>> janet shamlian starting us off in kansas city tonight. janet, thanks. >>> and al roker is here with us again tonight with more on this storm, and then there's the next one after this. al? >> that's right, brian. 1,700 flights cancelled tonight. there are going to be more tonight into tomorrow. look as we have ice storm warnings in southern ohio. we have freezing rain advisories through virginia, winter storm warnings. these warnings stretch about 2,000 miles, from new england all the way into the rockies. here's what we're looking at as far as the future cast. low pressure gets itself together. snow tonight from omaha into cleveland, syracuse. moves into new york city late tonight, into tomorrow morning. an icy mix by late morning, early afternoon. and that's going to dump ice amounts, we're talking anywhere from a half inch to an inch of ice throughout the virginias, into interior new jersey. snowfall amounts, look at the snow, we're talking generally 3 to 6 from kansas city, just south of chicago. cleveland 6 to 9 inches, into western pa

nbc's janet shamlian has more from bristol, tennessee. >> it's called situational awareness. >> reporter: the last time doug herbert was at the bristol motor speedway, he was on the track in a hot rod that can scream past 300 miles an hour. the professional drag racer has won six times here. >> this, to me, is a lot of therapy. >> reporter: but on this day he is on a different type of win just off track, as teen drivers navigate a hazard-filled course. >> it teaches them to be better drivers and maybe the consequences of making poor decisions. >> reporter: doug herbert knows those decisions can end in tragedy because he is also a dad. and this horrific scene is where his sons were killed in a 2008 head-on collision. james was 12. john was 17, and police say driving recklessly. >> they were my world, these guys. james was like my -- they're both my best friends. >> reporter: it was heartbreak that compelled him to step out of the driver's seat and put teens like these behind the wheel. with his own cash, the help of other pro drivers and kia donated cars, herbert started a free driving sc

janet shamlian, bristol, tennessee. >> that is our broadcast on a thursday night.ou for joining us, i'm brian williams, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. thursday night. thank you for joining us, i'm brian williams, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. >>> paula appears and makes her status clear. what's robin's got to say is a new message.

nbc's janet shamlian has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie.the start. the storm is expected to intensify throughout the day. much of the city is already shut down. the department of transportation took unusual steps of asking employers to let their workers stay home today as the kansas city star said it appears no one wants to pull an atlanta. meaning being caught unprepared. colleges are closed. virtually all schools in the area are closed. temperatures are plummeting throughout the day and as this storm moves to the east, it's going to get bitterly cold here in this area. back to you. >> all right, thank you. >>> the pilot of a small plane is being praised for steering his plane away from a ymca and a retirement home just before it crashed monday near nashville, tennessee. the pilot and all three passengers were killed. the plane missed the first approach to the airport and it was circling back for another try. the ntsb is now investigating. >>> the convicted four-time killer who escaped from a michigan prison sunday is become in custody. mi