and the last snowstorm, girls were out sledding on the south lawn and suspected something like that to happen. >> i dare you to throw a snowball to the camera lens before the day is out. >> oh, don't do that. >> that's what i want. to the weather channel in atlan atlantic city. >> reporter: the snow began yesterday evening and continued well into the overnight hours. at time snow fall is a half-inch to an inch per hour. you can see the wind continues to pick up. and there are warm conditions inside the casinos but just on the other side of casinos that's where we have the boardwalk and atlantic ocean where a coastal flood warning is in effect, looking for a water rise on the beach, 1-3 feet and we can see heavy wet snow accumulating in atlantic city, new jersey, good for making snowballs and snow wind. the area i'm at, snow drift over a foot, a blowing snow, but on the sidewalk and roadways, anywhere from 6-7 inches has already fallen. some brave folks are still on the roadways, certainly not advised here. this is the atlantic city expressway, treacherous driving conditions. a blizzard warning continues at least through this evening in atlantic city, new jersey with gusting winds at 45-50 miles an hour and at times visibility is near zero. back to you. >> thanks. we have a lot more snow coverage to bring. in just a few minutes, back to new jersey for live reports and check on the storm's path with meteorologist bill karins for you. let's go to miami now. super bowl preparations under way. security is issue number one before the big game. it is beefed up this year in light of the recent terror scares. joining me outside the sun life stadium, from miami station wtvj, carolyn, i know security is especially tight this year, what will face the fans inside the stadium. >> reporter: that's right. when you have 75,000 people all ascending on the same place at the same time, you better bet security is at its best. we have almost every agency you can imagine all working together on tomorrow's big game. the fbi set up a joint operation command center in broward county for all these agencies to work out of, the atf, coast guard, secret service, fbi and all the local agency in south florida as well, literally thousands of federal, state and local officials will be patrolling not only the stadium but airports and hotels and seaports and all the other hot spots. if you actually have tickets to the game, you will see even tighter restrictions here, a lot of items prohibited. we'll get into that later this morning as we continue to follow the security aspect from the stadium. back to you. >> you mentioned the tickets, are there any tickets left to be had? >> reporter: as of last night, alex, we understand there are some tickets still to left be had. they were going for at least $2,000 and understand it may be higher for tickets left. >> pretty pricey. thank you for the update. still ahead, sarah palin's big moment in the spotlight. she's scheduled to speak at the tea party convention but has it turned into something of a disappointment? also the latest on the toyota recall and how american car companies are using that to their advantage. we continue to follow this breaking news, the massive snowstorm hitting the east coast, washington expected to get a record 2 1/2 feet. you're watching "msnbc saturday." your walgreens pharmacist also dispenses wisdom... to help you stay well. so if you're on medicare part d, schedule a free one-on-one plan review session... with your walgreens pharmacist. they'll review all your medications... no matter where they're from... and help you get the most from your plan. so you can relax and enjoy all your benefits. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. [ snoring ] [ snort ] [ male announcer ] for a better-looking tomorrow. vicks nyquil cold & flu. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold...medicine. ♪ ♪ three decadent flavors. 60 calories. it's me o'clock. time for jell-o. impact fishing markets in japan, marine legislation in the u.s., and food consumption in italy? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information to read and consider carefully before investing. there is some snow in new jersey right now. there have been blizzard-like conditions along most of new jersey's shoreline. you can still see it coming down, a pretty brutal night about 9:00 p.m. last night and lofts snow plows out on the roads. most advisories say stay off those roads if you can possibly help it. air travel has been wreaked with havoc in the central atlantic states and d.c. area. even amtrak is affected. stay with us, we iwill update this shortly. tonight, the first ever tea party convention culminates in a keynote address by sarah palin. msnbc will bring your her speech live at 9:00 p.m. tonight and a look inside that convention and what it has and has not accomplished. i'm joined live by msnbc's political reporter and jon dekker, washington correspondent for reuters. good morning to both of you. >> good morning to you, alex. >> real quick, what was it like getting into the studio? >> it was tough. a dogsled would have worked this morning. i was fortunate to have msnbc send me an escalade to pick me up, what you need. two feet of snow has fallen. >> we're taking care of you. >> let's talk to you, dominica, what's it like leading up to sarah palin's keynote speech. what do you expect to hear from her? >> there's lots of excitement. you can see them setting up for breakfast, everybody anticipating this, the main event. we expect she will speak about 30 to 45 minutes starting at 9:00 and then take 15 minutes of preselected, pre-screened questions. remember, these aren't questions, it's not going to be like the british question time everyone is talking about with barack obama or anything like that. we will see these are people who like her, those are the kinds of questions we're expecting to hea hear. >> jon, i'm curious, given the explanation of what the questions will be like, who stands to benefit more from the keynote address? the tea party movement or sarah palin? >> i think it's more like a simbiotic relationship. the tea party benefits by sarah's presence. i don't think they would have gotten 600 attendees if she doesn't show up. sarah palin benefits as she taps into this movement responsible in part for scott brown's election in massachusetts and this party feels energized and feel they have a lot on the side of their movement. sarah palin, whatever she decides in her political future could use that kind of energy, kind of movement for whatever she decides to do in her political career. >> domenico, 600 people, how is that in terms of turnout, is that disappointing when you talk about millions feeling dis disenfranchised who may have sympathies at certain points with this tea party movement. 600 people, put it in perspective. >> reporter: look, they sold out this event. they weren't looking to have a million people march here at the opryland hotel. that wasn't the goal. the goal was 600 people for palin -- for the whole convention, they will expand that to 1100 people for the banquet that starts tonight at 8:00. they're not billing this as some kind of disappointment. it's exactly what they were looking for and they sold out the event. >> jon, is this a real representation of the larger movement, these 600 or is this movement overall too fractured to have real representation yet? >> reporter: right now, it is fractured. that's a very good word to describe the tea party movement. there is no leader. i think certain politicians, maybe sarah palin is one of them who would like to be a lead over the tea party movement. this is not the kind of convention we are used to seeing with major political parties. 600 people, i think, doesn't really reflect what the movement may be like in certain parts of the country. certain parts of the country, there may not be a tea party movement. but certainly in the south, it has caught on and many of the attendees, will tell you, at this particular convention have come from nearby, in the southern part of the country. >> interesting. i guess the words "tea party movement," is it a party? is it a movement? we'll talk about that further ahead. thanks so much. still ahead, the latest on the path of the massive snowstorm that has buried washington. it is moving north and we have the forecast coming up on "msnbc saturday." you're the colon lady! diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating. that's me! can i tell you what a difference phillips' colon health has made? it's the probiotics. the good bacteria. that gets your colon back in balance. i'm good to go! phillips' colon health. ♪ (announcer) right now, all over the country, discover customers are getting five percent cashback bonus on travel. it pays to get more, it pays to discover. rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults, heart failure, nervous system disorders, liver or blood problems, and allergic reactions. before starting simponi™, your doctor should test you for tb and assess your risk of infections, including fungal infections and hepatitis b. ask your doctor if you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, or develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start simponi™ if you have an infection. [ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. just one dose, once a month. working together is a thing of beauty. like the incredible scent of gain detergent... and fabric softener. ( inhales deeply ) the incredible matching scents... magnifico! of gain detergents and fabric softeners. ole! brand over the last decade... ...is now over the counter at walmart as prevacid 24hr - to treat frequent heartburn. over the counter. unbeatable prices. talk about a relief. save money. live better. walmart. talk about a mess. you know what that is? that is reagan national airport and planes serious ly ground. they're not going anywhere. reagan airport does remain open in terms of trying to clear the runways but it does not open until later this afternoon. you have to take my word for it. now to staten island, new jersey, where it's coming down pretty fast -- staten island, new york, just lost that shot. where we are, mid-town, 30 rock, nothing. go figure. right now, the president of toyota says he is sorry from the bottom of his heart for the safety problems plaguing his customers and he says he is calling in outside experts to conduct a top to bottom review of toyota's quality controls and meanwhile, others are hoping their troubles continue because they want to benefit from the bottom line. good morning. welcome to you. this is good morning if you look at american carmakers perspectives, they picked up? sn>> american gm and chrysler offering incentives and asking people to bring toyotas in and trade in for a domestic vehicle. chrysler has vehicles to line up with their existing line like minivan and dodge trucks. and honda is the one non-domestic that's gone after toyota. >> let's talk about the hybrid problems with prius. talk about the problems they're experiencing. >> the problem seems to be, this vehicle drives by wires, actually a computer that engages between your computer and actual brakes. what people are experiencing, a little bit of delay from the time they're pressing on the brakes to when they're feeling the brake engage. >> that's not good. >> no. in an emergency situation, that's disconcerting for a driver. >> what are they doing about that? >> we don't know. the meeting yesterday with mr. toyoda did not address it directly. we hope to see software upgrades soon? >> i don't mean to bash but when you have problems with the gas pedal and break, for a company built on reliability. it's always been the timex of cars, right? >> absolutely. toyota, this recall episode they're having and adding a lot of pages to this episode really goes right to the core of what's built toyota, which has been their quality and reliability and safety. this is really hitting them straight on. we'll see how it affects customers. what we're seeing, it's a testament how long they've had this great brand, we're seeing customers actually remaining on the site, shopping toyotas and waiting to see how this plays out. >> looking for cheap deals? >> exactly. we're waiting for customers to see this fix in and maybe go to toyota and get a great discount. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> and the blizzard hitting the mid-atlantic region hand the latest on flight cancellations, lots of them. we'll talk about storm warnings next on "msnbc saturday." smooth, even tone, reduce the look of lines and pores, and lock in moisture. 7-in-1 olay total effects. day after day, allergy season drags on. oh, how many days are you going to suffer? nasonex is the only prescription that'prov to help prevent most seasonal nasal allergy symptoms, including congestion, so you can have more symptom-free days. [ female announcer ] side effects were generally mild d included headache, viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. it does not come in generic form, so ask your doctor about nasonex. [ female announcer ] and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions. announcer: you could buy 300 bottles of water. or just one brita filter. ( drop plinks ) brita-- better for the environment and your wallet. at the end of the day in sitka, alaska, everyone awaits the return of the fishing boats. their safe arrival is highly anticipated. as is something else. a shipment of natural sea salt from cargill, essential for preserving the catch. we deliver the salt on precise schedules and ship it efficiently all along the alaskan coast. saving the fishermen money and their catch. this is how cargill works with customers. getting another look at -- i can pretty much make up anywhere and tell you where that is, it is reagan national airport believe it or not. as you can well imagine, that airport is closed for business, other than the crews keeping up with the snowfall and keep the runway up as much as possible when they do open, somewhere around 2:00 p.m., fingers crossed, they can get flights running pretty quickly. bill karins is saying, i don't think so. it's "msnbc saturday." i'm alex witt. half past the hour, your headlines. the nation's mid-atlantic is in the throws of what could be the biggest storm in history. we'll have more live coverage in a moment as we give you a look at the white house. that american missionary detained in north korea since christmas day is on his way home. robert park was captured illegally in the country and arrived in beijing and expected to depart for the u.s. sometime later today. and those missionaryies arrested in haiti are still there and there are three more hearings next week. police looking at a man trying to fish money out of bank night deposit boxes. this is video of him using a fishhook to get money but yet to make a catch. >> is those two giant pandas settling in their new home, both offspring from pandas loaned to the u.s. they will be kept under observation to make sure they remain in good health. those are your best five headlines. back to the mid-atlantic, the entire state of new jersey is under some sort of storm warning, the worst hitting the south new jersey shore. how is new york city going to fair. that's atlantic city. hard to distinguish, like where's the boardwalk? can't see that. we will find glenn zimmerman joining me live from staten island, new york. yep, still coming down, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we have about 2 inches of light fluffy stuff. sorry, freddie, didn't mean to get you that badly and doing a stomp gives you a sense of it. we've definitely seen more accumulation, no more black top on hills. i just heard a car go over a big bump. i don't know if you caught that. it's hard to see. definitely hard to see. we've seen cars spinning out a bit and having a hard time getting traction going up the hill. as the camera continues to pan, we see a salt truck. we know salt spreaders have been out all morning, pretreating roads. at this point since we have approximately 2 inches, according to the department of sanitation, they don't begin plowing until there's 2 inches on the ground. they will begin plowing shortly. as you pointed out, it's a very specific storm, bands very specific. right now we're getting heavy downfall of snow but doesn't mean other sections of new york will be seeing this. staten island is the "washington post" post" -- worst of what new york is seeing. and pretty wet and slick, could translate to problems on the road. if you are out and about, these are words to the wise. one thing we're definitely sees is definitely seeing people with snow shovels back to you. >> i will get to bill karins in a second. adam, our director, can you pull up the city of time square? staten island is part of new york city, one of five boroughs, look at the difference. it's remarkably, how long has it been snowing in staten island and pretty much nothing in manhattan. >> reporter: we left manhattan 4:00 in the morning and no snow. we started getting out to brooklyn, a mix at 5:00, staten island, just a mix, nothing. by 6:00, 6:30, it started picking up and didn't see snow falling like this until a half hour ago and what we've seen happen as the morning progressed and been this way about a half hour. really interesting storm. the meteorologist talking how these bands are so very specific and i heard it referred to as the storm of miles. one mile it's doing one thing and a mile away, doing something completely different. here i am in the snow and if you walked outside, you'd be dry. >> not a bad hair day for me. glenn zimmerman, thanks. we will talk to our meteorologist, bill karins. but right now to the south new jersey shore, blizzard warning in effect and tom is standing by for us. what's it like where you are. >> reporter: good morning. you mentioned jersey shore. when you say jersey shore, this is not the image you think of, an absolute whiteout. it started at 9:00. we think there's 6-10 inches on the ground and we know that because of our unscientific news prop, snow shovel from the truck. atlantic city has really gotten the brunt of this storm so far. 500 road crews in the garden state on the road, snow plow trucks and salt trucks to make sure the highways are clear. so far no injuries reported, a few accidents but that's the extent of any accident caused. we're expecting this blizzard warning to be in effect until 7:00 tonight. this is not the jersey shore on mtv or in the summer, this is what was talked about during "white christmas" when he wrote that. whipping winds and heavy snow. that's the latest. back to you. >> can i say thank you for not putting that mtv version of "jersey shore" on? from the bottom of my heart. let's get to meteorologist bill karins tracking the winter storm in the studio. we have seen evidence. you're absolutely right with your predictions. what's the latest? >> that you love that show? "jersey shore?" >> you love that show? >> no. it's my 2010 hater show. last year was "jon & kate plus 8." >> we have new ones in for you, dulles, 18-inches officially and reagan, 14 inches. d.c. continues to add up. but baltimore in the jack port area, the latest i heard was 20 and one place has 30 inches of snow, literally lightning in the sky and 4 inches an hour during the overnight period, the highest i heard. this is all white, southern jersey on your right side. i-95, pretty much impassable from d.c. to baltimore, where the heaviest snow is, maryland and delaware finally getting into the act. last night, rain and sleet and now all snow in dover. you're seeing blizzard conditions. the primary storm has moved off the coast of maryland, to the sea. and charleston to southern areas of ohio has to go through during the day today. the primary storm causing the worse conditions will slowly move out to the ocean during the day. that purple area is 1-2 feet of snow and some areas will get up near 30 inches outside baltimore and maybe even southern jersey by the time we're all said and done. finally, windchills are now coming down. 11 in new york city, 14 in philly. not only is it going to be sn snowy, alex, we will add a bitterly cold wind in there. blowing and drifting of snow. this is a blizzard. not up and down the east coast, boston is not in it and harvard is not in it and new york city is not in it. but the mid-atlantic area, a historical day. >> what is that? i'm being told in my ear, that is the d.c. area, it could be anywhere. >> in case you're feeling left out, our computers are saying another significant storm possibly for new york and new england next week. we're not done. just because we missed out on this one, i may have one up my sleeve. >> thank you. we will have more on the storm nightmare paralyzing effect on the mid-atlantic coast coming up. let's go to olympics headlines. you can watch them all on the networks of cnbc universal and the snow or the lack thereof, where mother nature faltered, they stepped in to create this scene for freefall skiing. mass of snow have been truck ed in to airdrop with rain and temperatures in the 40s. at night, a huge crowd as officials turned out to whistler for the lighting of the olympic torch and the alpine events begin february 12th. the good news, as you can see, whistler plenty of snow. in just six day, you can catch all the action on msnbc. and unleashing a fury along the jersey coast, coming up. facing the music, michael jackson's doctor prepares to surrender to authorities. what will he be charged with? you're watching "msnbc saturday." blizzard blizzard [ female a] olay ribbons body wash shakes off dry winter skin with 2 separate ribbons. the white ribbon that cleanses and the body butter ribbon that moisturizes continuously leaving skin satiny smooth. goodbye dry winter skin. new tylenol cold rapid release gels day and night release medicine fast to relieve painful coughs, congestion and sore throats. so you can feel better. fancy feast appetizers. [dinner bell chimes] high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon in a delicate broth, without by-products or fillers. fancy feast appetizers. celebrate the moment. fancy feast appetizers. how about going out for dinner? how about helping with math, first. how about calling for takeout? how about calling sylvan? if schoolwork is stressful, call sylvan. we pinpoint the source of each child's frustrations... and build the skills for success. guaranteed. to learn how sylvan can help, call... for a free dvd/ information kit. that's... call now. approaching 44 past. take a look atoms river, new jersey, winter wonderland, under blizzard warnings. much of the new jersey shore has seen incredible storm pictures, the kind of place, look at staten island, snow coming down there. i'm looking at a view right here, looking at times square, absolutely nothing in manhattan. m f slays me how it can be that way in one area and the other dry. i'm joined on the phone by the spokesperson for the emergency department of management. how are you doing? >> we expect to be fully engaged today? >> what are the top priorities? >> the top priorities or the public and folks without power. we have more than 140 customers without power in the state. we had 2300 calls for service for car accidents, vehicle wrecks. we have some people in shelters also. >> yeah. power outages, that's a big concern. how about the temperatures, in terms of just the heat for people not getting access to it? >> temperatures will be cold today and get really cold tonight and make our roads even more hazardous than they already are. we're suggesting if people need shelter, dial 211, to talk with somebody about the resources that might be available to them in their area. >> how about snow plows getting on the street? with what's the point of doing it with the snow come downing? are you monitoring that activity or have to wait until it's all said and done? >> we're not sending anybody home. the snow plows are out there and will stay out there. the snow is coming down and the more we can shove aside is better on the next pass. >> we're looking at virtual stand stills on some roads backing up traffic. do you have a lot of road closures? main highways? >> we hope to not have roads closed when we can help it. there are periodic accidents and closures to clear the road area. we hope we will not have that situation today. people ought to stay put, if they can, and before they travel, do whatever research you can to find out what conditions are before you go. >> laura, from the virginia department of emergency management. good luck and thanks for talking with us. for more on this, i'm join ed b weather channel, scott. good morning to you. i cannot believe that's atlantic city, right there by the water. >> reporter: absolutely, alex. it is very difficult to see the casinos in the skyline behind me. we're in the middle of the blizzard at the beach through this evening and the snow continues to come sideways, as i take a wind measurement, winds gust over 30 miles an hour. it's the duration. certainly blizzard conditions and whiteout conditions at times. the snow began falling yesterday evening in atlantic city fnew jersey. we picked over 6 inches of snow and we have snow drifts about a foot. it's that heavy wet snow really piling up across the area, good for snowballs and snow men but not for driving on. we have the expressway here and new jersey transportation crews have been out here already plowing the roadway. nonetheless, it is slushy and treacherous in atlantic city, new jersey. back to you. >> who is out on the roads? do you see much activity but the snow plows? > >> reporter: i do see a few cars and have seen a few new jersey transit buses coming in. this is the main thoroughfare into atlantic city. no one should be out in blizzard like conditions this morning. >> it's good the bus service is running there. i was looking at a hot note from pennsylvania, city bus service from philadelphia, suspended by the pennsylvania transportation earlier. i guess folks are faring better with transportation there. and more live reports coming up and gagiing how things are going just a bit and you can always get the latest update on the website, weather.com. take a look at atlantic city, new jersey. you're not looking at any boardwalk in those shops right now. taking a look at this live from the weather channel a while ago. you can see casinos in the background and in transportation is running fortunately. for those that absolutely need to get out and get some place, if you don't trust your car to take to the roads, do it there on public transportation. well, we are just hours away from the super bowl. preparations have been underway not only for the big game but for keeping everyone safe. the nfl is spending just under $6 million on private security alon hiring more than 2,000 private security officials. joining me now, andrew o'connell, former secret service agent of geico investigations and securities and good morning to you, andrew. >> good morning, alex. >> we have especially tight security this year. what's this going to mean for the fans? what do they have to deal with? >> first and foremost, greater delays than you might otherwise have. i think especially in light of developments last week with federal and law enforcement and intelligence folks stating they expect a terrorist attack in the next several months. so i think you need to look and see, well, what major events do we have in the next few months and the super bowl looms large. so i think the crowds that are going to be going there today can expect great delays. they should get their early. i think what you're going to see is enhanced 360-degree coverage. meaning, the skies will be patrolled by the air force. the coast guard will be on the coast. on the ground you'll have state and federal, local law enforcement. county folk, miami-dade, the fbi will be there and behind the scenes as well as atf and other law enforcement. this is going to be quite a stepped up operation. >> you mentioned local law enforcement. usually typical game, 200 to 300. over 1,000 local security guys on the ground there. the whole xupty department designated the super bowl a national security special event. is that why you have all of these federal agencies involved or par for the course at a super bowl? >> i don't think it is par for the course for a super bowl. right after 9/11 you had the secret service overseaing security for the super bowl as a special event. since thens security enhanced maybe not quite as much as this year. again, in light of the christmas day attack and, or attempted attack and what was said this week with dennis blair. so, you know, i think it's going to be a little different this year. delays are delays for people, but you know, they can expect that when they show up, the metal detectors will be there, the searches, pat-downs there. a long day. >> you mentioned the secret service. your former employer. how were they involved? >> this year they were involved in training the magnetometer folk, getting them ready, the privaty security liu brought in by the nfl to run the detectors. the secret service does it every day, do it at major veents like the super bowl when a pope comes to town, when the president travels. so with that experience, they brought them in to train the folks on the ground so that they know how to run these machines, know what to look for with the people standing out front. >> you're there in d.c. how was your commute into the studio? >> brutal, but every day is a brutal commute in d.c. >> i guess depending on theive. andy o'connell, thank you. >> thank you. approaching the top of the hour with our eye on that mammoth storm. bill karins brings you up to date. live report straight ahead. keep it on "msnbc saturday." as having to decide to go for it? at the hartford, we help businesses of all kinds... feel confident doing what they do best. by protecting your business, your property, your people. you've counted on us for 200 years. let's embrace tomorrow. and with the hartford behind you, achieve what's ahead of you. ♪ achieve what's ahead of you. try clearblue easy digital. no pregnancy test is more accurate, with totally clear results in words. [ announcer ] your dog's one of a kind. good boy. and now, you have the power... to help significantly extend his healthy years. a groundbreaking 14-year study by purina... proves that puppy chow, then dog chow nutrition, fed properly over a lifetime-- ready, axel? can help extend his lovable antics... up to 1.8 healthy years. faster, axel! faster! long live your buddy. whoo-hoo! long live your dog. purina puppy chow and purina dog chow. ♪ (announcer) right now, all over the country, discover customers are getting five percent cashback bonus on travel. it pays to get more, it pays to discover.