haven't seen in some time. the melting plus the rain, plus ice clogging the storm drains could cause flooding. >> big problems. tell us about the forecast today. >> driving along, not see it and come right into heavy water. deep water, perhaps. in some of the ramps and low lying areas, watch out for that this morning. we will have this rain tapering off and ending in another hour or so. mostly snow from iowa, all the way to maine. that is the going to continue there. here, the rain that we had overnight and this morning across maryland and the district, this is all rain. this is passing south to north. should be breaking up and ending in the next hour or two. there are a few pockets of freezing temperatures, haggerstourngs at bwi, and above freezing, pockets of freezing, most on tree limbs and power lines, and much warmer. by noon time, near 50. metro area. even warmer in central virginia, and overnight tonight, much colder. blustery northwest winds, 20s, and patchy ice as things refreeze. >> on 270, southbound, fuhead down from fredrick to clarks berg, all the way down to the split. we are doing okay. route 77 and route 550 are closed because of icing. we may come up with more later on on that we will continue to follow it. there may be along interstate 66, nothing but road spray, possible ponding of water in the curb lanes, particularly if the roads are drains are clogged. we have word of icy conditions over at the bay bridge. coming to and crossing over the eastern shore, be aware of that. >> right now, we are seeing no early issueos the rails. >> and we dodged a bullet, very little ice. a look at the conditions out there, tracee. >> good morning, good news, taking a look at what the rest of the country has to deal with. wet roads, that is what we are dealing with throughout our area. from here, 495 coming out here to gemantown. as you can see, wet roads. what we experienced. good news for commuters. three power lines with an icy coating. the farther north you g the more you are seeing that. we are expecting winds to come our way, before freezing temperatures. that is why the pepco crews have been standing by. pay attention to the branchs near power lines to make sure we don't have issues. they are ready to go to work, good news for the pepco customers. back here live, ponding. this is happening because of all the of the snow and all the rain, as you drive, we are not looking at flash flooding, but it will be a fast melt, when we get the high temperatures later on. temperatures we haven't seen in a while. temperatures we will be happy to see. with all of the snow, it has to go somewhere. it could be messy. 5:04, power on the fritz? how about the night at the ritz? pepco could be forced to soon pay for those in the cold. bouser introduced a bill that requires the power companies to pay if they don't get the power back on in 24 hours. chicago is buried beneath a foot of snow, and of that fell three to four inches overnight. this is the first time the interstate has ever been closed because of winter weather. >> the unrest in egypt, intensifying where it is about noon. pretesters said they would not leave until the president does. he told them me would not seek another term, but would finish the term for the remaining seven months. president obama spoke with mubarak and said, the change in leadership must begin now. students have been able to flee the country. two students are staying with family in the country. meanwhile, cairo airport is in a state of chaos. we are told. many prevent friday getting to the airport. they have respecting the place a close eye on the protest. many are concerned about relatives and friends. some say, they are energized by the changes they see coming. >> the people can chose someone who can control this country and hold it in a good way. >> they have collected money and clothing to send to egypt for relief. the dow finished above, the dow is up 20% since august. >> it is 5:07, still to come. >> anul lyanully -- >> warren county schools are opening two hours late. if you know anyone in michigan, at 5:11, the district at maryland, this is continuing to advance, should be tapering off and ending in another hour or two. low to mid 30s, it is now in the low 30s to right near the freezing mark. this is in northern parts of loudoun county, up toward washington, and northern fredrick, watch out for ice, elsewhere, roads are above freezing, and the pavement is wet. by 9:00, cloudy, sun breaking out with a blustery wind. the winds gusting to 35 miles an hour. blustery, and down in the mid 20s, watch osaturday, maybe raie afternoon. in ten minutes, on traffic. >> 295, capital street at potomac, traffic light problems, coming down you may count er. watch for road spray, and potential for pounding out there, and we are off to a good start. 5:12, 35. ahead on news 12, the latest on this str storm. >> and next, police in northern welcome back, 5:14, a tale of two cities. here is a looblg at chicago. the streets are buried. it is still coming down. then, take a look at our area. not to gloat. to rain here, the roads are wet. take caution. a few weather-related announcements. the federal government is open but an option for unscheduled leave or teleworking. >> it doesn't look like there is freezing, are you getting reports of freezing? >> we have icy patches reported in areas further north and west. around the d.c. area, a lot of standing water. >>. >> how do you handle ponding water? >> we can't put down salt, it would wash away. any reports of severe flooding, most of the times, it is because of a clogged storm drain. we can clean it, we are finding that some of the snow with the rain, caughting a lot of saturated ground. there is a possibility of a hydroplane situation. be careful out there. >> the rain washed away the salt and the chem cats. we have crews n that case. >> and a warning for fairfax county, police have a serial robber. most times it is homes in upscale neighborhoods. one owner said it was what they were looking f. >> they took my sister's jewelry, and sister's jewelry, antique jewelry you can't replace. >> a flash back, violent clashes, 100 students in the compast center, set aside for opportunity center. >> american airline added $500 this is the fifth height since december. no word if they want match the them. >> generic outline when something suspicious is detected. right now, the sofs this morning, we are tracking the massive winter storm. take a look at this light. >> many more will be cancelled today. 300 of they are hoping that a lot of people scram bring they handed out blankets, not a good situation. there are no could you tells re-booking is than the easy. people are skrangbling. they are getting to purpo rimmo, and ended up in the terminal. >> pretty freezing out. >> we talked to a few people who have gone on a number of different planes and -- >> it is like a night out. camping at the airport. a big mess out there. >> overnight, if was rain. most roadways above freezing, maryland and northern carol, and patchyite there. and the below freezing in fredrifre fredri fredrick. and climbing into the mid 50s, and plump to the near 40 on friday, president clinton. nothing but road spray at this point, potential for ponding of water. a lot of road spray. these people going in my opinion, too fast for conditions. now, the beltway, college park, silver spring. route 550, 77 are closed because of icy conditions. so far so good. >> 5:23, why a los angeles police want to have a serious conversation with lindsay lohan. >> and a senator snub, what happened when drink in the rich, bold taste... of premium roast coffee -- 100% arabica beans. it's so rich, but so just a dollar. on the dollar menu at breakfast. and that's what we'rma of. ♪ ba da ba ba ba wo you look great! thanks! it's this new wish yourself thin pgram. i just wish it and it happens. it's probably those fiber one bars you're eating. i know they help me stick to my diet. the bars are 90 calories and the fiber helps you feel full. 90 calories and high fiber. so that's why this diet thing is working. but it's weird because my wish for lorenzo came true. 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[ male announcer ] amtrak guest rewards members, take three round trips on acela and get one free. details on amtrak.com. clearing out the freezing rain that moved into our area, moving past us. there are issues to watch out for this morning. >> right now, most of the country is dealing with a blizzard, the massive storm stretching for 2000 miles, causing problems from oklahoma to connecticut. >> it is groundhog day, february 2nd. a short list of weather related closings. the federal government is open this morning. there is an option for unscheduled leave and unscheduled telework. >> warren county schools, middle town, and high schools, and feeder schools opening two hours late. >> morlgan county schools are opening two hours late. >> tom is here with a look at the weather and the forecast. >> the higher elevation ds g-- rape, the extent of this storm, iowa all the way to maine. and our local radar showing light rain that is lingering a bit in northern virginia, and the district. most of it is continuing to pull out of the region. we have had seven tenths of an inch of rain. some of the power lines, with a tenth of an inch of ice on them. the roads are wet. >> a sloppy commute, springfield. headlights, everybody is moving along. and a lot of road spray. watch out for from the river, to the capital beltway, okay so far. we will keep our fingers crossed. down to four koshers and silver spring, no hang ups to report. route 15 is fine. county, a couple of roads are close and mcclane. old dominion at birch is closed, a power pole came down. detours in place. >> a look at this video, heavy rain fell in d.c., maryland and virginia, it is making for a wet and in some places a dangerous commute. tracee. >> reporter: we have light drizzle out here. a couple of things happening. it feels like it is below freezing because of the wind. on the ground, it is above freezing. what we are doing with freezing temperatures, that is up in the air. the roads are below freezing, all this rain, we are seeing ponding. you see the snow is melting, and the rain is accumulating. you can see how wet it is out there. maryland state highway, dealing with issues of ponding, across much of their highways. they want to make sure that folks are prepared and know that there is a possibility of them hydroplaning, and be very careful during your commute. look at this tree here, a harmless tree, want to make sure you understand, what they are thinking may happen, some of the freezing temperatures could cause tree limbs to snap and cause power failure. pepco brought in crews in the possibility of that. the possibility of ponding. they are saying, take your time. although it is not slick like yesterday, they are dangerous conditions. all that snow and ice, some of the other areas are seeing. >> thank you very much. 5:35. you don't have to go too far north to find the conditions deteriorate. a massive winter storm is moving through. chicago is in the cross hairs, part of the region is buried. winds are gusting at 50 miles per hour. freezing rain and ice, thousands of homes and businesses are in the dark because of downed power lines. new england and the northeast are bracing for the storm's arrival. >> the storm has brought air travel to a virtual standstill. later this hour, we will check in to see how things are looking there. >> there are players in the unrest in egist. they are confronting protefd teste testers. >> you can see, the egyptian embassy. the mandatory evacuation of nonessential personnel, and today, evacuating over a thousand americans. the president agreed that his 30-year rule is coming to an d end. >> a bunch of problems that will affect the whole world, in regards, the middle east, versus, having no friends in the middle east. >> the people can shoos, we can rule this country in a good way. >> that, those two opinions were from locals reacting to the situation in egypt. thousands of protesters, hundreds of thousands, demanding the outer of molarec. in a ten-minute address, said he would not step down but would not run again. on a side note, restoration is back up and running. >> 5:38 is your time. 35. lawmakers vote on whether or not lawmakers vote on whether or not to have a the moment you feel run down or achy nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again. oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud. can see, looking at the capital, ponding and flooding out there. when is this rain going to end, tom? >> shortly, i am happy to say. we have had this drilling, cold rain, there is still light rain, most of the heavier rain is north and east of us. leaving three-quarters of an inch of rain. washington county. freezing continues there. watch out, icing on roadways there. most of the icing has been on elevated surfaces. a 10th to a quarter of an inch from there. and a blustery wind, gusting to 35 miles an hour. temperatures climb into the mid 50s, warmer in virginia. colder, afternoon highs, a look at sunday in the next week at 5:51. >> keep your distance this morning, the good news, no hang ups to report, a lot of road spray. one more spot, northern virginia, 66, same story, watch for ponding in the curb layups. vre and marc, doing well. out on the rails. it is 36 degrees, in just over ten minutes, live to (announcer) while there are some home disasters you can't avoid, there is one you can. septic system breakdowns affect 1.2 million homes each year. septic backups can cost about six thousand dollars in expense, and countless hours of repair. rid-x. help save yourself from disaster. 5:45, a few weather related announcements. the federal government is open, there is an option for unscheduled leave or telework. >> maryland, middle town and their feeder schools are opening late. morgan county schools are opening two hours late this morning. there is a bitter battle taking place between arlin ton county school system and one of the principals, principal francis is quitting and wants everyone to know why. it read quote "it is unavoidable because of the work environment for me in the public schools. the arlington county public school system offered a response, aps will continue to respond with a higher level of professionalism. we deny there has been any discrimination. francis has worked for the schools for 18 years. strong opposition from retail and manufacturing lobbies, the tax would have required to charge customers five sents for blastic bags. they vow to reintroduce the bill next year. right now, the district charges five cent tax on bags. >> it is a new gm random searching bag policy is hear to stay. the board of directors was asked to stop the searchs until the policy could be reviewed. >> the federal triangle and smithsonia stations, trains will be single tracking. >> because of the weather storm making its way across the country, a lot of people are waking up at the airport. more are expestranded. >> and yes, they ended up hire, missed their connecting flight. we have heard a lot of different stories. there are a few who are scrumbling to reach their final destination. we have had thousands of flights cancelled nationwide. 300 flights cancelled today. we have more delayos top of that i am not -- it is difficult for folks to roll -- the man, slept in a chair. >> talk about was it? >> painful. you are sitting up, and going like this. you know. >> everybody understands it is a weather thing. bottom line, if you have plans today, familiaring even if you are not traveling to one of the areas there has been so many cancellations, flights not going to the affecting they have had to recruit planes. call your >> may be some kanz cancellations. >> dominion virginia have 300 in the clean area right now. we will get winds. gusting to 35 miles an hour. most of the rare. look at this live, a near whe wheat -- white out. the city of chicago is paralyzed right now. look at the radar, from iowa to maine, it is snowing. southern condition da, snowing this massive storm system is continuing to move off to the north and advancing below freezing at ail the road surfaces, for the most part are above freezing. >> some of that mild air, ponding of water. winds increasing. partly cloudy, blustery tonight, back below freezing after midnight. and watch out for patchy ice from the snow melt tomorrow. and the winds diminishing, partly cloudy, high near 40 on friday. is the, maybe wet snow, and traffic? >> along the gw parkway, again, live pictures, gw parkway, off the runway, grabbing the -- traffic will be sloes on the gw barque way. slick roadways, dealing with that, and up in mountains. everything is doing fine so far. if all goes well, there may be an addition to the zoo. she and chin-chin were not able to mate naturally. pandas have a very breathe maiting since are critical. >> in the small town of punxsutawney , a groundhog will emerge to tell us if we are in for more winter. it looks like the party already started. >> they got here earlier they did know not -- the ice that is building up, as the rain comes down. it freechs look over this way. an idea of how much people well out here already. hundreds and hundreds of people here. at 7:25, if he doesn't see his shadow, we are in for an early spring. my prediction, anybody in the path, we will be talking about the effects of this one. >> is there anything we can do to make sure he doesn't. we will hold something over him, so he doesn't see any shoddo do they believe that phil will have the answer, the ultimate weather redi predictor. >> people came once to check it off the bucket list, but to me, there is no alcohol involved. out here wearing crazy hats for the pure enjoyment of it. >> do you think it was -- >> i know punxsutawney phil knows what he speaks. ring ring ring ring progresso. hi. we love your weight watchers endorsed soups but my husband looks the way he did 20 years ago. well that's great. you haven't seen him... my other can is ringing. progresso. hey can you tell my wife to relax and enjoy the view? 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