are closed. in virginia, frederick, king george, and madison county schools are closed. as well as page county and warren county schools. we go straight to adam caskey to talk about the snowfall we are expecting today. it's nothing too alarming. >> that's right. it's nothing to be alarmed about. the best way to put it, it will be enough to have a decent snowball fight, but not to make a big snowman. maybe some sledding in spots, especially farther south of the metro area. it's not snowing around the region right now. you have to go to richmond and stafford. most of the action is still off to the west and southwest. it will snow in the metro area close to a lunchtime today. winter weather advisory for the midday and early evening. that includes the evening rush hour or.

snowing in the afternoon and lingering into the evening rush hour or, especially south of town. one to 2 inches in town. south of town is where you have a higher snowfall potential in the storm. southbound 270 before 85, there's an accident off to the left. this is hyattstown, heavy traffic getting past 109. the outer loop north of town is in pretty good shape. the inner loop accidents has been cleared. traffic along 95 in virginia, no wrecks. northbound, roddick road, accident to the left. 66 east near the visitor center, there was a broken-down car blocking the second lane to the right. back to you. >> thank you. we are on storm-wise this morning. the region is bracing for a blast of wintry weather. >> people are not taking

chances. if they are gearing up. courtney robinson as a look at what to expect. the snow could get tricky for drivers. >> that's right. especially when it comes to the evening commute. the snow is going to fall around midday. that has transportation officials concerned that when the temperatures drop this evening, things could get slippery. for metro residents, this is their biggest fear, a repeat of last year, another storm blanketing the area with snow. >> we are purchasing snow shovels. >> many are preparing for the winter weather. workers at the springfield home depot folks say they have been busy since saturday, selling more than 1000 shovels. have ton't necessarily dig ourselves out of the parking lot, but on the interstate we would be able to. winter hawala. a

transportation crews are in action already. they have treated the roads and nav salt trucks ready. -- have salt trucks ready. virginia has salt trucks as well as snowplows on standby, 400 of those in northern virginia. live in springfield, courtney robinson, abc 7 news. there's a change in policy for federal workers in the event of a snowstorm. "closed" will be changed to "closed for republican." for the public." that means employees will still

have to report to work. a d.c. public works employee was injured after being struck by a vehicle in northwest. it happened after midnight near sherman and gerard streets. authorities don't know if the man fell off a truck and was hit or whether he was in the street at the time. his injuries are not considered life-threatening. 6:04, the house is picking up a bill to extend the bush era tax cuts and unemployment benefits. the senate easily passed a bill yesterday, but it faces a test in the house. if some democrats may try to make changes to it. if so, it would go back to the senate. old habits die hard. a big spending bill to keep the government running is full of earmarks. more than 6700 projects worth more than $8 billion. they include money for salmon in the van and maple syrup research

in vermont. if president obama wants in remarks to be eliminated. >> d.c. mayor elect vincent gray has chosen his public safety team reportedly. there are some familiar faces helping lead the city. ben is live in northwest with details on today's expected announcement. >> good morning. sources tell us d.c. police chief cathy lanier will be reappointed. also, the mayor elect plans to appoint a new fire chief. if in 2006, cathy lanier became the city's first police chief. she has served 20 years and has been known for a trellis work ethic and responding to residents and sewing up personally to crime scenes. corroborating is that 80%. d.c. mayor is typically bring in their own sheets even if the siting police chief is

popular. they're closing murder cases at a rate well above the national average. vincent gray will appoint a new fire chief with 30 years of experience. kenneth ellerbe is coming from florida. the announcements are expected to be made at 1:30 this afternoon. safety and security today will top the agenda when metro's board meets this morning. board members will be updated on escalator repairs and the search for a general manager and they will vote on a plan to replace track circuits in 59 train control rooms. it was a circuit malfunction that is blamed for last year's red line crash that killed nine people. there's new evidence that you were d.c. area residents are driving to work. "washington post" reports 14% of the commuters in the area use public transit between 2005 and

2009. solo drivers dropped from 68% in 2000 to 66%. that is one of the worst commutes in the country. >> not easy. >> 6:06 on this thursday morning, 22 degrees. >> still ahead, no signs of relief. a relentless winter storm keeps pounding big parts of the country. >> how many people are hitting the roads this christmas season? >> stormwater coverage continues. a check on traffic and weather every ten minutes. a check on traffic and weather every ten minutes. -- storm

i am with the national zoo. i'm with panda claus and we are inviting you to the "zoolights" event. it is wild and free. good morning, washington. >> welcome back. talking about the cold weather and snow on the way. school closure is to pass along. in maryland, calvert county, charles, st. mary's county schools are closed today. in virginia, clarke county, friedrichs, george, madison county is closed as well. orange, page county, and shenandoah county is are closed. spotsylvania and warren counties in virginia are closed. the first miserable snowfall this season, but nothing to panic about.

>> nothing to be alarmed about. we do have some areas of white showing up on the screen. this is mostly a mid-level cloud cover. we don't have surface observations everywhere. few free to drop me a line when you first hard to see snowflakes. write to me on facebook or send via email at wjla.coom. areas of white indicates no fault. 11:00 a.m. or so is when we will start to see snow in the metro area. -- areas of white indicate snowfall. in terms of accumulation, up to 2 inches locally. most of this will be in between the rush hours.

with higher snowfall potential and accumulation south of the metro area. a couple of issues in virginia. 66 eastbound near the virginia visitor center, broken-down car in the second lane from the right. northbound 28 before 66, accident on the left. if in maryland, the beltway is running freely. 270 southbound before 85, accident on the left. in hyattstown, heavy traffic. on marc rail, a 25 minute delay is for the brunswick line trains because of switch problems. 95, baltimore washington parkway running smoothly. 95 in virginia, no accidents toward the beltway near fredericksburg. back to you. >> thank you. the roads and the skies will feel more crowded during the christmas travel season. aaa says over 92 million americans will travel 50 miles or more this christmas. that is 3% more than last year.

most people will drive to their holiday destinations. nearly 3 million people will fly. 6:12 on this thursday morning, 22 degrees. >> dozens of deaths and now the government has banned the drop- side cribs. an up host: could switching to geico really save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance? do woodchucks chuck wood? (high-pitched laughter) man: hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood! vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

the d.c. region is getting ready for what could be the first measurable snow fall of the season. we could get up to 3 inches today. a winter weather advisory takes effect in a few hours from now. the roads have been treated and the salt trucks are ready. it appears d.c. police chief cathy lanier will stay on the job when vincent gray becomes mayor next month. abc 7 news has learned kenneth

ellerbe will become the next fire chief. president obama's war strategy in afghanistan, there has been progress in dealing with the taliban, but the gains are fragile. the report says u.s. troops could begin withdrawing in july. we are not the only ones placing --bracing for a blast of winter. much of the country is in the grips of this. there are plunging temperatures. karen.orning, >> this relentless winter weather is showing no signs of easing up. roads have been turned into sheets of ice in the state of maine. in mississippi and alabama, five people were killed in accidents caused by ice on the roads. tennessee is bracing for ice accumulations that could be a

half-inch. upstate new york getting pummeled by a lake effect snow. they got 20 inches yesterday. in minneapolis, that rules is not going to be fixed in time for the vikings monday night game, so it will be at the university of minnesota at the old stadium. about a dozen states can expect an icy and pulled commute this morning as the brentronics makes its way across the southeast and mid-atlantic region. cold commute.and back to you. >> thank you. investigators looking for people who stole marion barry's vehicle. police tell us his silver jaguar or stolen from livingston road in southeast on saturday. the key is we're in the ignition at the time. the car was later found. the head of montgomery

county public schools is proposing an increase in spending for next year. that is despite a county budget shortfall. jerry weast's proposal does not include any new cost-of-living raises for employees. there's a new policy granting community groups equal access to the loudoun county courthouse through the holidays. the first 10 applicants will be able to use but for. to exercise their free speech. that includes an atheist group. 6:17 is the time. there's something in the parent needs to know about. and foreclosure rates possibly tumbling. vinita nair has those stories and more. >> a sharp drop in foreclosures. numbers show repossessions drop 28% last month, falling to the lowest level in 18 months. that was a result of several

members temporarily freezing foreclosures review paperwork. several lenders. the government is outlawing dropside cribbs. dannon has agreed to pay $21 million to settle complaints about health claims for its activia and danactive regarding beneficial bacteria. and the world's most expensive christmas tree, $11 million worth of diamond necklaces, earrings, pearls, and other jewelry hang from the branches, will be unveiled. school closings to pass along. in maryland, we are dealing with snow closings in calvert, charles, st. mary's counties. in virginia, culpeper,, clarke county, frederick, king george

county. >> madison county schools are closed in virginia. orange county, page county, shenandoah county as well. spotsylvania county and warren county schools are closed in virginia. those are at the top and bottom of the screen all morning. adam caskey is looking at temperatures and snow fall. >> we will break it down. it is cold outside. if teens and low 20s. highs this afternoon in the upper 20's. it is only going to be it snow. super doppler 7 has areas of light. that is mid-level cloud cover is being picked up by radar. that's not snowfall in from the clouds yet. harris will exaggerated. there's snow falling in parts of west virginia, and western virginia, roanoke and north carolina.

mixed precipitation and rain on the backside of that. temperatures will be in the upper 20s today. it is cold enough where everything will turn to snow. this is mainly going to be in between the rush hour today. at 9:00 there could be snowflakes far south of the metro area or a little earlier. most of it will be 11:00 a.m. or so for the vast majority of the metro area. highs in the upper 20's. off and on snow showers through the midday and into the afternoon, then tapering off by the evening rush hour. some snowflakes will be falling when you drive home, but they will be pushing of of the region. a trace of snow up to an inch in the metro area. isolated locations could get 3 inches. south of town is where we have a higher snowfall potential. if tomorrow will be warm and

sunny. 66 in virginia, broken-down car eastbound near the virginia visitor center block in the second lane from the right. ,f 28 northbound near 666 accident cleared. 95 northbound, traffic's near woodbridge. springfield looks good. in maryland, southbound 270, heavy traffic due to an accident. usual congesting in hyattstown. the roads are clear on the beltway north of town. marc trains are 20-25 minutes late because of switching problems. back to you. >> thank you. 6:21 on this thursday, 22 degrees. we could get up to 3 inches of snow today. we have school closings on the top and bottom of the screen. >> coming up, a good night's sleep and good work. a new study shows a link between them. >> today on "oprah," a wife sued her husband for millions and

won, today at 4:00 on abc 7.

captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- welcome back. 6:24. seven is on your side with news about sleep. it's good for your looks.

people well rested tend to look healthier and more attractive to others. sleep deprived people looked more tired and less healthy and less attractive. let's see how things look as you eat at mcdonald's. under fire for using toys in happy meals. >> a nonprofit group and a california mother have filed a class-action lawsuit that says mcdonald's is unfairly marketing unhealthy foods to children by enticing them with soltoys. by donald says parents understand and appreciate that a happy meal is a treat. fedex says if you mail your gift by friday, they will guarantee they will live by next saturday. the shipping giant expects to send alex 250 million packages

during the holiday season -- to send out. there still another half- hour of good morning washington. >> saying goodbye after a quarter century behind a microphone. larry king has one still left. glaxo is going to be the next police chief and the district of columbia? >>

live and in hd, this is "good morning america," on your side. it is the calm before the flakes. how are we getting ready for the first widespread snowfall? "good morning america." i'm scott thuman. we have some school closings

to pass along to you. calvert county, charles county, st. mary's county schools are closed. in virginia, culpeper county, clark county, frederick county, king george county, and spotsylvania county schools are closed. you can see the closings at the top and bottom of your screen. stafford county and warren county schools are also closed. it is time to check in with adam caskey as he has been monitoring what this means for us. some areas will see more than they are ready for. >> after last winter, we are ready for anything. we're not necessarily calling this a snowstorm. it is an snow event. it is a little coaching -- coating we will see between mixed -- between rush hours. southwestern virginia, the ohio valley. there is some rain.

we will not see a rain or mix. it will just be snow. temperatures are near 20. we only expect the upper-20's for the highs. it will be just as no w. most of it will fall between rush hours today, especially the early afternoon. about one-2 inches locally -- 1- 2 inches locally. richmond might get as much as 5 inches. we had a report of a truck stop earlier at the exit to the george washington parkway. it is not impeding traffic. let's go to the maps and show you some problems out on the virginia highways. we have a broken-down car on the inbound 66 near the virginia center -- visitors' center. there's an accident inbound blocking the left side. at the 270, expected very slow getting through the interchange. the beltway through college park to silver spring -- the outer loop is there on the bottom left

of your screen. we are on stormwatch this morning. the snow will start falling this morning and could cause problems for your evening commute. >> courtney robinson has more on how people are preparing for this snow. >> good morning. transportation crews are not taking any chances. they have pretreated the roads. we're out in springfield, of course, a mixing bowl, one of the areas that they are most concerned about. it's very cold, and slippery, very quickly. roads have been pretreated drug northern virginia. they have the number of salt trucks and snowplows on call. the residents are also preparing. we're at the springfield home depot, seeing a number of people getting the shovels, ice melt,

salt. again, that weather will be coming midday. by the evening commute, it should be at its worst. it will be getting more slippery with the temperature is dropping. be careful, especially on your commute home and during the evening hours. we're live in springfield, courtney robinson, abc 7 news. >> courtney, cross is so much for that. adam caskey will be tracking the weather. you can get your updates online at tbd.com. looking at news on the hill -- the house could vote on a compromise to extend the bush- era tax cuts as well as unemployment benefits. the senate easily approved that measure yesterday. the bill could have a tougher time in the house because some democrats want to change provisions on the estate tax. meanwhile, the senate could once again take up a bill to repeal

the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. the house passed the bill yesterday. opponents of the ban on openly- gay troops say they have enough votes to pass it in the senate, but they say they may not have enough time to get it through in the lame-duck session. it is 6:33. a space heater might be to blame for a fire that raced through an aspen hill apartment building. firefighters rescued several people. one person was hurt. we do not know that person's condition at this time. new information about the district's next administration. mayor-elect vincent gray has been making appointments. he is keeping a familiar home -- familiar faces at the helm. >> mayor elect vincent gray will be appointed chief cathy lanier.

he will reappoint a fire chief as well. the decisions were not unexpected. cathy lanier became the first ever female police chief for the city. she has served the department for 20 years. she is known for her tireless work ethic, obsessively responding to residents, and showing up at crime scenes. she as an approval rating of around 80%. it is unusual for her -- for grade to reappoint her. d.c. mayor's have typically brought in their own police chief, even if the incumbent is popular. crime levels are above the national average. >> i have met with the transition team. i talked to gray all the time. he has a lot on his plate. it is selfish of me for me to hound him about my particular business. >> he will also appoint a new fire chief, kenneth geller, who has served as an interim chief

in the past and has 30 years -- kenneth ellerbe, who was served as an interim chief in the past and has 30 years experience. he is currently serving in sarasota, florida. the metro board will deal with numerous issues, including safety and security reports and updates on the escalator repairs as well as the search for the general manager. the board is expected to vote on a plan to replace track circuits as well in 59 train control rooms. it is 6:36. we have 22 degrees. the end of an era after 25 years. larry king is signing off. a school board shooting caught on tape. we have new details. doug hill will join us with the latest snow time line.

welcome back. it is 6:39. here is some school closing information. we will have that at the top and bottom of your screen all morning. in maryland, calvert county, charles county, and st. mary's county schools will all be closed. >> in virginia, culpeper schools have a two hour delay. clark county, frederick county,

king george county, spotsylvania county, stafford county, rappahannock, page, orange, madison -- all close today. orange county and shenandoah county schools are also closed. traffic and weather every 10 minutes. we go to doug hill in calvert county. he has some cold temperatures. >> schools are closed here. one of the big thrills -- turn off the kids' alarm clocks before they get up. there will be some happy kids here. this is the advisory area. very widespread. it is most of our viewing area. we're in the 20's and teens in most areas. that is not likely to change. the numbers will hold at 19 in baltimore, gaithersburg. 18 in frederick. 16 in manassas.

we will maximize the snow. every bit that falls will stick. this is the computer model showing be expected as now from southwest to northeast by midday. it will start just before lunchtime -- showing the expected snow from southwest to northeast by midday. it will start just before lunchtime. we will see things clear out later today. the greater metropolitan area can expect 1-2 inches. south of town, 1-3. a little farther south will be the sweet spot, maybe three, four, 5 inches of snow. this is just two days from the endeavor 3 of last year's first major snowstorm that we lovingly referred to as snowmageddon.

i do not think we will have a repeat of that, but some flakes are on the way. >> doug hill, thank you. we appreciate that. it does not seem like this is causing any issues. >> the roads are clear and dry. we do not have any weather's related issues -- weather- related issues. there is an accident before the occoquan river, blocking the left side. very heavy out of prince william county. from just beyond this camera, springfield up toward seminary road, there is a crash. that is along the left side. after excalibur, a traffic accident. traffic is single file. on 66, a broken-down car in manassas is now out of the way. route 7 inbound near the fallston road, an accident is along the left side of the

roadway. back to you. >> 6:42, 21 deg

we are on stormwatch this morning. the winter storm that dumped several feet of snow in the midwest is now causing major problems in the southeast. karen travers as more on the ice and sleet now threatening that region. >> it is showing no signs of easing. the snow was followed by ice in parts of the midwest. this is frozen solid. in the southeast, sleet and freezing rain been turning roads into skating rinks -- rain

turned roads into skating rinks. at least five people have been killed. >> folks, you have to be real careful, especially if you have a loved one in the car with you. >> residents of minnesota are still digging out. officials are concerned about how this will be affecting their budget. >> we have to plow. >> the roof of the metrodome which collapsed on monday will not be fixed in time for the monday night game. the nfl moved the game to university of minnesota's outdoor stadium. the problem is that it is full of snow. you can expect a cold and icy. this morning. -- icy commute this morning. new details are emerging about the man who shot at members of the florida school board during a meeting.

56-year-old clay duke at least 50 rounds of ammunition. a police officer shot him as he fired at school board members. he killed himself. he said he was upset that his wife lost her teaching job earlier this year. >> he loved me. he loved his family. he was just trying to have people stop, as he would say, dump on me. >> investigators say that he had circled december 14 on the calendar, suggesting he had been planning the attack for some time. an army doctor is facing a court-martial in maryland. he could learn his plate today. he faces up to three 1/2 years in military prison and dismissal from the army. he refused to deploy because he questions whether president obama was going in the united states -- born in the united states. there is a debate on where to put a mattress station at

dulles airport once the line -- metro station at dulles airport once the line get there. the dc9 club that was expected to reopen last night remains closed. a man died outside the club on october 15. five employees were initially charged in connection with that that. those charges were later dropped. the website had announced plans to reopen. the time is 6:48. tax cuts face the next test. the clock is ticking. this is a debate that is continuing to loom. we are finally at the point worry macy -- where we may see progress. >> it looks like the writing is on the wall. even those who object seem to accept that this is going to

pass, probably today. it went through the senate yesterday with more than 80 votes. the reality is there is not much anyone can do if they do not like this. if they do not take action, time is running out. democrats are expected to offer amendments to the bill. >> that is right. they are expected to offer some amendments. it is mostly a symbolic gesture. even the people offering the amendments are saying that they do not think it will go anywhere. if the amendments did succeed, the deal would probably be off. there is a lot at stake in making sure nothing goes awry for the leadership who is trying to get this through. they have a lot of ground to cover. >> you have the budget, the house passing don't ask, don't tell repeal. the senate will take another shot at that. harry freed -- harry reid is threatening to keep people over

christmas. >> i am sure up a lot of people would not be happy about that -- sure that a lot of people would not be happy about that. thank you. we are talking about calvert, charles, cent -- st. mary's, all closed. culpeper is on the two-hour delay. we have the full list scrolling at the top and bottom of your screen all morning long. king george, madison, orange, page county also closed. rappahannock, shenandoah, spotsylvania, of stafford, a warren county also closed. we will check in with doug hill for another look at the weather. >> we still have a winter weather advisory. officially, the timeframe is from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. tonight. you can look off to the east, across the tilghman island. it is still clear.

the leading edge of the clouds there just pressing across the bay now. temperatures -- all snow. the do. temperatures are low -- dewpoint temperatures are low. this is heavy cloudiness. perhaps a little snow to the north of front ryal. as the air saturate, you can see the snow stretching back across -- saturates, you can see it as notably stretching back across the ohio river valley. -- you can see the snow stretching back across the ohio river valley. the snow should taper off during the evening rush hour. we are thinking temperatures in the 20's. the farther south you go, a little bit heavier snow.

finally, have your snowfall -- the sweet spot, as we like to call it -- heavier snowfall, the sweet spot, as we like to college, will be farther south. nothing like what we had one year ago. we can handle this. no problem. >> we can handle this as long as it does not go further. doug hill, we appreciate that. thank you. let's look at the roads. you will have a lot to cover. >> we sure do. the roads are clear and dry right now. trouble inbound on route 7. an accident at sterling and centreville. expect to see heavy traffic. you cannot get across the potomac whi by the potomacte ferry -- by the way of white ferry this morning.

highet's town, germantown, 66, 95 -- a little bit heavier than normal.

sarah palin speaks out and gives exclusive access to robin roberts. it is sarah palin as you have

not seen her tomorrow on "good morning america of" on abc. it is the end of the era for larry king. >> he is signing off tonight after 25 years on air. his final show will feature barbra streisand and other guests. he will have specials on cnn every year. triggers a quick last check of the traffic and weather. -- a quick last check of the traffic and weather. >> let's go to the map. whites ferry is closed because of ice on the potomac. we have an accident on route 7 tying up the left side of the roadway. we're expecting anywhere from 1-3 inches of snow across the region with higher snowfall potential south of the metro area. stafford, culpeper, spotsylvania. 1-2 for the metro area is what we are anticipating.

we'll have updates to your school closings scrolling on your screen. >> that does it for "good morning washington." forty years ago, he wasn't worried about retirement. he'd yet to hear of mutual funds, iras, or annuities.

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