>> yes, it is. >> hey, good morning to you. we're so glad you're with us. it is thursday, january 4th. >> today's weather is already leading to delays and closures. amtrak operating on a modified schedule much of amtrak's northeast corridor will be impacted by today's storm locally. service from d.c. to newport news and norfolk is canceled. the area school systems are also impacted. >> here's a look at the closures and delays in maryland. this just in. montgomery county schools closed today. again, we're going to repeat that 'cause that just came in. montgomery county schools are closed. saint mary's county schools are also closed. in maryland as well, the following schools on a two-hour delay. anne arrundel county schools, calvert county schools, charles county schools and prince george's county schools. again, all delayed two hours. >> over in virginia prince william county and spotsylvania county schools are closed. also in virginia, fauquier county, culpeper county, warren county and page county schools are on a two-hour delay. >> d.c. public schools also on a two-hour there are a lot more delays and some closures as well. we are running the full list of closures and delays at the bottom of your screen. >> we have also heard from the federal government which is opened today, but they are operating on a two-hour delay. federal workers do have the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. >> also we want to do a quick update. fairfax county and loudoun schools have now both closed. they were on two hour delays. so, fairfax and loudoun county schools are now closed. >> okay, let's check in with caitlin roth and erin como for a look at our weather and traffic and caitlin, boy, what a mess out there today. >> i know and these cancellations and closures, i mean, they don't surprise me because we already have a coating on the roads. we aren't expecting very high snowfall amounts but the impact is there. it will be very windy and cold even after the snow stops later this afternoon. all right, storm tracker radar the snow has filled in overnight. light snow falling in the district and heavier bands of snow setting up just east of 95. there's a good one. from about bowie along 97, due southward into northern that's some moderate snow. further south of, that again, just east of 95, which will be not necessarily dividing line of who gets snow and who doesn't but who gets maybe some more substantial amounts. so, consider it snowing through most of the morning and also consider it tough out there on the roads. anything untreated, it's slick. and even if you're driving especially east of 95, restricted visibilities due to the falling snow. you can see lower fifty six less than 2 miles thanks in part to the wind which has been cranking already. temperatures are in the teens -- in the 20's, excuse me, it's very cold but wind chills of course are in the teens. so, your planning forecast real quick for today we are looking at some light snow through the noon hour. windy and cold even as the sun comes out later on. erin, over to you. >> 5:03 right now caitlin keeping an eye on the roads and as you can see, taking a look at sandy point, this is where bob barnard is for our team coverage. limited restrictions at the bay bridge. please use caution. portions of montgomery county in southern maryland. this is along 270 out by 109 as you head into clarksburg. traffic is moving slower even though volume is lighter. you can see some heavier snow off to the shoulder there. plows are out. they are salting the roads all around the area but please proceed with caution as you make your way out this morning. this is in southern maryland 301 at the five split. aside from that one, 95 into fairfax a little bit clearer there but again still watch for those slick spots. metro service currently on time and amtrak dealing with those northeast regional delays. any questions at erin fox5 d.c. on twitter. >> all right, 5:04 is the time right now. the eastern part of our region is getting some of the highest snowfall amounts, a blizzard warning is in effect for areas along the east of delaware and maryland and that includes rehoboth delaware beach and ocean city. >> our cori coffin is live in ocean city this morning with the high winds and the whiteout conditions and wow, corey how are you holding up? >> reporter: hey, guys, you aren't kidding, these high winds, these whipping winds we're in my eyes. it's kind of difficult to see but i want to show you, give you a look at the conditioning out here. these winds are so strong, it actually moved our vehicle as we were trying to get through. we have a pretty hefty vehicle that's pretty good with snow and it was difficult for us just to get to some of these roadways. we know that there are plows out but there are no plows out in this particular area right now because it's just too dangerous. let's give you a look over here toward the streets and i can show um exactly how deep the snow is. so, right now out on the sidewalk a couple inches of snow but right here i'm about six to 8-inches deep right here and it's amazing that the snow has kind of stuck in this -- in this way given the very strong whipping winds, so this is certainly not set to let up any time soon. it is extremely dangerous conditions out here, very low visibility and, boy, it is a ghost town right now. it is certainly a ghost town. call it that today, guys. we're going to be looking around. we have heard reports of a overturned vehicle. we do know emergency crews are out in this this morning trying to help out any stranded motorists. for now we'll send it to you back in the studios. >> hard to talk. we just feel for you so much cori. i'm hoping you guys are pretty much the only ones out there? no one getting out in this right. >> reporter: yeah, we are really are the only ones out here. this is a very touristy town when it comes to the summer so it's -- whew -- it's already not very well populated in the winter which is a bit of some good -- good news. wow, it's hard to breathe. >> yeah. >> reporter: it's a bit of some good news when it comes to the timing of this weather, so that's good. we really are the only ones -- >> you know what -- >> bless your heart. bless your heart. get back in the vehicle both you and your photographer with the heat blasting. >> reminds me of live shots i used to do in champagne, illinois. you're from ohio. >> yeah, my gosh. wow. so, there's the bombogenesis or whatever, right, caitlin, that we're seeing? i mean, that was it in full effect. >> that is absolutely true. you know, we've been talking about this monster storm that locally we have fringe effects but that right there is a blizzard and the blizzard warning is in effect all along the coast including ocean city, maryland, all of our area beaches. wow. just checking in in ocean city maryland, yes, they have snow falling but they have winds gusting to 45 mles an hour, visibility less than a mile. it's tough for cori to even stand. that is why you're under a blizzard warning you shut down. no one is going anywhere there. winter weather advisory in effect along 95, winter storm warning for extreme southern maryland. the radar has been filling in nicely overnight. in fact, a nice steady band just east of 95 from bowie down 97 into portions of charles county so, yes, we have snow of varying intensity out there right now but it looks like the heavier stuff is east it to be. temperatures in the 20's. it's 25 in washington right now. wind chills are in the low teens. so, the wind is brutal even& here. in fact, it's gusting over 25 miles an hour at reagan national right now. so, blowing snow is a concern nor anyone. it doesn't take much. we already have a coating out there. fox futurecast, the snow continues to fall, light snow for the district, heavier east of us through the morning rush hour which luckily most activities school and work have been canceled or delayed. delay is a good call for d.c. because you see by 11:00 a.m. all the flurries have even tapered off and by this afternoon we'll have some sunshine break out. blizzard conditions continue along the coast through the rest of today. so, our amounts haven't changed. trace to 2-inches along 95 including d.c. baltimore anne arrundel county, prince george's county, charles county, you get a little more, two to four. i'm already seeing the heavier snow set up there. further south and east three to six and where cori is not out of the question as you get into that double digit category. they could see aun salisbury over to the coast up to 10-inches of snow. wow. all right. that's a lot. let's get a look at the roads now with erin. how are we doing on all of our local majors. >> local majors we're seeing snow coming down but i can tell you that it's not enough to cause any major backups just yet because volume is light. i still can't get over where cori coffin is out in ocean city maryland how heavy that snow is. this is in the district. this is new york avenue at north capitol. we just saw a snowplow go by in that camera. we know they're salting the roads and plowing the roads. this is at the mixing bowl. snow developing on the shoulders. everything is pretty clear. watch for slick spots as you head out. you'll need some extra time. across the wilson bridge traffic is looking good on the inner loop and outer loop side of things. really light volume on the beltway. i can't express enough to use caution, slow it down. metro service currently on time this morning. i'll let you know if that changes. things on 95, 66 in virginia much better. more concern this morning about southern maryland. look at all that snow right there. we'll have more traffic in just a few. more weather as well. i know we're about that heavier snow. >> ♪ >> ♪♪ small business, internet providers promise you a lot. let's see who delivers more. comcast business offers fast gig-speeds across our network. verizon doesn't. we offer more complete reliability with up to 8 hours of 4g wireless network backup. verizon, no way. we offer 35 voice features and solutions that grow with your business. verizon, not so much. get internet on our gig-speed network and add voice and tv for $34.90 more per month. call 1-800-501-6000. >> ♪ >> all right, we're back at 5:10 on this thursday morning. blizzard conditions there in ocean city as you see our crews driving down atlantic avenue there on the boardwalk. things looking very dicey out there. our corey report. closer into the d.c. region things not as bad but parts of southern maryland really getting hit by this storm. we've got your details on school closings road conditions all of it coming up on fox5 news morning on this thursday january 4th. time right now is 5:11. prince george's county residents depending on where you live, you might be waking up to overnight snowfall. >> yeah, you're going to need to drive carefully this morning if you're taking back roads, especially to get to the beltway. our melanie alnwick is live out there checking out the conditions. so, what's your status, mel? >> reporter: well, i can tell you that the snowfall has definitely diminished here but the roads -- [inaudible] >> looks like our live shot has diminished. so, we apologize for that. but as you can see, prince george's county is another one of those areas obviously it's east of 95 where the roads are not as great. so, is this a live shot -- is this back in ocean city or is this prince george's county? county. >> this is prince george's county county. okay, so, here's them driving in prince georges county. as you can see the roads are covered there definitely and the snow is still coming down, so you're going to need to be careful. you can understand now why the schools are closed and delayed and all that's going on there. we have crews across the area in the dmv and of course we're checking in periodically throughout the morning on all the different locations so that you know exactly what you're facing when you head out the door. 5:12 is our time right now. you're watching fox5 news morning. don't go anywhere. >> ♪ >> ♪♪ >> ♪ >> welcome back to fox5 news morning. it's 5:14 on this thursday morning. look at the roads out there. really tricky in some parts of the area. i believe this is in prince george's county -- no, this is ocean city. >> ocean city. >> this is ocean city where cori coffin is facing blizzard bomb cyclone. caitlin roth keeping an eye on everything throughout the region. some people getting it worse than others. what is a bomb cyclone. was this word manufactured this year. >> no, it's a legitimate meteorological term that's been around for decades. a few well placed tweets and everyone gets to know what a bomb cyclone is also referred to as bombogenesis or a bomb which is a rapidly deepening extra tropical system a nor'easter if you will. blizzard conditions along the coast. really from the carolinas straight up through maine. locally it's a different story. we don't live right along the coast. we're on the western edge of the storm so what you need to know for us, snow is falling now. light to moderate snow across the area. it's stickley easily. untreated surfaces become icy very fast. highest totals range from an inch or two in d.c. will be higher east of 95 and those blizzard conditions will last all day along the coast but snow herwr let's take a look at that bomb cyclone right now. it's a legitimate term. but really it just indicates a massive storm off shore that is spreading snow still at this hour from the carolinas northward up through the 95 corridor into parts of long island and the heaviest is along the coast. that's also where the highest winds are and where we saw cori coffin out in ocean city, maryland, that is a true blizzard and those areas are shut down from really jersey beaches delaware beaches maryland beaches all the way down across the northern neck in fact lightning indicated just about 20 miles offshore of ocean city maryland so that gives you an indication of how strong this storm is and we'll just continue to funnel in these heavy bands of snow. locally we've got a decent amount of snow and there are pockets of some steadier snow showers western parts of the district and the west side of the beltway right now there in virginia as well as east of us into parts of prince george's county up 97 towards baltimore. expect the snow to last through about mid morning before tapering off to flurries. right now at reagan national where we've already registered about .2 of snowing with 25 degrees with winds out of the northwest at 20 miles an hour and higher gusts. it feels like 11 degrees. even as the snow ends later today the wind and cold will remain a big story. fox futurecast shows light to moderate snow continues through about seven, 8:00 a.m. and then once you get to 10:00, 11:00 it starts to taper but it continues east of us from annapolis across the bay along the shore and all day along the coast for places like ocean city maryland. by 4:00 p.m. here it's totally dry. the sun is probably out. however you've still got the dicey roads and the wind and the cold. snowfall amounts have not changed much, trace to two along 95, two to four just east of there. three to 26 following that and then up to 10-inches possible along the coast. so, bottom line, snow through the morning, roads will probably be an issue and even later today with some of that blowing snow with the gusty winds. >> all right, 5:17 caitlin. concerned about the weather for this morning commute for everybody who is trying to make their way out to work this morning. keep in mind right now we delays. i'll let you know if that changes but what we do have amtrak delays. right now service is canceled on the northeast regional rail. no service between washington, d.c. and newport news and norfolk and then also modified schedule between boston and new york. that's on the northeast regional rail. watch for delays because of this inclement weather. we'll keep you updated on that amtrak service and let you know if we get any other metro delays. east capitol street and 58th street the roads have been plowed but again you can see those track marks on the road there. please use caution. actually no current traffic on the roads right now. pretty light in terms of volume. i'll let you know if any crashes do pick up but right now give yourself extra time. a lot of snow by national harbor. things quiet in te terms of volume on the beltway. any questions at erin fox5 d.c. on twitter. >> thanks erin. team coverage of this winter storm continues this morning in maryland. >> fox5's bob barnard is checking out conditions near the chesapeake bay bridge. bob, what is it looking like there? >> reporter: well, guys, there are se now because of the winds here over the chesapeake bay and i'll tell you, i've been driving now for the last little bit and indira levine was earlier and i could see her knuckles on the steering wheel as we were approaching the bay bridge from annapolis coming toward the eastern shore so we pulled over. i'm now driving. i drove across. it's definitely windy and it's windier heading back. those coming from the eastern shore toward annapolis and d.c. going this way on the bridge what's it like and the winds have actually picked up since we came across earlier. the restriction now is that trucks with empty trailers are not allowed to cross the chesapeake bay on the bay bridge. if the winds are sustained at 40 miles an hour and higher, there will be further restrictions. at 55 miles an hour or higher, at a steady wind, they will actually close the bay bridge and mdot warned people last possibility today, that there is a chance that they could have to close the bay bridge. that's not happened yet. just a restriction for truckers with empty trailers. there is a 40 miles an hour speed limit now on the bay bridge and we can just feel it. you can hear it, the wind hitting the car. the bridge surface is clean. there's snow on the road over on kent island and there was as we kind of came east from bowie toward annapolis, snow covered on route 50 here but there have been plows out. they've actually had the plows on the surface and spreading salt and sand. so, the -- the conditions of the road are fine but it is very windy. the bay bridge still opened at least at this hour, guys. >> all right, sounds good. thanks bob. and we just got this word in. prince george's county schools are officially closed today. so, they were on a two-hour delay. prince george's county schools officially closed. there's a live picture i believe from prince george's county. you can see for yourself why it's probably a for the buses to be off the road, kids not to be out and for everyone to stay home. 5:20 is our time. we're on top of this massive winter storm. we'll have more updates on the other side. you're watching fox5 news morning. >> ♪ >> ♪♪ >> ♪ >> welcome back to fox5 news morning. today is thursday, january 4th. time right now is 5:23. things, my goodness, looking horrible out there. this is in maryland. is this ocean city or just southern maryland? at least you see the crews out trying plow the snow, put the salt down make the roads a little more passible. schools in that region canceled today. that should make it easier for families trying to navigate. a lot of offices probably closed as well. looking at the pictures looks very treacherous. this is a bomb cyclone blizzard conditions. can't get much worse than this. i take that back. it could. we don't want it to. that's what they're facing in th >> our mike thomas is live in northern virginia this morning. >> he continues our live team coverage from alexandria. mike, things are looking decidedly better in that part. >> reporter: well, they were until we got into downtown old town alexandria. you should be able to see it in the live shot. roads are absolutely covered and honestly they don't look like they've been treated here. we're on king street in old town alexandria. they still got the christmas lights up in town and i'm going to be honest i'm feeling even though the holidays are done, i'm feeling the christmas spirit once again with the lights falling in the snow here. i'd say it's coming down a little moderate. certainly not heavy but we've told you all morning it's cold enough that what falls is certainly sticking out there. again, it's piling up on the roads. haven't seen a single plow go by here just yet. out on the main roads, which i believe is that washington boulevard out there, we did see a couple plows driving but they didn't have their front kind of plow down. they weren't plowing the roadways because a lot of this you can do more damage to the roads than not if you have the plows down on so little. tires just spun a little bit.pu. there. and let's talk future concerns. so, we got the snow on the roads right now. none of this is going to melt. caitlin has been telling you all morning we got big time cold coming our way tonight. you could flash freeze. anything that melts could absolutely flash freeze later on tonight. we got subzero wind chills in the of forecast for tomorrow and several school systems, i know anne arrundel county, which just closed by the way for the day, anne arrundel county has already announced a two-hour delay for tomorrow due to the extreme wind chills. i believe prince george's county schools in maryland have also already announced a two-hour delay for tomorrow due to that extreme chill and they l-, you will have to have watch out for icing on your sidewalks and you'll have to watch out for icing on side streets like this and even main roads with a lot of suburbs potentially heading for single digit lows overnight chemicals are not going to work as well when temperatures get that low so again, we're driving the streets of old town down here. good news is looks like a lot staying inside and staying off the roads which is good. if you don't have work and you don't have school, stay off the roads, let the crews do their work. they'll try and clean things up as fast as possible but so far, guys, things down here looking a lot worse. i know fairfax county schools just closed as well. maybe good call with the roads especially the side streets, the sidewalks totally snow covered here in old town, alexandria. all right, guys, that's the latest here from northern virginia. we're going to keep driving around. we'll key you back at the 6 o'clock hour with another update. >> mike, you read our minds. you definitely went for prettiest live shot. the christmas lights made it look gorgeous. the driving is treacherous but the scenery is beautiful. [laughter] >> with those lights. >> we're looking like christmas. >> yes. >> we're recreating the white christmas we never had. >> clearly still in the holiday spirit. >> i'm a big believer the snow can look very beautiful from the comfort of your heated home, of course. storm tracker radar look at that snow over us right now. it is mainly light snow, although some steadier snow is just over the district right indicate a heavier band. one over baltimore, south of us, east of 95. at least briefly here in northwest d.c. we had some moderate snow so count on light to moderate snow through about mid morning and then it will taper to just flurries and by this afternoon we're dry. but with the incredible cold and as mike was talking about, it makes everything difficult like snow will not melt, snow will not be removed. those chemicals are tough to put down. temperatures in the 20's right now and that's basically where we'll stay for today. a high of 28 degrees with morning snow giving way to just wind and cold. winds will gust over 40 miles an hour at times and the brutal cold continues through sunday. highs in the teens. lows in the single digits. we'll be right back after this. >> ♪ >> ♪♪ >> ♪ >> this is fox5 news morning. >> right now at 5:30, a massive winter storm is barreling its way up the east coast. it's bringing some snow to our region. >> some areas will get hit harder than others. but we'll all feel the frigid temperatures and the brutal winds. live team coverage as the bomb cyclone bears down. >> and here is a live look outside. the live big picture you're seeing where the wind is really whipping, that's ocean city, maryland. they have blizzard-like conditions there. so, it really is bad the further east that you go. it is thursday, january 4th. of course we've got live team coverage. we're all over it this morning. hitting us hard and we're here for you. we say good morning. we're glad you're with us on this thursday january 4th. >> today's weather has led to lots of closings and delays and this is within the past hour. many schools in the region have changed their statuses to closed. they're all strolling at the bottom of the screen. >> let's start in maryland. an run dole county schools closed today, montgomery county, saint mary's county schools closed, charles county schools are closed and prince george's county county schools have also now closed. >> also in maryland the following schools are on a two-hour delay. calvert county schools, frederick county schools, and howard county schools are all delayed for two hours. >> let's head over to virginia. lots of changes here as to what's now closed. so, listen closely. arlington county schools are closed. fairfax county schools are closed. loudoun county schools are closed. prince william county and spotsylvania county schools also closed. stafford county schools are also closed. manaas park schools closed. >> also in virginia, alexandria city along way fauquier county culpeper county warren county and page county schools on a two-hour delay. >> d.c. public schools also on a two-hour delay this morning and the federal government it's opened today but operating on a two-hour delay. federal workers have the option for unscheduled leave or unschedule telework. let's get to caitlin roth. caitlin what's the very latest. >> the bomb cyclone as it's been dubbed recently is performing well offshore. locally of course it might be a little underwhelming to you but the snow has coated the ground and causing issues out there. that's why we've got some of those delays and cancellations which is a good call especially in southern maryland where they're under a winter storm warning. blizzard warnings up and down the coast including ocean city maryland where our cori coffin s it's a winter weather advisory in place for a couple inches of snow and a potentially hazardous roads along 95. snow south to north overnight. heaviest is along the coast but we've got decent bands setting up over us, too. i want to zoom in on places like ocean city up through the delaware beaches where they're getting just an onslaught of just snow but what you can't see wind gusting to 45 miles an hour right now in ocmd. locally we've got light snow filling in and some pockets of moderate snow as well. in fact we just had a decent amount move across northwest d.c. up by baltimore they're seeing steady snow showers and the higher amounts locally will set up east of 95. here's what it looks like. still on track for a trace to 2-inches for our western suburbs, the district and right along 95. up towards baltimore, down through annapolis, prince george's county including bowie and upper marlboro down through charles county, the northern neck you'll see more like two to four. you don't have to go too far saint mary's county calvert county eastern shore where you get more like three to 6 inches and the highest amounts will be where the blizzard warning five to 10 inches there. the snow will come to an end rather abruptly mid morning for us locally and by midafternoon, we'll even see some sunshine come out but the wind and the cold remain a big story. brutal wind chills. it will still be tough out there with blowing snow through this afternoon. so your planning forecast, better to just be inside and take it easy through today. i'll have a look at that seven-day and we'll keep you monitored through the rest of the morning. right now i believe we're going over to holly. >> thanks caitlin. appreciate it. 5:34 is our time right now and the eastern shore is really getting the brunt of this massive winter storm. >> flakes started falling last night and fox5's cori coffin shows us what's happening on the eastern shore. she is live this morning and it's far worse there than it is here at this point. >> reporter: ocean city currently getting the brunt of it, guys. we felt a big giant gust kind of just come through here. right out where we are right now is actually the 50 bridge that kind of goes into and comes out of this particular part of the boardwalk of ocean city. in and out. we've seen plows come through, about a half dozen or so plowing some of these roads. this is one of the roads that one of the plows was able to treat but we've seen plenty of roads that the plows haven't been able to treat yet because some of the roads are smaller in this particular area. we've seen some of these vacation homes or what appear to be vacation homes and there are some cars out here, so it looks like some folks are hunkering down. for the most part we're the only folks out here right now. the snow levels are varying from a couple inches to fairly large snow drifts that we've seen with this snow coming through and these winds are strong. the sleet, it is biting i will say. we've definitely seen some of those emergency vehicles having to respond to some of these emergencies and we are awaiting to find out exactly what crews are going to be dealing with in the coming hours as daylight starts to arrive. for now, we're going to continue searching -- we've to make his way down the road. let's see if we can talk to this bicycler, see if he'll give us -- probably -- [inaudible] down the road with -- with the vehicle. sir, you're trying get to work right now? where are you going? >> home. >> reporter: home he says. he's not going to stop for us which i understand. we're in a blizzard. he's going home. i hope you make it, sir. please stay safe. whew. it is -- it is crazy out here. this man, the bravest man i've seen, that's for sure. aside from us being out here he's the only one. we'll send it back to you guys in the studio right now. we'll check back in at some point. >> he's got some good tires on that bike, right? >> yeah. good idea. go on home. all right cori take care. >> thanks cori. be safe. >> 5:36 is the time right now. if you're trying to fly out today, you better check the status of your flight because the storm has resulted in several can cans flights at majr airports. reagan national dulles and all showing flight cancellations from boston, new york, newark, jacksonville and charlton south carolina. from boston logan international airport more than 500 flights have been canceled. in new york more than 900 flights canceled out of three main airports there. >> amtrak plans to operate on a modified schedule between new york and boston today. the snow has forced a few cancellations in our area. northeast regional service between d.c. and norfolk, virginia, canceled for today. so, with that, let's head on over to erin and get an update on our traffic. how's it looking out there erin. >> holly and wisdom, volume is lighter because we have the federal government on delay, many schools on delay but if you have to head to work here is what you're up against this morning. westbound pennsylvania avenue in southeast at southern avenue right lane is closed. there are some downed wires there. watch for delays. a lot of yellow on our maps because of the bad conditions on the roads, really slowing traffic down. let's see if we can go ahead and forward things along and against this morning. aside from that one, look at all the yellow especially east of 95, bw parkway, 50 by the bay bridge. the beltway in that direction and 50 inside the beltway all seeing those really slow conditions. 395 getting the worst of it as well as mike showed you in old town alexandria some heavier snow coming down. 66 and 95 also dealing with very slow conditions. let's forward things along once again show you what else you're up against on the roads. this is a live look at the key bridge. wind warning in effect there. as you head into georgetown heavier snow developing on the road there. flurries still coming down. please reduce your speeds. metro rail lines currently on time. any questions at erin fox5 d.c. on twitter. >> coming up on fox5 news morning,. >> we are going to continue to cover, of course, this massive winter storm that's hitting our area. in fact, as we head to break, let's go ahead and take a live look. this is old town alexandria. that's where mike thomas is out and conditions. as you can see it's a little bit dicey out there. good reason for school delays and cancellations today. we've got the latest, though, when we come back so don't go anywhere. fox5 news morning is what you're watching. >> ♪ >> ♪ >> welcome back to fox5 news morning on this thursday, january 4th. 5:41 is our time right now. that's a old town alexandria. mike thomas and crew out and about driving around checking out the roads there and in fact, we just heard from alexandria schools. they are closed today. alexandria schools are closed. they keep coming in. we'll keep you updated as they do. they're continuing to scroll at the bottom of our screen as well. >> 5:42 is the time right now. howard university will be closed today and tomorrow due to heating issues in the residence halls. ruptured steam pipes and boiler problems left the building without heat and hot water. officials are asking students to delay their return from winter break until sunday so crews can finish repairs. the new semester starts monday. >> now to a developing story. another amtrak train derailment. this time near savannah georgia. happened last night. officials say the train was traveling from miami to new york and was backing up slowly into the savannah station when three cars derailed. fortunately there are reports of no injuries. >> fire and fury inside the that's the title of a new book by journalist michael wolf. he says it's based on hundreds of interviews and conversations with senior white house staffers and the president himself. several excerpts have already been released. >> coming up on fox5 news morning we'll have another check of weather and as the east coast gets pounded by this winter storm we want to keep you updated. in fact as we head to break, there, this is ocean city, maryland, definitely getting the hardest pounding in our general area. we've got a crew out there checking everything out for us. we're going to check in with some of our crews on the other side so you know exactly what you're facing when you head out today. 5:43 is our time right now. >> ♪ >> ♪ >> 5:46 is the time right now. you're looking live at oxon hill in maryland where the snow is coming down. we've been talking about this all morning long. the effect of the bombogenesis is having on our area. some parts of the region will get more than others so we're going to break that down for you. there are school delays, school closings to talk about scrolling at the bottom of your screen. we have you covered this morning. >> more school closings than i anticipated i will say that but the storm caitlin is not disappointing. >> very dramatic name bombogenesis so my favorite weather term but for good reason and i think a lot of school closures are even though the snow for us locally stops about midday, it will be so windy, the roads will have blowing snow, it will be so cold that it's kind of like why bother. >> i stuck my head outside earlier and it was interesting. >> and you pulled it right >> and i came right back in here and sat right back down. >> it's definitely a day if you don't have to be outside oue those are on a delay makes sense, too, because the snow will be over by mid morning. we'll get right to it, take a look at the radar for you now. overnight snow has been filling in locally and we're seeing varying intensity. it's mainly light snow or snow flurries the further west you go but there is a decent band of moderate snow set up just east of 95. look at baltimore and the western sections of the city seeing good snows where that darker purple is. further south through the eastern section of the district and along the beltway in prince george's county, waldorf dahl again into the northern neck seeing steadier snow there. the heavier snow will be the further east you go. this is a true coastal storm storm and the words effects will be up and down the coast literally from maine through virginia. snow is sticking easily. it will not melt for days. it will remain pretty icy as we go into the over 20 miles an hour locally at about eight here in d.c. in the teens and by the way those winds are gusting over 45 miles an hour in ocean city, maryland where our blizzard is under way there. futurecast shows that we've got at least light to moderate snow for the next couple of hours. by eight, 9:00 a.m. we'll rapidly see some dry air work its way in. we're truly on the western side of this storm that by 11:00 a.m., the noon hour, it's basically over locally. the snow will continue, though, along the eastern shore until about midafternoon and even along the coast through the rest of the evening but by 4 o'clock, the sun even comes out here and we're just left with the wind and the cold. snowfall amounts still about a trace to 2-inches along 95. just east of there including anne arrundel county, prince george's county, down through charles county you're talking about two to four. southern saint mary's county, southern calvert county where you're under the winter storm warning that's three to 6 inches. you'll get more snowfall and then along the coast, five to locally double digits with those blizzard conditions and certaiy amounts and the biggest effects will be felt. so, that's what shapes up for today. i'm want to show you the seven-day forecast because even though the snow passes us by by midday we're left with incredible wind and cold. it's definitely the worst. highs in the teens, lows in the si si single digits. rivalling record lows by sunday morning and with bitter wind chills. starting to see delays and cancellations for tomorrow due to the cold. looks like we get some relief as we head into early next week. that is a look at your seven-day forecast. erin at least people aren't commuting outside right now. so you've got some bad road conditions but most people are off the roads i hope. >> that's right. bad road conditions and if you do have to head to work, some problem areas you should be aware of. we are dealing with some downed wires. earlier crash scene in southeast. this is westbound pennsylvania avenue at southern avenue. watch for delays. we're also just seeing a lot of yellow on our map. let's see if we can go ahead and forward things along. the clicker is not wanting to work either. i guess it's cold. right now all of the yellow east maryland and eastern shore area, 50, 301, five at the 301 split, extremely slow traffic. anyone trying to get up toward the beltway from southern maryland just very slow conditions. heavier snow in that area. aside from that one, i can tell you that we're also dealing with issues along 395. 66 on the westbound side we do have a crash out by glebe road, a car stuck on the shoulder. this is a look at the key bridge from rosslyn into georgetown where we have some heavier snow very slow conditions even though there's very light volume there. and then as we forward things along once again, aside from that, i can tell you that we have a crash dulles toll road on the ramp to 123. this is a look at 66 right now. 95 actually moving along okay, at speed but we have a lot of whiteout conditions. some of the lanes are cleared but this could cause some bigger problems if more people hit the road. right now all metro rail lines are on time. we'll forward things along once again. however watch out for those delays on the northeast regional rail for amtrak. heavier snow coming down along 270 corridor fro into montgomery county. any questions at erin fox5 d.c. on twitter. >> thanks erin. we have shown you the blizzard conditions out on the eastern shore but that really is nothing compared to what they are going to get up on cape cod and the boston area. >> reporter victoria warren is live this morning on cape cod in massachusetts. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, wisdom and holly. yeah, geographically, we're just south of boston just north of cape cod and we are preparing for that snow that you guys have been seeing. it's on its way here with blizzard-like conditions. we've been in single digits now for days and you see all of these giant ice chunks out here. this is going to pose a hazard all of its own because the coastl communities throughout massachusetts, there are many flood watches in effect and flooding is nothing new with these storms but what they don't get too often, these giant ice chunks. officials are saying these can become like floating waters rush in making things extremely dangerous for folks out here so we're going to have those blizzard, those whiteout conditions with the high winds, power outages, a lot of snow falling, temperatures that are just going to keep dropping and then you add to all of that these icy flood waters, people are taking this storm very seriously. there's some flood walls thrughout the area that they've shored up with boulders during the last couple of days. people are doing their normal run for supplies. they also have shelters set up. high tide will come in around 11:00 in the morning but really the danger starts before that so they're urging folks over here -- there's know mandatory evacuations in place but they are urging folks that if you live in one of those flood prone areas, this storm is going to be a little bit different, take it seriously, consi consider goinga shelter. we're live this morning in massachusetts. back to you guys. >> people there are used to it so they might think oh we can handle it but with the projectiles a that's serious stuff. if you live here in prince georges county you also are going to be waking up to overnight snowfall. >> make sure to drive carefully this morning if you're taking back roads to get to the beltway. fox5's melanie alnwick is live in laurel now with the latest. mel. >> reporter: hey, guy, yeah, we went from bowie over here to laurel and as we got into laurel the conditions on the main roads were much, much better mainly just wet roads but now here in downtown laurel, on route one, we are seeing once again some snow covering. the snow definitely seems to be a little bit lighter here than it was further east. however, as you mentioned before, everywhere else we've seen a lot of sidewalks covered and the parking lots also seem to be spotty here and there. some are good, some are bad. it really is going to be i think across prince george's county a really localized situation, very different from one part of the county to the other. we can tell you that dpwt, transportation, has their full complement of resources out here. we saw a number of them, the plows and the salting operations going on especially on the overpass area. we say that all the time, they are much trickier but it is true, you definitely do notice it as you're driving around here and a decent number of people actually out on the roads trying to make their way in to work this morning, too. so, while kids do not have school today, a lot of people do still have to go to work either early or some of them may be on a little bit of a delay. but it's definitely one of those things i think the county is going to be watching and seeing where they need to send more resources next. they are predicting in prince george's county between one to 3 inches and it looks like they're going to get somewhere in the middle of that just based on what we're seeing here right now. back to you guys. >> all right. thank you very much mel for that report. >> well, our number one resource is caitlin this morning in terms of how this is all shaping up. so, what's the latest caitlin. >> so far on track, guys. we've already got reports of about a coating to a half inch. not just of virginia, too, herndon and fairfax coming in with a coating on the ground, half inch in columbia and we've had snow register at reagan national. main points locally with this storm. light to moderate snow is falling now. it is sticking on any untreated surfaces. watch out for icy conditions. also reduced visibility due to the blowing winds. we've definitely got that as the further east you go. blizzard conditions along the coast. highest totals will be east of 95. for us, locally, the snow wraps up by midday. right now 24 degrees outside in d.c. feels like nine with that wind out of the north and it is snowing just about everywhere. storm tracker radar shows light to maybe some moderate snow bands setting up especially just east of 95 where even if you're west of 95 or along, you'll still get snow, coating to an inch, maybe two in the district, but just east of there you're getting more into the two to three to 4-inches locally. so, here's what it looks like. like i said, trace to two along 95. just east of there, places like annapolis through bowie down two to four. three to six as you get closer towards parts of central delaware and then along the coast, highest amounts with blizzard conditions up to 10-inches. that's the way it looks. much more coming up fox5 at 6:00 a.m. with tucker but first erin will get a check of the roads. >> all right, caitlin thank you so much. great job this morning. 5:56 and i can tell you as caitlin mentioned snow coming down. 66 westbound after glebe road, there's a crash blocking the right lane right shoulder. you can see those flashing lights. it's a disabled vehicle to the shoulder. you can see some heavier snow in the shoulder and the center median. please use caution. watch for slick spots. 66 east and westbound. let's see if we can forward things along once again and show you what else you're up against. asides from 66 we have downed wires westbound pennsylvania avenue southeast at southern avenue. i can tell you that things are very slow in southern maryland. again, we'll see if we can forward things along for you since this clicker unfortunately doesn't seem to want to work this morning. 50 super slow traffic even though volume is light. wind advisories in effect across the bay bridge. caution on the heavier traffic very slow conditions in southern maryland. five at the 301 split. use caution on all of those secondaries. we got you covered with your full look at news, weather and traffic on this snowy thursday. we'll be right back at 6:00 a.m. >> ♪ >> ♪ >> this is fox5 news morning. >> straight ahead at 6:00, hunkering down. the bomb cyclone as it's being called has hit the winds up and down the east coast and all over the d.c. area. >> we have live team coverage this morning from right here in the nation's capitol out to the eastern shore in southern maryland where they're getting hit much harder. hope you're off to a safe start. thanks for joining us. it is thursday january 4th. >> today's weather has led to lots of closings and delays. in the past hour many counties have changed their status from delayed to closings. >> let's start with some of the largest and closest to d.c. in maryland anne arrundel county schools closed. montgomery county schools now closed as well. saint mary's county schools closed. same deal with charles county, prince george's county and howard county schools. all those schools in maryland are closed this morning. >> also in maryland, the following schools are still on a two-hour delay. calvert county schools, frederick county schools and howard county schools, you are delayed for two hours. >> all right. in virginia, a l