Thousands of extra officers on guard. We take you inside the command center and the massive operations to keep the millions prepared to watch the ball drop safe. Talk to me baby were counting down to the Biggest Party of the year, Ryan Seacrest is here live in times square only on gma. As we get ready to rock new years eve taking you behind the scenes for the very first look at the times square crystal ball as its lit up for the start of the big party. Youll be naomi crazy crazy hey, good morning, tminus one day till new years eve and final look at the preparations in times square where millions of people are expected to watch the ball drop. And there is the famous crystal ball weighing in at 12,000 pounds. Its got 32,000 l. E. D. Lights which are about to get turned on for the very first time in for a special treat and turn those on before the big drop. See it only here on gma. Theyve been doing this since 1907. Theyll be charging the batteries as we speak. New york city, by the way, taking no chances with security beefing up its socalled ring of steel to keep the millions of people who are going to come out here safe tomorrow night. Dan and i reveal well probably be in bed by 00 or 9 00. Big plans new years eve . Well be in matching onesies watching tv. Thank you for the visual. Well have much more on that, not dan in his onesies but more on the preparations. The escalating tensions between russia and United States. You are looking live at the kremlin, the center of the russian government where officials are talking retaliation this morning. Yeah, this comes after president obama announced new sanctions against russia, payback for the alleged hacking of our president ial election. Abcs mary bruce is at the white house with the latest on this story. Mary, good morning to you. Reporter good morning. Thats right. An eye for an eye. Russia is promising to fight back set to expel dozens of american diplomats after the u. S. Did the same, president obama has given 35 Russian Diplomats until noon on sunday to leave the country and hit moscow with tough sanctions, the president saying every american should be alarmed by russias cyberattacks and harassment of u. S. Officials. Its an unprecedented strike, the white house punishing russia in part for interfering in the u. S. Election. President obama taking executive action expelling 35 Russian Diplomats, giving them and their families just 72 hours to get out. And shutting down two russian compounds, a 45acre estate on the maryland shore bought by the russians in 1973. And this long island mansion, a beachfront manor once owned by an Oil Executive bought by the russians in the 50s. In moscow, two leading intelligence agencies slapped with sanctions, four top officials too including the head of military intelligence. The u. S. Also targeting two notorious cybercriminals wanted by the fbi. One accused of stealing 100 million. Not on the list, the russian president. Even though president obama has strongly suggested putin was aware of the attacks. Not much happens in russia without Vladimir Putin. Reporter and theres also retaliation we dont know about. The president promising the actions announced are not the sum total of our response. Russia is blasting the measures, a kremlin spokesman calling them unpredictable and aggressive and theyre accusing the white house of trying to undercut the Incoming Trump administration. The president elect suggests the crackdown is misguided saying in a statement that while hell meet with Intelligence Leaders next week, its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Trump has questioned whether russia was behind the hacking. They have no idea if its russia or china or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. Reporter but the white house says there is no question, russia interfered. The administration releasing new declassified details explaining how russian groups hacked the democratic party, at times tricking officials into handing over their credentials by mimicking their employers email systems. Now, in just three weeks a President Trump could undo these measures but both sides of the aisle support these tough actions. Russia promises they are coming up with measures that will make americans feel uncomfortable. They appear to be the one thing that both are agreeing on. Mary, thank you. We want to bring in colonel Steve Ganyard and matt dowd. Gentlemen, thanks for joining us on this friday. Good morning. And, steve, lets start with you. This appears to be the beginning of a new cold war. You just heard in marys peace the Russian Foreign minister is proposing expelling diplomats there in russia. Yeah, i dont think its a new cold war, paula. I think this is more like cold war 2. 0 and been going on for several years and so i think what were seeing at the end of the Obama Administration is playing out the last chapter in the putin obama saga, but its a cold war thats been going on for several year, the 35 people we kicked out is a strong message. Theyll retaliate. The sanctions arent impressive. The reset button that president obama was looking for at the beginning of his administration is really going to be President Trumps here in the next few months. Do you think these sanctions go far enough and do you think a President Trump will roll them back anyway. Well see what he does. I was thinking this morning, dan, about how weve lost so many stars from the 1980s in the course of 2016 and now we have a president elect who is burying the Foreign Policy of Ronald Reagan who called russia and the soviet union an evil empire and he is basically saying were done with that. Its time to move on. I find it fascinating that donald trump said its time to move on from a cyberwar, an active cyberwar with russia but he actually cant move on from a bad restaurant review or not winning an emmy for apprentice. It is an amazing situation. Curious for sure. Steve, the Trump Administration said that it could taeko vert action. What exactly does that mean . Well, covert in the sense that we would do something and we wouldnt have our fingerprints on it but youve nalled it it doesnt make much sense either so i think if they do something theres a real danger with an offensive cyberattack on russia because we really dont know what the second and Third Order Effects of one of those attacks are. It could blow back on the United States and the clock is also ticking here, paula. The Current Administration doesnt want to create a mess that has to be cleaned up because then it would become part of their legacy so its something going to be hacked back it has to happen in the next days if not weeks. Could turn into a mess. Steve ganyard and matt dowd, we appreciate your analysis and happy new year. All right, lets bring the focus back to times square where unprecedented security measures are being put in place for new years eve. An army of Police Officers are set to guard the millions who will be right here outside our studio watching the ball drop and abcs linzie yanez is covering all of the safety precautions for us this morning. Hi, linzie. Reporter good morning, paula. These are just some of the 65 sanitation trucks the nypd is packing with sand. Theyll form a kind of ring of steel around times square. It is the first time theyve ever been deployed at a new years celebration to prevent at tacks like weve seen in berlin and nice. This morning, the nypd preparing an unprecedented level of security for the 2 Million People expected to gather in times square to watch the ball drop. This will be a very well protected event, probably our most protected event with multiple layers of security. Reporter the plan months in the making includes that perimeter of 65 sanitation trucks packed with sand. Plus, 100 blocker vehicles designed to prevent terrorists from driving trucks into the crowds like they did during the attacks in berlin killing 12 and in nice killing 86 and there will be an extra 7,000 Police Officers from highly visible special ops units to rooftop surveillance teams. Authorities putting up 65 viewer pens from times square to 59th street. Each holding up to 3,000 people. All of them required to pass through multiple checkpoints. We visited the nypd joint Operation Center where dozens of representatives from city, state and federal agencies will coordinate on new years eve including monitoring over 10,000 security cameras across the city. What will be on the screens . Youll see a lot of times square, obviously, we will have our aircraft up, theyre flying over an area and can send a direct link of what theyre seeing here. Reporter chief monahan tells me the main difference between last year and this year, again, is the sanitation trucks, they weigh 16 tons empty, double that when theyre packed with sand. The aim is to make times square a fortress. Dan. Linzie, thank you. Another big question as we head into new years eve, the weather. Our rob marciano is on top of number One Times Square right where the ball will drop. Hey, rob, good morning. Good morning, dan. Hello, paula. This is going to be the star of the show for sure, the big ball that will drop on new years eve counting us down to 2017. Here is the storm that is bombed out meaning it has intensified the last 24 hour, now heading into new brunswick, windy behind this thing and lakeeffect snow showers are going to continue to crank up down to the carolinas and much colder than it has been, windchills well below freezing this morning with teens in parts of michigan and western new york. All right, here we go. The ball drop for new years eve looking at 39 degrees here in new york city with a windchill of 30. Chance of rain or snow showers but most should hold off until after midnight and be a disturbance across the southeast and the northwest and southwest. Maybe unusual rain over hollywood. Speaking of hollywood, Ryan Seacrest will be here later in the hour where we will fully light the ball scheduled to drop in less than 48 hours. Dan and paula, back to you. All right, rob, thank you. I bet you he has an amazing view from up there. Well see it later. Now to that snow emergency in parts of the country causing a winter gridlock on highways this holiday weekend. To Adrienne Bankert in northampton, massachusetts, for us, hi, adrienne. Reporter hi to you, paula. Yes, theyve had a chance to clean up in northampton and in communities surround here they received up to about half a foot of snow. Its been a messy ride, plows have been out all night. As that major winter storm creates a travel nightmare in the northeast. Unless you have fourwheel drives i suggest not even getting on the roads. Reporter commuters struggling to brave the 30mileanhour winds. Plow, hitting the streets in full force. Working through the night to try to clear the roads for millions of drivers, vehicles sliding on snowy roads in parts of new england. Others left stranded. One man hoping brute force will get his car back on the road. In maine the snow causing this truck to roll over. And these two cars to lose control and collide. The capital of vermont already under nearly a foot of snowfall. In saratoga springs, new york, cars grinding to a halt in the white stuff. Amid this massive gridlock on the highway in pennsylvania, one family choosing to pass the time by building a snowman. You know we stopped by the Public Works Department early this morning and plows will be out all throughout the day. Of course, theyve got to prepare for the new years eve celebrations planned for this weekend. 10,000 to 15,000 will descend on Downtown Northampton to watch their own ball drop and rob has been in times square, i know, paula, back to you. It looks so pretty as were watching from the studio. Stay warm. Breaking news to get to. The coast guard is actively searching for a missing plane with six people on board. The cessna jet like this one was heading from cleveland to Ohio State University in columbus with three adults, three children on board and lost radar contact over lake erie just after takeoff. Coast guard boats and aircraft have been actively searching throughout the night and this morning, well make sure to stay on top of this for you on this friday. Meanwhile, a fatal accident on the slopes in colorado, i mother and her two daughters when they fell out of a chair lift. The mom did not survive. How did this happen . Abcs Clayton Sandell is on the story from aurora. Good morning, clayton. Reporter and good morning, dan. Weve here at the Childrens Hospital where one of those girls was injured and medevacked and injured in an accident that experts tell us is extremely rare. In morning authorities are investigating a deadly accident on the slopes. Ems station one respond to ski granby ranch. Reporter a 40yearold mother from texas and her two daughters falling thursday from this chair lift at the ski granby ranch in colorado. We do know they fell from the chair lift and immediately ski patrol was on scene. Reporter paramedics rushing the family to hospitals transporting one 9yearold girl by helicopter. Her 12yearold sister by ambulance. Their mother did not survive the fall. Investigators are now trying to determine exactly how and why the three fell out. Its a sad day in the ski business. This type of incident is extremely rare. Reporter statistics show chair lifts are normally very safe. Over the past 40 years just 12 people have died from a malfunction. The ski industry says lifts are safer than elevators. But accidents do happen. Last year seven people were injured when this ski lift in maine suddenly started rolling backwards. Ow, my arm. Reporter this boys backpack got caught leaving him dangling and rescue workers putting him to safety. Youre all right. Reporter now this morning we still dont know whether this was a mechanical issue or rider error but either way until investigators figure it out that ski lift will be shut down. Dan, paula. Just so incredibly sad. Clayton, thank you. Thinking of that family this morning. We do want to shift gears. I think this might unequivocally be our favorite story of the day. Lets see. May seem like Science Fiction but amazon is working on highflying plans for future deliveries and t. J. Holmes has the companys plan to take flight with floating warehouses, yes, t. J. Yes, and, paula, lets be clear about what were talking about. You place an order on amazon and the merchandise you order and the drone that brings it dekrendz from the sky from a floating warehouse where theyve been stored so in a kies like this track your package, all you have to do is look up. Weve heard all about drones dropping packages, pizza and presents at your doorstep. Now amazon has plans to take it a step further. The online behemoth hoping to move your Big Box Store out of the strip mall into the sky complete with an army of drones to deliver directly to your door within minutes. Sound a little like Close Encounters of the drone kind or something dreamed up by the jetsons. These airbern Fulfillment Centers would store all your favorite amazon goodies inside. Once the order is placed on amazon. Com the drones would be released delivering your dvds, books, yoga pants, whatever, directly to your door. But tech experts say that despite amazons grand plans shoppers shouldnt be looking to the skies just yet. Its not uncommon at all for companies to file and receive approval for dozens and dozens of patents that they may have no intention of putting the resources behind to bring them to fruition. If theres one company that can make it happen, it might very well be amazon. So, again, they have been experimenting with this already but the drones were talking and some of the deliveries made have been drones that pick up something from a warehouse and bring it to you. These would be stationed in the sky and, again, lets be clear will we all pretend there is no drone here . Focus right here. I need you to focus. Im a pro. No, but like she said, they apply for the patent just in case down the road they want to do it. Amazing that, yes, technology all of it is right there these days in the palm of your hand. Speaking of in the palm of your hand oh we need to get a replay of that. How many times did you practice . I was not practicing. Didnt i just say i was a professional. You are a professional. My drone operator. He goes with me everywhere. Hes leaving now. We put it in dans hands. Dan harris, you were so close. Oh. Sorry. I broke the drone. Im so sorry. Im getting the evil eye here so we should probably actually he said ill get a bill in the mail. Yeah. You did break it, dan. Come on. Cow be gentle just once . Im being told we need to go to the weather. Rob, can you save me . Youre out there in times square. Whats popping . Im giving you the the evil as well. Im freezing up here. Temperatures are feeling well below the freezing mark but if yo look at this out of Mount Washington this worker going out to check things out. 100mile winds, windchills 20 below. Now the weekend get aways brought to you by moz did mazda. Reporter hi, everyone, david murphy here with an update from accuweather. Were dry on Storm Tracker 6 live double scan, but were cold. Heading outside there will be sunshine early, temperatures in the 30s and windchills in the mid to upper 20s the wind are building as we head through the day. The exclusive accuweather sevenday forecast, 41, windchills in the 20s, 43 on new years eve, sun an clouds, 40 by midnight. 350, milder on new years day. M im in the shame corner. Sdwlurs okay. Coming up new details on the final farewell for Carri