the lovely ginger zee. i don't have any monitor out here. there it is. i'm not going to do it without them. and by the way, here's a little five-day of atlanta. >> wow. what do you know? >> get ready, atlanta. get ready, atlanta. it's a little cool. i don't know if i can handle the 70s. can i handle the 70s, atlanta? >> here's the map. >> 61 in l.a. and the rest is all there for you. >> i'll talk to you guys in just a second. all that weather is brought to you by the university of phoenix. can we see that picture of ginger zee one more time? we're going to talk to our ginger. i didn't purposely send her to denver, the coldest place. >> that's a lie. >> i did not. we're going to talk to ginger in just a minute. and i can't wait. >> one last time. everybody, the great samuel j. champion. [ cheers and applause ] >>> is cocoming up, more of the ce using lysol in hundreds of ways. what's christine's story? i started using lysol disinfectant spray, gosh, as long as i can remember. i use lysol on soft surfaces because you can't put your couch in the washing mac

among them abc's meteorologist ginger zee. in some spots you were telling me the coldest air of the season so far? >> reporter: we keep saying the coldest air this season. let's get right to the numbers. by tomorrow morning we're taking dangerous cold for so many folks. 26 below will be the wind chill in minneapolis. we'll see a lot of those numbers in the single digits. i'm standing right here in times square with such a crowd already behind me. we're going to have so many folks enduring temperatures that feel like they're in the single digits or low teens. the actual air temperature is going to be just under freezing. >> if you can hear me you already have your eye on the first big storm of the new year? >> reporter: yes, i do, that's tuesday night into early wednesday for chicago. that's where that low pressure system is going to come across. an off shore low is going to grab some of that and could be a thursday, friday big snow event inland and some of those areas. we'll be covering this and fine tuning that forecast as it

meteorologist ginger zee.'s been covering the country's biggest weather events for years. >> has only just begun. >> reporter: joining our abc team two years ago. >> a sea of debris. it is one of hundreds, if not thousands of damaged homes and businesses. >> reporter: and when she's not chasing storms, she's chasing adventure. >> this is lookout mountain. we're going to make it runoff mountain. here we go. want to go again? i could do this all day. all day. >> reporter: and now, ginger is set to bring her fearlessness -- >> we're going to start in what you call the suicide seat? >> reporter: to our "gma" family every day. >> good morning, america. >> thumbs up. great. >> we know how incredible you are when it comes to the weather and to adventure. but we want our viewers to get to know you a little better. what better way to do that than with the lightning round? the questions. >> flashing lights. >> ginger zee, what's your go-to karaoke song? >> you don't want to hear me sing. but it has to be jewel, "you wer

ginger zee with us every step of the way. we'll see you on "gma" in the morning. >>> across this country that last minute scramble to buy those final items on your christmas list, and just look, the scene repeated everywhere tonight, retailers with 40% of their profits coming in these final hours. how low will they go? can you get a price even lower than that final sale price even at the big name stores? abc's paula faris did with help from one of the best hagglers "world news" could find. >> reporter: with only two-thirds of us finished or nearly finished with our holiday shopping, retailers expecting a blizzard of business over the weekend got a lump of coal instead. despite some of the deepest discounts ever at stores like macy's and kmart open around the clock, there were fewer holiday shoppers. >> there is retail panic across the country from california, the carolinas, shoppers still aren't spending. it's a race against time. >> reporter: on saturday and sunday 7% less foot traffic in stores. according to moody's investo

abc's meteorologist, ginger zee, is of course on the story. ginger, good morning. >> hey, dan.many folks spent their week looking like this. this picture from dallas. once we got rid of that ice, it squeezed together and it was a lot of snow. in indiana, they had more than a foot in some places. this is almost about 11 inches you're seeing right there. that vincennes picture. amazing amounts of snow. that storm has moved on. you see it all moving out. just a few rain showers left in parts of the carolinas this morning. you're waking up in the mid-atlantic or tennessee, and say, wait. i have a winter weather advisory or winter storm watch. this is for sunday night into monday, another storm. and, yes, we're talking inches of ice possible, sleet, freezing rain. all that ugly stuff again. of course, we've got to talk about the west because there's another big one we're talking. that's corvallis, oregon. they have some big-time snow coming in. inches and inches in places that don't necessarily get it. and don't necessarily get it this early. look how much more snow is going to fall

abc meteorologist ginger zee on the freezing rain that led to it all. >>> a fallen star. remembering actor paul walker. from child star to "fast & furious." tonight, the last images of him seen alive. >>> and, the voice. perhaps you've seen that incredible play this weekend. but did you hear this voice? >> there goes davis! >> oh my gosh! >> davis is going to run it all the way back. >> the hometown announcer jumping out of his seat. we track him down tonight. does he still have a voice? >> auburn's going to win the football game! holy cow! oh my god! >>> good evening. thanks for joining us here tonight. and as you can see, it was a terrifying sunday for passengerers onboard this train, just outside new york city, when it came barrelling off the tracks. you can see some of the train cars just barely missing the river. not everyone survived this crash. the injured rushed to new york hospitals. and take a look at this tonight. video coming in, shot by a passenger from another train. one of the first to drive by the accident site. you can see the cars there toppled on their

ginger zee is out in times square dealing with rain.ood morning, ging. >> good morning to you guys. rain and around 60 degrees in new york city. you know that is not normal. you know something is topsy-turvy. let's get right to the maps to show you what is happening. this powerful cold front is creeping in, temperatures will drop through by tomorrow morning in some cases 30 to 40 degrees. look at the radar from the florida panhandle to new england, the same front that's been terrorizing the u.s. all weekend. >> just two days until christmas, and the weather is both naughty and nice. watch this. sheets of ice plummeting toward the last-minute shoppers in oklahoma city. overnight, a powerline igniting in michigan. ice-caked branches bringing it down. >> it will be ongoing until the ice melts from the branches. >> reporter: this morning, 40,000 homes are waking up in northern new york and vermont without power. an icy glaze invaded the weekend. and ahead of that icy mess, record-breaking warmth. from tanks to shorts in new york city, to a

. >> ginger zee taking over for sam. we're in good hands of her. >> yeah. your daughter is a huge fan. >> my daughter loves ginger zee. she's a woman. and she roughs it out there in the out back. doing all of the weather stories. she thinks she is the coolest. and she has good taste. >> she is kind of cool. >>> the clock is ticking in washington again. and if congress doesn't act fast, you'll be paying even more for plane tickets. >>> plus, beaches closed. a fisherman becomes another victim in an area seeing an alarming number of attacks from sharks. new details this morning from a witness. >>> plus, a ricochet and the reception. the seahawks prove that sometimes things are just going your way. >>> this year's cyber monday, a record-setter. analysts say yesterday's online sales were up 19% from last year. 131 million people clicked their way through their gift lists. and a record number weren't using their computers. 30% of shoppers used their smartphones or tablets. >>> cyber monday was a record day for federal express. it's usually the busiest day for fed

our ginger zee in hartford, connecticut. good morning, ginger. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. good morning, robin. this is the issue. we have freezing drizzle falling. that means when we put this infrared -- i have my handy-dandy infrared thermometer. i put the laser to the ground. it's warmer up there than it is down here. subfreezing, 26.9 degrees. this is what happens. to the roads, your sidewalks. we've left this out for about an hour. look at the sheen on there. you can see how the freezing rain makes for a thin coat of ice and very dangerous conditions on the roads. let me get you straight to what it has looked like from the southern plains to the northeast. this picture representative of what happens when that ice hits, covers the trees, the power lines. this is in arkansas. man, most of our nation has dealt with this big storm and many to come. look at this. the pink, that is not good stuff. more than two-thirds of the nation having problems with ice this morning. check it out. frozen nightmare. from texas

abc's meteorologist ginger zee is out tracking it all for us. >> reporter: from today's sloppy mess alongast coast to the week long deep freeze for so many in the west -- >> it's just really cold. >> reporter: almost every state in the nation asking, where did autumn go? >> these two systems are meeting up over pittsburgh. >> it's going to come down very hard -- >> the heavier snow likely across massachusetts -- >> reporter: we're getting an arctic blast lasting for days, from virginia to southern new england up to a half foot of snow fell. the burst of beautiful winter transforming tuesday into a frustrating commute. >> i drove all the way from philadelphia and it was like this basically the whole way. as you got closer to new jersey the roads got worse and nothing is plowed. >> reporter: more than 80 car accidents just in connecticut, hundreds of schools closed. in massachusetts the slick roads sending this plow crashing through a pole and into a pond. at dulles international the parade of plows trying to clear just over two inches. weather has been a big issue at the airports this week

ginger zee, abc news, new york. >> ginger, thank you. >>> taking a look at the temperatures across the country today. the mercury will reach 78 in los angeles. 30 degrees less in seattle and portland. kansas city will see a high of 43. minneapolis, 36 degrees. >> memphis and atlanta both reach 55 degrees. chicago and detroit's highs will be right around freezing. new york, well, it will flirt with 40. >>> u.p.s. and federal express are still scrambling this morning to deliver late packages that missed the christmas deadline. >> for many customers, the effort's too little, too late. abc's kristin fisher has the very latest on the shipping troubles. >> reporter: u.p.s. and fedex are still working in overdrive, to deliver packages promised by christmas that never made it. >> it was pretty bad. it was really disappointing. >> reporter: maurine now has to explain to her son why his gift from santa will be late. >> santa -- he accidentally dropped it off of his sleigh. >> reporter: and she's not alone. people all over the country are furious. in chicago, live lobsters for a christmas eve din

ginger zee reporting in. >>> we have a weather note from london tonight. famous for its fog, but a kind of continent of fog descended and just a few sky scrapers poked above to see the winter sun. >>> word that pope francis has become the "time magazine" person of the year. he was recognized for his immediate and dramatic impact on the catholic church including more inclusive words about homosexuality and abortion. an abc news pole says a remarkable 92% of american catholics have a favorable opinion of pope francis, up 16 points from his predecessor. >>> from overseas tonight, after the service for nelson mandela, the man who tried to create a rainbow nation, a perfect rainbow in the sky. today people lined up to pay mandela their last respects as his body lies in state. but in the newspapers in south africa, a kind of uproar about that service we all watched together and the man who seemed to be interpreting in sign language. was he an imposter, and how did he get so close to president obama? abc's gio benitez has more on that. >> reporter: with the world

abc's meteorologist ginger zee tracking it all tonight. >> reporter: the whipping winds in california. the snow slowing traffic in nevada. a major winter storm and the coldest air of the season is gripping much of the west tonight. citrus farmers near fresno, california, prepping crops. >> we're worried about anything getting close to 32 or below gets our attention for sure. >> reporter: as temperatures dive into the 20s and 30s overnight potentially breaking century old records, threatening their $2 billion business. in northern minnesota, they expect cold, but it doesn't make it easy. >> it's wicked actually. i've never seen it like this before. >> it's terrible. it's terrible. it's too wet, it's too heavy but we'll get it. >> reporter: all that cold will only keep diving south. check out the high temperatures the next three days. minneapolis, that's a high of only five degrees on friday. even dallas slipping into the 30s. that's just air temperature. now you add the wind and you have dangerous wind chills, subzero. if you are exposed for at least an hour it can give you frostbite.

ginger zee with a few of her closest friends. >> i will not pass out.footties, you stick them on your shirt. cover it up. like a heater inside. it's going to be a lot of fun out here. let's check the forecast. it will be a snowy evening for folks in parts of the midwest and great lakes. a little clip comes across. you could get three to five inches in parts of chicagoland. and that's the same storm that's going to meet the one from the south and give snow to the east coast, eventually. we want to focus in on what happens for the next 24 hours. rapid city, to kansas city, to st. louis. some of the snow totals you can expect. chicago just above 3. >> we have to get out here and get some of the beautiful glasses. you can give me one. give me a blow. happy 2014. yes. let's get in there. >> happy 2014. >>> here's a look at what's ahead on the "gma morning menu." "hunger games" star josh hutcherson is given a huge welcome at a college basketball game. >>> and love them or hate them, we've all seen them. the viral ads that got us talking in 2013. we're going t

. >>> we're going to go to ginger zee.ast coast storm having a ripple effect coast to coast. >> ground stops, delays at the major hubs in new york city. the fat flakes are flying. we have sleet mixed in. it will be a rough commute for a lot of folks. how much will fall? what do you have to worry about? if you're coming into the mid-atlantic or the northeast, an afternoon, through the early afternoon problem. look what comes behind it. and what everybody is dealing with, west coast. the cold. you have felt it for almost a week now. we'll see some moderating. look at sacramento, mid to upper 20s. the freeze watches and warnings throughout parts of the southwe southwest. palm springs in the mid 30s. las vegas, 20s. reno, you're waking up to 4. it will feel cooler than that. we have moderating coming. we'll tell you all about it in the next half hour. >>> let's go to josh with the other top stories. >>> family in nevada missing. temperatures far below zero. a great deal of concern at this hour. here's abc's david wright. >> re

thank you, america. >>> let's send it to ginger zee and the weather. >> thank you so much.e new friends out here. they're from tallahassee, florida. tell us your names. >> jude. >> and jeanine. >> and i have some news for you all. you know warm weather very well. you're not going to get it. let me show you all of you staying for new year's eve what it's going to be right here in times square. you see that temperature. ooh, 21. and it's going to feel, if you're lucky, like it's 10 when that ball drops. at least it will be mostly clear. mild in the southwest and through parts of the south. look at new orleans close to 60. 70s in florida. across the nation, milder for now. but it's that big siberian express that is going to affect us come next week. we are chilled already thinking about it. we got a couple warm days before it. >> everybody out here has hats and gloves. they're ready for a new year's eve. are you loving the mild weather? >> yeah. >> for now. she's from atlanta. took her by surprise. lara, let's get into you. >>> here's a look at what's coming up on our "gma mor

ginger zee is getting a final check of the weather. >> hey, there, lara.ta dropped in a macy's believe box, the store will donate $1 to make-a-wish. that's up to $1 million. you have to get a wish list and paper ready, because you can help kids just like 8-year-old tatum, who is bravely battling rapidly-developing cancer. but you wouldn't know it. look at this. she meets her country music star idol, luke bryan, prepping for this year's country christmas special. ♪ >> do it p-girl! ♪ rain makes corn corn makes whisky ♪ ♪ whisky makes my baby so frisky ♪ >> that smile's so cute. and you can see the entire country christmas on abc.com. this past friday was national believe day. and more than 50 other children just like tatum that you just saw got their wishes fulfilled. what a great day that was. thanks to macy's/make-a-wish. and keep the letters coming to santa. we have to check the weather. this brave crowd, all bundled up. look at these folks from mississippi. they're saying hello to robin. we're all staying warm out here. we have to get straight to your w

meteorologist ginger zee standing by in times square prepping for a frigid countdown. >>> high alert tonight. new images of those two terror attacks in russia, the giant blast caught on tape weeks before american athletes head overseas. our brian ross back from sochi tonight right here with the growing concern. >>> critical condition, the race car legend fighting for his life after a skiing accident. tonight why he was able to speak after the fall, before the coma, and the warning for everyone skiing this holiday. >>> who is watching you? what the traffic light in your hometown reveals. tonight some asking, are those cameras making some

ginger zee, abc news, denver, colorado. >>> here's a look at the rest of the thursday weather.utheast texas to the tennessee valley. scattered showers from virginia to georgia. freezing rain for northern new england and morning frost in southern california. >>> climb only to the 50s in los angeles to phoenix, up to 60 in the northeast and a toasty 80 in miami today. >>> another major headline this morning, the recovery of the stolen truck carrying dangerous radioactive material near mexico city. mexican troops are standing guard around the recovered truck around the clock until experts can safely dispose of the hazardous cobalt 60. if properly sealed it poses no risk but the shipment had been removed from its container. >> this is material that could be used, if used properly in a dangerous dirty bomb. they need to know how to handle the material without giving themselves incapacitating doses of radiation. >> a government physicist says whomever removed that material is at a high risk of dying, saying the normal survival rate is one to two days if there's exposure. >>> the sear

ginger zee, abc news, new york. >> look at the rest of the christmas eve forecast.ather moving in to the northeast and the south today. for the most part it will be dry. cold in the midwest with light snow possible. a weak storm from the northwest to the northern rockies. >> the mercury won't get above the teens and 20s from west virginia northward. warmer near the eastern coast gulf coast will see 50 and 60s. midwest will generally be below freezing, and the warmest temperature in the southwest. >>> three skiers in utah are lucky to be alive this morning. they were buried at an avalanche at a resort outside of salt lake city triggered by other skiers on the slope above them. about nine inches of new snow had fallen over the weekend. none of the skiers were injured. it is the first avalanche within the boundaries of the utah ski resort this year. >>> police in san jose release security video from a wild scene at a walmart video back in march. an intoxicated man purposely drives his car in to the store and then attacked customers before he had to be restrained and ar

he will be replaced by ginger zee. who's, you know, terrific. we're in good hands with ginger zee.and the weather channel president said that the negotiations began several months ago for developing a show and rebrand the network that will include a new look and new morning show that sam will be at the top of. sam was apparently their dream choice. so we wish sam all the best and we will miss sam. he is so talented. >> after 25 years here at abc, we will absolutely miss him. it doesn't seem like it because we just heard the news, but his last day is tomorrow. >> yes, it is tomorrow. >> wednesday is tomorrow. that's tough. >> wow. >>> moving on to this. joe jonas, one of the trio of the jonas brothers, apparently revealing a lot in an essay in "new york magazine." the fact he smoked pot when he was just a teen. he did it with other teen stars namely demi lovato and miley cyrus. they egged him on to try it and try it. and he also says that he was caught drinking at 16 or 17, doing it in another country where it is legal. but still, he was very, very scared and lost his virginity when

. >> i hope you'll join us, i will be at the event along with kristin zee. tickets are still available. just look under see it on tv. >> great event. >> so much fun. >> you can't imagine. they stop and talk to kids. >> great. >> all right. that is going to do it for us. world news is next. >>> welcome to world news tonight, in the frozen zone, a massive ice storm in the heart of the country. drivers out of control, winter weather from new mexico to maine. hundreds of thousands without power, temperatures drop. >>> celebration of the life of nelson mandela, leaders around the world going to south africa to bid him farewell. >>> made in america. clothes made in america again. and tonight, you can trace your jeans to the farmer who grew the cotton. make it a merry christmas for american jobs. >>> good evening to you on this chilly night. they are calling it ice friday, the freezing storm stretching 2,000 miles

abc's ginger zee has details. >> reporter: wrecked on the holiday hustle home. 70 vehicles piling up near worcester, massachusetts. a thin layer of freezing rain coating the highway. tractor-trailers crushing cars. vehicles nearly pancaked under this truck. the accident injuring at least 35 people. >> extremely surprised that nobody was killed. i've never seen anything of this magnitude. >> reporter: look at this. a passenger on the eastbound lanes witnessing that fresh pileup. you can see the people being rescued. and it's all happening on what is always one of the busiest weekends of the year, almost 39 million people traveling on the roads. so the next big weather story happens in the pacific northwest. big-time snows. look at that. almost two feet for jackson, wyoming. great for skiers. not so great on the roads. and then you go for rain. that is what we are most concerned about. it's early monday. seattle and portland getting quite a bit and then finally the cold. this will be a huge change. by the end of the week. look at the numbers. temperatures tumbling all the way down to p

bra-zee. like his last name. make kind of a joke out of it.hich is kind of funny, you know. >> so you don't have a problem cutting gay guys' hair? >> as long as he respects who i am as a man, me being married and all, as long as you don't come at me with that stuff, he's a good dude, you know. >> i've matured a lot. i've developed an understanding i'm not god, i'm not in a position to put nobody in heaven or hell. i can't judge nobody. the only thing i can do is pray for them, know who i am as a man and keep it moving. >> nice. right on. i appreciate it. i got you when we get back to the unit. >> all right. >> i'll look out for you, like always. >> i'm not saying i'm participating in my homosexual activities, but i can talk to them and feel freely about who i am as man. all right, number three on the top? >> yes. >> tight hairline. >> yes. >> he already knows. >> burzee's friend michael cherry, also goes to glass for his haircuts and once even tried to get a job alongside him in the barbershop. >> yeah. they sabotaged me. >> boy, i did. it was

everybody check the website. >>> and check the weather with ginger zee. >> i'm out here.e going to play a little game. this side. seeing if they can beat them? just having some fun. let's get into the forecast. the twitter and facebook photos -- it's a sandman in florida. we're warm, you're not. and the cows in montana, they don't want to stay in the cold. they've taken the highway. the only way they can walk out. thank you for sending those in. and keep them coming. we want to time out the storm talking about for the weekend. chicago, the two lows, two surface lows. chicago gets a little shot, friday into saturday. saturday into sunday, it's that moisture right along the coast that i think's going to taper some of the forecast totals for new york city, washington, d.c. a lot of the heavier stuff going to fall in upstate new york. and boston on the line, going to be fine-tuning that forecast as we go through. >>> good morning. we're starting off sunny but high clouds and sunshine, temperatures pretty close to normal mid-50s to low 60s. it's spare the air. cleaner air mass

you heard it here first. >>> get some weather from ginger zee. >> hello there.crowd. and enduring the rain. these ladies from texas. happy birthday to you, by the way. what's your name? >> kim. >> they say they're from dallas. they're way warmer here. brownsville and corpus christi, in windchill advisories. you're getting away with it, being here in new york city. let's look at the forecast because we have to start with a picture out of ft. smith, arkansas. you see the ice on that table. they got well over an inch of ice and the freezing rain. not done yet. look how much more is going to fall. still happening in parts of northeast texas. stretches all the way to the tennessee valley could see a half-inch of ice on top of what you've seen. and that cold is going somewhere. it is coming east. if you're staying through the weekend. i said y'all because i'm right there with you, texas. we're about to cool down by our saturday. >> meanwhile, the ladies from north dakota are saying this is balmy. this is fine. let's go into amy with "the morning menu." >> thank you, g

. >>> now, weather from ginger zee. >> we have to see what the roads looked like. it was a mess.ook at this video from boston. they had record snow, more than 6 inches, actually 6.4, making the commute a disaster on the roads, as well as downtown and outside of it. much of new england dealing with that. now, that storm pulls away. and it's the cold behind. it's 18 feels like in pittsburgh. 15 in detroit. feels like just below freezing in washington, d.c. you know that chill is starting to moderate as we go to the end of the week. we were talking about 50s yesterday. and the other big story. amy gave you an update on the fire. some-on shore flow, makes it cooler. that's good. santa cruz, 60. but will be windy. some local gusts up to 65 miles per hour. your local forecast is coming up in just 30 seconds. but first, here's this morning's sunny cities brought to you by toys "r" us. >> so much calmer for at least one day. but, my friends, we have another storm. i'm going to talk about tornadoes and eventually snow and ice. >> wow. >> yes. i know. >> thanks, ginger. >>> coming up, the

all four credit cards have zee owe liability policies. you are not out anything. you don't want someone out there trying to charge stuff on your card. your cap of liability, 500 bucks. the major difference between -- >> it's on you, the consumering. >> absolutely. a debit card, whose money is that? that's your money and you are expecting it to be there to cover other transactions. the credit card is the banks money. the debit card is on your shoulders. >> what about calling your credit agency? putting an alert on your account so that information that may have been compromised isn't used toward opening up another account? >> target announced they are paying for credit monitoring for victims of identity theft. not sure it's effective, here is why. this isn't true name fraud. >> that's what they mean when they say no personal information was taken? >> all that was compromised is the payment information, the credit card number. monitoring your credit report does not prevent me from stealing your credit card number. it's effective if i steal your identity. it's prudent

abc meteorologist ginger zee on the freezing rain that led to it all. >>> a fallen star. remembering actor paul walker. from child star to "fast & furious." tonight, the last images of him seen alive. >>> and, the voice. perhaps you've seen that incredible play this weekend. but did you hear this voice? >> there goes davis! >> oh my gosh! d

is here's abc's meteorologist ginger zee. >> reporter: bursting into the holiday weekend. freezing rain forcing a transformer in salt lake city to blow. almost 4 inches of snow shutting down the salt lake city airport for hours today. and tonight, a completely different storm will drop into the pacific northwest. that means snow, rain and cold to the southwest buy friday. and eventually a messy weekend for the middle of the nation. damaging winds and isolated tornadoes in the south. a hazardous line of ice and above it up to a foot of snow. the big 'ol storm, ill timed for holiday travelers and those last minute packages. ups and fedex already breaking records this week. fed ex shipping 22 million packages. ups, 34 million. fedex says they've been preparing for this storm since last week. rerouting tens of thousands of packages. >> we have all 3330,000 team members out delivering packages. >> reporter: they have many military giving updates sgl. we're talking near record temperatures. let's take a look at probabilities. we have a map, that dark gray that you are seeing, th

ginger zee, abc news, new york. >>> kansas city police are investigating a suspicious death that took during the chiefs game. when the owner of an suv went to his car he found a stranger inside. the two struggled and when the stranger tried to run away he collapsed and later died an autopsy is set to determine what caused his death. >>> the bills played in toronto yesterday but the real action was in the stands. toronto's crack smoking mayor rob ford showed up midway through the first quarter. he signed autographs, posed for pictures, plopped down in another fan's seat and chowed down. the popular ford was apparently the real winner. >>> israel's prime minister is meeting with the pope at the vatican. he will likely discuss the pontiff's newly announced visit to israel next may and likely to talk about moves in some european countries to outlaw jewish religious practices. >>> in the ukraine, more than 100,000 protesters hit the streets of kiev. they are vowing to stay in the city's independence square until he does so. dozens of riot police and demonstrators suffered chemical burns fr

abc's weather editor ginger zee is tracking the power for us. >> it's so important to talk about that ohio valley. the area getting it first tonight, and for the early morning saturday, i want to just lay that out for you. from d.c. to new york it should stay rain. just north along the pink line, that is who has to watch out. this is what we're talking about power line wise, when you see a power line, 300 feet is all it takes, 300 feet long, and then you get an inch of ice on it. that will add 2200 pounds to the power line, and it snaps. that's not the end of our problem, because even if the power line makes it through, the ice falls off when you start to thaw and it snaps like a rubber band. next question, are we done after that? he said it will stay cold, it will, but we have another storm out west. let me show you what will happen. snow and ice for areas that are not used to it certainly this early look at north of sacramento, 2 1/2 inches of snow, this could be historic snow for them. we will watch this new storm come on shore this weekend. >> it's amazing what one inch of ice can

abc meteorologist ginger zee tracking it all. >> reporter: tonight we are tracking fire and ice from coast to coast. it's been a tricky tuesday commute all over the northeast. >> all ice over there. couldn't stop. >> reporter: this is what it looks like on highways near boston. a tractor-trailer off the road on the new york thruway. as the northeast slips and slides through the third snow in a week, out west, california is dealing with what could end up being the driest year on record. near big sur, california, a smoky, scary scene. wildfires gnawing away at 500 acres. at least 15 homes destroyed, including that home right there owned by the big sur fire chief. >> it's just devastating. to stand there and watch your home burn, it's just -- it's not what you want to do. >> reporter: it was the first to burn and after the fire, hardly anything left. the fire is 5% contained and while the weather is starting to cooperate, the severe drought in california lives on. we've already got our eyes on the next storm. this one happening late week through the weekend. let me show you the threats.

abc's meteorologist ginger zee is tracking the tricky effort to get home for the holidays. >> reporter: bustling, tussling, beginning to look like it could be a holiday travel nightmare. snow in seattle, washington. and an icy mix that had drivers spinning out and crashing. >> i saw a red pickup hit a green van and then he went to the left and then i ended up t boning him. >> reporter: in topeka, cars up ended and rear ended. in rockford, illinois, a 20 car pileup, road crews sweeping up the mess with brooms. and in grand rapids, michigan freezing rain, glazing roads making it nearly impossible to drive. and watch this pup lucy really struggling to walk. amidst the blinding snow in saint cloud, minnesota, clouds fighting to keep up. the fire department fighting this blaze in temperatures near zero. in green bay, working overtime, shoveling to keep lambeau field clear for sunday's game. for the more than 40 million taking to the air this holiday season, tonight is the busiest night. more than 200,000 expected just at chicago's o'hare today. including this woman, who i think is the happi

abc's ginger zee shows us how we're doing tonight in the battle of man against nature. >> reporter: it's that brutal storm sending us careening into winter. roads littered with spinouts in salt lake. sending semis sliding in sioux city iowa. even our minneapolis affiliate's truck, skidding. >> we're gonna hit, we're gonna hit! >> reporter: and then the inevitable. >> oohhh. >> reporter: the storm inspiring strong words in colorado springs. >> i hate this. >> reporter: but this is not just about snow, it's that biting record breaking cold. terrorizing citrus crops in southern california. >> we've got our protection ready, our crews ready, our water, wind machines. >> reporter: watch this time lapse of a thermometer in denver, plunging from 54 to 10 in just 14 hours. when it's cold, veteran postal carrier shelton rhodes has a strategy. >> you said layers, proper shoes and then water? >> yes, you have to drink plenty of water. >> reporter: another warning, frostbite. it cans set in quick and can be deadly. in bismarck where the wind chill will drop to 40 below, you can get frostbite if expo

abc meteorologist ginger zee on the temperatures that could dip below zero and this new storm on the way. >> reporter: tonight, there is rejoicing. >> yes! i can't wait to have hot water again. it's going to be so awesome. >> reporter: and there is this -- >> this is just miserable. miserable. >> reporter: from michigan to maine a mix of emotions, some get their lights back on, and tens of thousands of people are still going into their sixth night now without power. that perpetual hum of generators, ruling the air in so many neighborhoods. it's been six days, since the worst ice storm in 15 years froze parts of new england solid. cut power to more than half the city of toronto. and left linda kern and her neighbors lightless in fenton, michigan. >> i am literally beat. just wore out. >> reporter: miserable, too, for businesses. no power means no money. as power crews work tirelessly, a new challenge. some of the ice will melt this weekend, even the warmup can cause power lines to come down. and when ice melts off the power line, the line can snap like a rubber band, with enough force

here's abc meteorologist ginger zee. >> reporter: it was a white day after christmas and a snowy nightmare in pennsylvania, at least four accidents shutting down parts of the turnpike for about eight hours, 35 cars piling up on the slick roads, injuring nine people. that fresh coat of snow also dusting the five-day-old ice. >> this is probably the worst time of year to have this happen. >> reporter: it was a frozen, dark christmas from michigan to toronto to maine as more than 120,000 homes are still without power tonight, including janice arnold from michigan on day five now without power. >> a tough christmas, huh? >> we have a generator now. in the beginning that was a little rough. >> reporter: crews working overtime, straight through the holiday to save folks from the extreme cold. >> my kids are at home and they're warm playing playstation and xbox and these kids are just trying to stay warm. >> reporter: the lack of power, including using generators inside which you shouldn't do, has led to at least five deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning, often called the silent killer because y

abc's ginger zee is tracking it all. >> reporter: from west michigan to western new york. roads barely visible. >> slow down, i was only doing 50, people were passing me big time. when they pass you, you can't see. >> reporter: she was part of a 40 car pile up in michigan. and in upstate new york, blinding bands of lake effect snow, dropping just inches in some towns, and more than four feet in others. our rob nelson is there. >> here in new york, it snowed overnight and half the day, now almost two feet of snow on the ground. >> reporter: then we had him drive just six miles south, six miles, and you get another two feet of snow. >> now we're here in downtown, you can see just how deep it is here up to my thighs. >> reporter: watch how fast it covers this car in lockport, new york. one hour later smothered. right now more than half the nation covered in snow. this time last year, only 27%. and tonight, more is on the way. so that lake effect had nothing to do with the snow that is now falling in parts of illinois and will speed overnight through the southern great lakes i

abc's extreme weather team is tracking it all tonight, and weather editor ginger zee starts us off. >> reporter: tonight, almost the entire nation is in the perilous grip of winter come early. >> this is unlike anything i've ever seen. >> reporter: in california, chilling winds, and all the way to new england several ice inspired spinouts. this is interstate 91. we're going south to new haven. you can see what happened on the northbound side. all that ice on top of the trees, the road and a huge back-up. over the weekend, deadly collision. near milwaukee, wisconsin, watch this traffic camera catching the entire pileup, car after car crashing into each other. in new york, a mangled mess. >> it's like a hockey rink right now. >> reporter: in texas, the inches of ice that kept david daugherty, his wife and toddler stuck in the car for 26 hours. >> i have been sitting in the same spot. i have not moved one foot from exit 380 in 11 hours. i've tried calling the police department. i've tried calling everybody and i can't hardly get anyone to answer the phone. >> reporter: officials telling

. >> and abc7 news anchor kristin zee spoke with a couple that now returned to china we have the interview for you. >> the big chill that settled in on the bay area for a week seems to be finally easing. but tomorrow is another spare the air day. that is the fifth one in a row. a record for us here in the bay area. spencer? >> air quality has been in decline. here is a look at live doppler seven hd. clear skies and a haze today. the matter in the atmosphere has been increasing. temperatures are, this is 24 hour temperature change. we're milder by several degrees. six degrees milder in oakland. you can see the cold snap is easing up but there are going to be cold spots tonight. coldest will be in the north bay valleys. temperatures dropping into 20s in many valley spots. sxf course increased risk of hypo therma. we have a spare the air day tomorrow, with poor air quality expected in the santa clara valley. medium over the remainder of the bay area. no wood burning during spare the air alert. >> thank you very much. >> so knowna county sheriff officials -- in october, eric gelhaus shot andy

. >> and abc7 news anchor kristin zee spoke with a couple that now returned to china we have the interview for you. >> the big chill that settled in on the bay area for a week seems to be finally easing. but tomorrow is another spare the air day. that is the fifth one in a row. a record for us here in the bay area. spencer? >> air quality has been in decline. here is a look at live doppler seven hd. clear skies and a haze today. the matter in the atmosphere has been increasing. temperatures are, this is 24 hour temperature change. we're milder by several degrees. six degrees milder in oakland. you can see the cold snap is easing up but there are going to be cold spots tonight. coldest will be in the north bay valleys. temperatures dropping into 20s in many valley spots. sxf course increased risk of hypo therma. we have a spare the air day tomorrow, with poor air quality expected in the santa clara valley. medium over the remainder of the bay area. no wood burning during spare the air alert. >> thank you very much. >> so knowna county sheriff officials -- in october, eric gelhaus shot andy