this, up there at the snow in the mountains and more of that on the way. 35 through 9:00 p.m. if you have the evening plans again down to freezing by 11:00 p.m. so the map is quiet right now. but have a lookout to the west we have this upper-level impulse that is quickly heading back toward the mid-atlantic and the carolinas. yes, it is' 600 miles out but it looks like it's due to be here tomorrow and more snow in the mountain and flurries outside of the mountains do not be surprised if you see some in charlotte. the bigger storm is coming into the east coast on monday and lyndsay tapases has more on that, lyndsay? >> all right. so things looking differe