erica edwards nbc news. >>> well, here it is. this morning, it's only feeling like 1 degree right now in washington. rest of the area is feeling around 5 degrees. some areas feeling below zero. coming up, we'll talk about what to expect for your new year's day and >>> that was the start of the new year. did you watch the ball drop? did you, david? >> this is the first time i've actually seen it, to be honest. 5 hours and 30 minutes into 2018. as always, we're working for you. >> happy new year. >> happy new year to you and to you. thanks for joining us on this 1st of january 201. i'm david culver. >> aaron and eun have the morning off. i bet they're sleeping. if you're not heading out to work this morning, you'll likely want to stay inside, right? >> it's cold. we're talking a frigid start to 2018. that's led to a weather alert day. sheena, you're tracking it all. >> yes. we're talking about potentially dangerous windchills this morning. stay in bed if you don't have to get out. we're looking at the northeast. minneapolis -- it f

erica edwards reports. >> reporter: 2018 is off to a pretty sick start. the cdc reports 46 states seen here in brown have widespread flu activity. compare that to this same week last year, rampant flu in just 12 states. >> it was over the weekend that we recognized that our volume was increasing. >> reporter: north of san diego, emergency room doctors set up a special tent outside the hospital to handle a surge in flu patients. the last time they needed an extended treatment area was during the 2009 flu pandemic. >> i'm concerned that this one may hit us hard. >> reporter: so far, 41,000 cases nationwide this season. >> our transport numbers have never been higher. >> reporter: the flu can be deadly, especially for those with underlying health conditions. >> baby came in with respiratory problems. >> reporter: those patients truly need emergency c recover without any complications. >> these patients could truly stay home and seek medical attention with their primary care physician instead of rushing to the emergency department. >> reporter: the flu vaccin

erica edwards, nbc news. >> meanwhile there is some good news to report when it comes to breast cancer jim and wendy are in the newsroom with a look at what's coming up at 5:00. >> hi, guys. >> this is a large study and it's found that the number of breast cancer deaths have dropped by almost 50% since 2000. >> coming up right here at 5:00 tonight, doreen gentzler will join us this massive decline and what's next in the battle to reduce breast cancer even further. >> also, the #metoo movement comes to metro. we're taking a look at harassment on the rails and buses. >> find out what women are saying about their experiences and what metro is now doing to make them feel safer. >> we'll see you with those stories in just a few havertys furniture helps even when life isn't.t nice pick. pops, your pick. art monk! retired. i'll take him over these fools playing today. aw come on, man. that's not how this game works. art monk! i want to change my name to hot momma! lame. you're lame. no! i'm not wri