to know how much this tragedy touched the community look at the hundreds who came out to honor alyssa salazar and evan caldburg. >> two wonderful, bright, talented and respected members of our university family. there are no words to express our sadness. >> reporter: early friday morning a fast moving fire in this two story off campus apartment building trapped the students on the second floor. more than 100 firefighters responded but couldn't get to them in time. investigateinvestigators believe it was started by a wood stove. evan was the co oner of a pizza shop in that same building. at the memorial there were emotional tributes other students, struggling with losing someone their own age. >> promise that you will be missed by all of us. we love you angel >> and words of comfort. >> this past holiday we were so thankful they spent dinner with us. they -- looked happy and silly and just like how they always are. we will miss them so much. we loved evan very much and we also loved alyssa too. and evan loved being here and he loved all of you and i know that. >> reporter: staff and students are visiting the school's counseling center. cheryl connor. >> we are here to tell you about another fire just days after a reward offered for who is setting them. fire crews were able to put it out but are worried this enthey continue someone will get hurt. today's fire is the 9th one. the crews have been called out to the plant since 2000l and police are offering a reward to find the people responsible. if you know anything call crime stoppers. >> all right. we have been very chilly today. chilly is putting it mildly. we have been down right cold and will get colder. the winds, they are biting at you. the radar is dry, that's the plus side. you can see off five sweeps on as of now but check out what's on the satellite and radar. you can see the satellite picking up the clouds, we have some clouds moving in. we will call it partly to mostly cloudy through the overnight and snow shaw showers back off toward the west. there is a winter storm warning, not for us but i wanted to show you -- you will run into heavy snow. they are expected about 12- inches to 18 as we go through the next couple days here. this is in effect until 7:00 a.m. on tuesday. temperatures right now very cold and they will get colder or especially they will feel colder because we will through in the wind. all its 30s you are seeing will feel more like the 20s and those will feel like the teens. you need to bundle up as you head out and about this evening, tomorrow and the day after that. ly have the seven day forecast that will be down the road and we will talk about maybe another storm. >> all right. thank you. he has been the subject of protests and now one is planned for here as the doctor gets set to open an abortion doctor. he is one of only a handful of doctors who openly preforms the late term abortions. is he opening a clinic and protesters plan to picket there. he wants to make sure women have access to the procedure by expanding his work to states where it's still legal. >> we have an arrest in the murder of a man found dead in the woods across from the laurel racetrack. on friday police brought in alberto rodriguez on an unrelated warrant. they questioned him and he did a lost talking telling police about his role in the death of flavio garcia. he is now charged with first degree murder. and another man behind bars after shooting at a bar. it happened here in glenn burney. cops showed up and found 30- year-old man near the entrance. he had been shot with a rifle. police arrested a 33-year-old clayton battle. he is facing first and second degree murder. >> it's the latest in the battle for the tax breaks. as the president gets ready to extend them to the richest americans. we look at what dollar amounts are at stake. >> reporter: the president is preparing to break one of his biggest campaign promises, he is poised to extend the tax cuts to the richest americans. in exchange he will get help for millions of jobless americans. it appears now that republicans will get all they want, extensions of all the tax cuts. >> i think its clear now taxes are not going up on anybody in the middle of this recession. we are discussing how long we should maintain current tax rates. >> reporter: for democrats making this deal is really a tough pill to swallow. >> we are moving in that direction. we are only moving there against my judgement. >> reporter: here is what is at stake without action. somebody making 62,000 could see their taxes go up $2,200. extending all the cuts means someone making $10 million a year will keep $450,000 that could have gone to uncle sam. it's a costly deal at a time of worry about the deficit . none of the cuts paid for. keeping taxes at this level over the next ten years will add nearly four trillon dollars to the national debt. sources say a deal could be set in the next couple days and white house would like to move it along. that's because republicans continue to promise they will do nothing else in the lame duck session until this tax issue is finished. abc news the white house. >> also to the south, the temperatures in atlanta expected to dip into the 20s tonight and the cold spell won't be short. apparently it's a pattern predicted to last for the next two to three weeks. >> i have on a sweatshirt, a turtle neck, two shirts under that. >> winding expected to bring up to three feet of lake effect snow in chicago. it's already grounded hundreds of flight and buffalo still digging out. last week hundreds of drivers were stranded and more snow is in the forecast this week. >> december the 5th and why are we here? what is wrong with me? why am i working tonight? here we are, if you are -- you have had this date circled because we are playing the steelers. the fans out in force. they were -- we are tailgating pros. beer and trash talking with fans. check out al washington's menu. >> barbecue,, 18 pounds of snake and sausages. >> what happened to just hamburgers and hot dogs? >> we elevate our game. >> here is the score right now. it's 10-6 and we are monitoring the situation as we knowt. late in the 4th. >> right over there. >> right. >> how many of your kidds will ask for a puppy? >> tonight mommy just doing what she thought was right to give her kids a puppy. wait until you see how she feliciano a puppy trap. >> tonight you will be boosting up the heat because it'll be cold but paying for it about 30 days. wouldn't it be nice to never get another energy bill? we will take you to that very special place. . >> i would love to go that to that very special placet. will be cold tonight. a beautiful shot of the harbor but not showing how windy or cold it is and it'll get worse as we go through the next several days and another storm coming up. . an air force veteran who lost his sight will be getting a new set of eyes because of two connecticut based nonprogroups. he has been test driving guide dogs with the help of a trainer. a guide dog will give him a much higher quality of life. >> i feel likely can walk likely used to. when i walk with my cane it's really slow, have you to take a lot of time and walk with the dogs, i'm -- almost to my normal pace which is almost like i'm running. >> takes about two years, about $45,000 to train the dogs and the donation from the newman's own foundation is going to make the guide dog possible for the airmen. >> speaking of that, a lot of kids are dreaming about waking up to the new puppy. >> a bright lady was caught off guard and if happened to her it can happen to you. we have a warning about a puppy scam so you don't waste your money. >> the holiday season the time of year we all want to believe in the best of people. that's why it's easy to fall for online scams. that's why one woman desperate to buy her children a puppy ended up out hundreds of dollars with no dog. mary beth knight wanted to find an english bulldog puppy for her children on christmas so she fired up the mac and started searching. >> bulldogs aren't cheap. sometimes they are 1500 to $2,000. >> reporter: then she found one from a vet in north dakota. . >> just looking for a good home and wanted $600. i wired $600. >> reporter: the next e-mail said she needed to send more money. >> i got the e-mail from the relocation service saying that i had to pay another 12$50 for supposed insurance my heart sank. i learned the money went to vietnam. >> reporter: there was no money. it was the foreign puppy scam. somebody stealing a photograph from a legit add and reposting it in a fake one. >> it's the same dog. >> it is the same dog. >> that's the same dog. >> reporter: it was in maryland. >> and now it's in massachusetts. >> reporter: same add, same puppy but two different states. just a yahoo address. she finally located a puppy close to home for her children but wants to warn others before their emotions blind them this holiday season. don't let it happen to you. when looking for a pet deal with local sellers if possible and never wire money without seeing the dog, that's a red flag you are dealing a scammer who will steal your cash and then your heart. that way you don't waste your money. >> good advice. if you have that perfect pet last year and you are heading off for the holidays you should check out the scam alert tomorrow. we will have all the tips for searching for a home way from home for the cat or dog. it's hard to leave them behind when you go away but we have all the questions you need to ask about the kennels and boarding locations in this week's scam alert. >> now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate. >> wow. >> might want to miss this forecast. >> wow. man. we are in for the long hall until march. >> yeah. >> this is it. it's real and you should see the seven day next sunday. >> i don't want to. >> and not for the higher el vagues we -- the higher elevations. i will talk about that. its been cold today. it'll keep getting colder. what's worse is the fact the wind. it's horrible. long coats, scarf, hat and mittens, you have more fingers and gets that merge going instead of the gloves. you want mittens because all your fingers are together. >> i knew i came tonight for a reason. >> that's my lesson for you. it looks nice but it's very cold, very windy, doesn't it look nice right now? that's not the case. it's very windy, very breezy and this -- the good news is it's very cold but not a lot of precipitation. the radar is dry. we have all five sweeps on and they will stay on for a while. then we will start to see change. the winter storm warning, i'm showing you this to keep you safe. if you are headed toward the west, going to frost bug, western maryland you need to be aware of this because you could see about 12 to 18 inches of snow fall when this is said and done by tuesday. this is in effect until 7:00 a.m. tuesday. its going to be a lot of white stuff in the areas where you saw the winter storm warning. as we go into tomorrow shift gears and talk about tomorrow. tomorrow will be -- not such a great day if you don't like the cold weather, if you don't like the wind. you will be in for it. into graysonville around 39 degrees. partly cloudy but we will feel like the mid to low 30s tomorrow. we look at harmony at 38 degrees and we will see more of the same. you will still get that sun cloud mix like we have been getting for the past several days. the satellite and radar picking up on the clouds, just across the area. mostly cloudy to partly cloudy through the overnight but the snow is back here and we can see what's going on. if you are going that way you will unrun into serious snow fall. i will zoom out we are going to be cold. we will areas of low pressure over into canada. the difference between the high and low makes it windy and that -- it's a tight pressure gradient. things aren't looking to bad but you can see the snow, the blue out toward the west and that will be through the next several days. 27 through the overnight. partly cloudy, cold, breezy, you know the drill. into tomorrow still more of the same. 39, partly cloudy, cold, tomorrow night that temperature at 24, very cold, windy and a few flurries may be possible as well but we can take them. i want to show you the seven day forecast. i will get that to you before the end of the show. right now i will send it to you. >> all right. it's official. the holiday season is here. >> that's right. the baltimore area spent the weekend getting in to the spirit of the season. >> 3, 2, 1, [cheering] >> they were counting down to christmas last night at the tree lighting. you can't miss the tree if you are driving through townsend. it's at the traffic circle near the mall. hundreds of people turned out to watch it, list tone holiday music and step out performances from. > >> it was a unique celebration last night as 100 cars topped with menorahs drove through the city. it was to bring more jewish activity downtown. it's the city's first official menorah lighting. >> it symbolizes the victory of good over evil. >> and it's considered to be the biggest in the city. next year they want to build a baltimore specific menorah with each letter holding a canned el. >> that's great. >> on a bitterly cold night you can hear the dollar bills floating in the furnace. >> next we will take to you a place where you don't have to spend a penny on an energy bill. >> and since you aren't paying your electric bill you will love this, the time has come never to go into the woods to chop down the tree again. it's time for mail order trees. right now, buy a samsung intensity ii for $29.99 and get one free. or, buy a blackberry curve 3g for $49.99 and get one free. . are you sick of paying an electric bill every month? wouldn't it be nice to have a house that didn't cost you a dime in electricity? all things electric in their houses the lights to the microwave even a coffee maker won't be numbers on the bill because solar panels supply the energy. the average house is $214,000. it's about $25,000 cheaper without the zero energy package. >> making it affordable was the main goal. >> here is another perk. any power that isn't used is sold to the power company so at end of the year you could actually get money back. >> when the ups truck shows up tomorrow could it be something from amazon or qvc or the tree you ordered? i don't mean fake, it's real. watch. >> there it is. >> the griswolds pursued the perfect pine. >> see it later honey. her eyes frozen. >> in a christmas story they had a problem finding a flawless one. >> this isn't one where it all falls off is it? >> for the real life murphy family it just got a little more convenient. >> ready to open it. >> this doesn't go under the tree, it is the tree. >> the box came and it's like this little box, i thought it can't be in there but it was. >> reporter: online tree sales are taking root. this year target and amazon are among the major retailers teaming up with tree farmers and selling trees. >> people are telling each other what's happening on facebook and youtube and we are getting more customers that way. >> reporter: nigel runs the tree farm in new hampshire. >> it's brought to your door in the box, really convenient. >> reporter: on youtube he shows how it's done. with in 24 hours of being cut its put in card board and on its way. >> it is probably -- i don't know, 20 or 25% less than what you get on the corner and it's fresh. >> reporter: what about the family tradition of braving cold temperatures, shaking the branches, smelling the pine? >> can't really see what it's going to look like on a website. >> reporter: or can you? it's something more and more are considering as online growers needle in on the custom. >> you won't have to leave your house to do anything. >> we need your help to make the season brighter for kids in need. >> we are asking for new unwrapped, unopened toys for the toy drive. this year's drive is dedicated to the four fallen police officers so, we are also teaming up with the baltimore orchestra to collect instruments. for the list of drop off points log onto abc 2news.com and click on the toy drive section right under the market place tab. >> a few drop offs but we need a lot more. >> a chilly night around. >> let's take one more live look as we are all custody into the stadium watching last minutes of the game. ♪ it comes along just once a year ♪ ♪ on winters wings, decembers rear, ahha humbug faces come and dear ♪ ♪ then appears at perfect christmas time. ♪ ♪ a tiny tree, christmas, tinsel, the lights ♪ ♪ the star that sings, top your tiny tree, yeah ♪ when i saw all the jobs disappearing, i knew i needed to find a better way to support my daughter. at age forty, greg flowers went back to school. i got a job as a computer applications engineer. but now some in washington want regulations restricting access to career colleges and universities, denying opportunity to millions of people like greg, letting government decide who can go to college. it's my education, my job, it should be my choice. don't let washington get in the way. . this holiday season but not for these folk who hope to cash it on in. >> they faced off in a challenge this weekend. the competition of course response soared by scotch tape company. the winner walked away with $10,000. wow for wrapping pens. >> grills. >> or cars. >> going to be very cold in the morning and will stay that way throughout the day. we will feel so cold because of the wind. through time, sunday, next big system moving in. it could be rain, could be snow, depending on the track and we will update you through the week. >> that's it for us tonight. >> watch us tomorrow morning. we start at five.