so the four corner region is getting the worse of it now especially telluride. it eventually heads to the plains. showery and cloudy and freezing drizzle in iowa and light snow in minnesota. one of the biggerer storms we have had this winter. the predictwinter snowfall. a blizzard for the northern plains and eventually looks like northern michigan and up towards new england as we go into wednesday and maybe even thursday morning you'll get some significant snow. the ski areas there getting a couple of storms in a row up in new england. blizzard warning in effect for areas of dakotas and minnesota. winter storm warnings around minneapolis. minneapolis you're looking at a wintry mess. snow over to sleet and freezing rain and then it looks like back to snow probably on the backside. a messy, icy storm for you. as far as the snow totals go, the highest totals definitely to the north of minneapolis. the south side of town probably getting more icy but we could see as as much as a foot between fa fargo and minneapolis. east coast you're okay today. just showers around

for example, you know, nrail was the developer essentially inventor, developer of the telluride cells. a number of making that technology. those technologies are continuing to improve. one doesn't know whether silicon or some other technology, but they're certainly a player in that field and they're certainly in a competitive race. so i think to have a whole market for clean energy standard, production credit, those are mechanisms that can stimulate private sector investment that then stimulates manufacturing in the united states. and this is why, yes, china wants to export, but they also realize that we have to create a whole market as well, and it's this mixture that they need. >> and you're implying if we don't extend the ptc that whole market mission we've all agreed in a bipartisan way is crucial? >> it's who go goes the way of how do you get a market draw? how do you help bring slightly lower costs, financing, all of those things. talk to any supplier of wind, they would rather set up a explain chain in the country where these things are being installed. this is heavy stuff. >>

for the sausage, up in telluride we use elk sausage that we make there or buy from some of the locale. lamb sausage works just as well, like a megrgues is. go ahead and grab that. >> is that duck? >> it's a confit of duck leg which we cooked low and slow at 200 degrees. a lot of herbs in it. confit, as you know, means "with fat" or "low calorie" in french. the confit is a way to preserve the meat. >> okay. >> as part of of the cassoulet and the beans we have a mirepoix, the holy trinity of cooking. celery, onions and carrots. actually a little bit of garlic in this as well. we'll get a nice brown on these veggies here. then we'll add a little bit of red wine and let it deglaze. >> nice. >> this is the finished beans. this is what you end up with. the way we build this is add the confit into there. if you can spoon that in and then i will add -- >> cover it up. >> we'll also add the sausage right in there. and to finish it, we'll bake it in the oven. it doesn't need much time. >> you have bread crumbs. this is panko. the japanese bread crumbs. we have thyme, rosemary, parsley and butt

i've been on a long journey since september with this movie starting in telluride and it's been exhausting but then to end up here at the oscars is just, it was just, i really was caught up emotionally. it. i'm so proud of this movie and proud i'm a part of it and you know to be here at this point in my career means a lot to me. >> reporter: so right now what we're hearing is that the artist could be in the front-runner for best picture tonight but "the descendants" is nipping at the heels. they're going to bring him over to me, we want to talk to him and stacey keebler. they both look beautiful. one of the things melissa mccarthy and showed me, custom made shoes with an inscription to her, special message. now good lord, i'm about to pass -- you guys i swear you look phenomenal. >> that's what i tried to tell people, they just don't listen to me. >> reporter: you thought i was talking to you, no -- >> that i know. >> reporter: how are you feeling tonight? >> good. >> you guys are the epitome of cool but any nerves at all, george? >> not really any nerves. i'm happy to be here. i get to se

. >> time freak had an inauspicious launch, rejected by sundance and tribeca and telluride. >> that startedhinking about the apartment then. >> i did. >> i'll say only faintly. i still felt we had done the right thing but it was discouraging. >> undaut daunted gigi submit td for oscar consideration. >> i took a picture. >> you took a picture of yourself -- of my hand handing the box over to the guy. i was very excited. >> it's on honor just to be submitted. >> gigi causey. >>> suddenly, gigi and andrew were sharing the stage at the oscar luncheon with names like clooney, spielberg and streep. >> i turn around and i see my mother and meryl streep in an embrace. i'm sitting like that's meryl streep, she's hugging my mother. my mom turns around, gigi, this is meryl streep. i'm like, i know it's meryl streep. what are you doing hugging her? >> there's me, gigi's there. >> this is a great row here. >> meryl streep, brad pitt, rooney mara. >> you're eek which distant from -- >> they got official academy award nominee sweat shirts. >> do you play pickup basketball or something? >> i'm going to. i

. >> i saw it in telluride in front of an audience. it was tremendous.he reaction was really overwhelming. i think we realized we had something really unique and beautiful. >> you really do. we have just run out of time. congratulations to you as well. congratulations! well done! cheers. [ cheers and applause ] >> you were fantastic in this movie. we love you. much more just ahead including the hottest looks and trends from oscar's red carpet, the hits, the misses, very important questions this morning. first, this is "today" on nbc. >>> coming up, a warning to parents before you let your kids travel to mexico for spring break. we'll tell you about that after your local news. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot? check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a baltimore family is mourning the death of th