refreezing again. >> a lot of those sidewalks are pretty sketchy. >> it's friday night. you know folks are going out. here's futurecast. we're back in the teens already and low 20s downtown. by midnight if you're out late, 11 in manassas, 10 in la plata, 15 in leesburg and gaithersburg, not much wind, but some kind of cold. by 9:00 tomorrow morning temperatures will make it back into the 20s and finally above freezing tomorrow afternoon. some record lows will fall tonight. the one downtown is safe, but the old record at dulles is 14 set back in 1985. we're forecasting a low of 8. they broke a new record today a 9-degree reading. martinsburg 4, forecasting 3 and baltimore the old record is 10 set back in 1960. we're forecasting a record low of 9. we'll come back, talk about the temperatures going up over the weekend and if we finally stay dry. icy roads sent cars and

trucks sliding today in northern virginia. a lot of roads hadn't been treated or plowed by midmorning. some were even blocked off. peggy fox reports from arlington tonight where the problem is not enough salt. >> reporter: arlington county has been cutting back because of its depleting supply of salt. maybe that had something to do with the blocked off and slippery roads this morning. winter held its icy grip through afternoon despite the bright sunshine. on i-66 through rosslyn icy actions among those sections shaded by the sound barrier five cars crashed into each other. >> it's slippery and too dangerous outside right now. >> reporter: this morning the icy roads and highways were treacherous. this tractor trailer crashed on i-95 in the southbound lanes just south of the occoquan bridge. on i-66 a tractor trailer ended up on its side. this morning most neighborhood streets in fairfax county

looked like they'd seen a plow truck or two but not in arlington. tires were spinning, cars sliding. >> i think because it's sunny outside people think it's okay to drive but not quite. >> reporter: the worst streets were veatch and 14th near the courthouse, hills too icy to drive. >> reporter: stuck? >> yes. >> reporter: did you expect this? >> yeah. >> reporter: you did? >> nobody cleans the roads that well to be real. >> slowly give it some gas. >> reporter: elise bailey was lucky to get help from an arlington county police officer and a fellow motorist. the county has ordered 2,000 more tons of salt and the first loads of those new supplies are supposed to start arriving sometime tonight. in arlington county peggy fox, wusa9. >> arlington county is one of only two counties in virginia

which handles its own road maintenance. rico in rich -- richmond is the other one. there is still trouble on the skies and the rails, more in a few minutes. the search for a serial rape suspect in prince george's county ended today according to police. here's stephanie ramirez. >> reporter: i'm stephanie ramirez outside of prince george's county police headquarters where they do have that suspect in custody. he's being interrogated here this evening. police tell us that suspect is 48-year-old james william diggs of bladensburg. he was arrested in waldorf today. two days ago this past wednesday police tell us diggs raped a young woman by knifepoint they're the 3800 block of 38th avenue in cottage city. they think he's also responsible for the sexual assault february 25th in bladensburg. he also could be connected to two more attacks over there in the bladensburg and cheverly

areas. police tell us he knew what he was doing and that these attacks took place between 6:45 and 8:45 p.m. and all included young victims in their early 20s to as young as what a deputy chief told us was 16 years old. >> we are very pleased that we managed to get him off the streets. >> reporter: diggs is facing a first degree rape charge and other charges that include assault, robbery and a weapons charge all in regards to the march 4th rape. he could face even more charges as they continue to connect him to other attacks. here in prince george's county stephanie ramirez, wusa9 news. >> stephanie is going to be on this story throughout the night and have more for us tonight on wusa9 news at 11:00. there is new information on the story we've been closely following. there is a possible emotional trigger that may have played a role in the week long serial shooting spree ended by anne arundel county cops this week. our scott broom tonight on some of the many unanswered questions. >> reporter: given the circumstances of this case, the

issues of mental health and guns are likely to get a careful examination. 35-year-old former corrections officer hon young hearing voice as cording to court documents and yet he clear -- voices according to court documents and yet he cleared maryland's background check to own 10 weapons legally including this handgun which fires the same appear most of as the 223 bushmaster rifle used by the d.c. snipers in 2002. in an exclusive interview with young's mother she told wusa9 there were no signs of problems with her son. >> he's my good son. >> there was nothing remarkable in his file. >> reporter: and no indications of trouble in state records kept while young served as a correctional officer in the maryland prison system between 2012 and 2014, but young who lived with his mother in this beltsville home was unemployed in the midst of a divorce at the height of the shooting spree after a laurel

wal-mart and the columbia mall were hit by gunfire early monday. court records show young's petition for divorce from his estranged wife now living in california was dismissed because she had not been served. young allegedly went on to fire on a truck on the icc and on a building at the nsa before being stopped in his lincoln town car by anne arundel police who found shell casings and a .380 semiautomatic pistol in arm's reach. >> he didn't appear to be hiding. this guy has some other issues. >> reporter: three people were slightly wounded during the shooting spree, a remarkable stroke of luck no one was killed, especially considering the arsenal available to young. anne arundel mills, scott broom, wusa9. >> young is expected to appear in court monday. got a couple stories from the district tonight to get you up to speed. hour university inaugurated its 17th president this afternoon. he has served since the interim

university president since 2013. he first enrolled at age 16. his inauguration comes as the university celebrates charter day, the day president andrew johnson approved the university charter in 1867 and check this out. our lesli foster, a distinguished howard alum, was part of the ceremony today. today would have been the 79th birthday of the late d.c. mayor marion barry. current mayor muriel bowser and other city leaders marked the occasion by unveiling a 12 by 16-foot mural of the former mayor in ward 8 designed and painted by jay coleman, a d.c. artist and educator. mayor bowser is forming the d.c. commission to commemorate and recognize the honorable marion s. barry, jr. >> like you i've heard a lot of different ideas about how marion should be recognized. so we wanted to have input in an organized way so that the

recommendations from this committee will really reflect the desires of the people across the city of the district of columbia. a d.c. woman in a wheelchair now able to leave her home after wusa9 told her story. >> her only access in and out of her home is a alley and snow is not cleared by the d.c. did not of public works. she uses an -- department of public works. she uses an electric wheelchair and tonight thanks to some good samaritans she's back to good. >> reporter: yesterday's snow left melissa ortiz spinning her wheels, but when neighbors and a good samaritan found out wusa9 was doing a story about the alley, they dug her out. >> thank you to wusa9 and thank you to my neighbors who came out and helped. there was this man earnest who just appeared out of nowhere. i can't find him.

we've looked all through the neighborhood. we've called people. nobody seems to know who earnest is. i'm thinking he may have been an angel. >> reporter: melissa went to check on conditions this afternoon. >> backyard still looks great and we have a sheet of ice. >> reporter: while the alley has improved -- >> right now i'm able to navigate it, but that doesn't work at all. >> reporter: she wasn't able to get very far. as a busy event planner and political consultant, it's crucial she has access to public transportation. it got her thinking about other wheelchairbound residents such as angela hammonds. >> i just wish that people were a bit more considerate of those of us that have to use wheelchairs. >> reporter: melissa is grateful for the good samaritans, but she doesn't want to be left wondering about the next snowstorm. >> i would like to see the district's dpw make a plan to bring people over with shovels or at least call and say do you need help digging out?

bring people with shovels. bring ice melt. >> reporter: the alleyway is partially clear, but once you get to this location this causes a problem for melissa's wheelchair. it's slushy and icy, a bad mess here. dpw says they do not clear alleys because they end up blocking someone's dry or garage. they also a -- driveway or garage. they also apologize for not calling melissa back. thousands of travelers from coast to coast are getting nowhere fast. >> now that the winter storm to know about the travel troubles it left behind. >> reporter: yesterday's cancellations here didn't just bump one teen from 3 different flights, they may have put a big bump in his dreams, how he's not letting that stop him coming up. >> plus topper calling for warmer days ahead finally, yea! it's all ahead right here

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now on wusa9 with an update on those travel troubles, more than 4,000 flights were delayed or canceled today and amtrak cut back its service between here, new york and boston. things are, however, looking up tomorrow. amtrak is restoring full service and airlines say they are getting that dreaded ripple effect under control. that is getting most of the aircraft back in the right position so they can fly you where you need to go. the flights are taken off again at reagan national airport after yesterday's storm. >> but for one family from southeast d.c. the snowstorm didn't just dash their plans. it might have dashed someone's dream. >> debra alfarone introduces us to one young man who is not letting this reroute his life. >> because over 16,000 kids apply for this every year. they only pick 100 my son was no. 8. he's in the top 10. >> reporter: single mom vickie johnson shows us a letter she thought would change her son anthony's life. the 16-year-old wrote an essay. >> my mother has been my sole source for safety and guidance. i grew up without my father. >> reporter: and won a trip to

disney world for the disney dreamers academy, a rare opportunity to meet steve harvey and other influential people to support his dream of being a chef. this is huge for a kid from southeast d.c. >> my biggest and my greatest hope for his future is for him just to succeed. >> reporter: we met the johnsons on this long u.s. airways line thursday after their flight was cancel the wednesday. the second flight canceled, too. vicki kept calling and says u.s. airways told them they rebooked them on a third fly to fly out last night. >> we got there at approximately 8:30 exactly and they told me the gates were closed. >> each and every time i got my hopes up it's like my dreams were just crushed. it's like a one in a lifetime thing. >> reporter: just the thought makes vicki cry. anthony put together this online cookbook. he had cards made. vicki said she can't believe the airline couldn't do more. >> i just really feel like we

just didn't matter and i don't think that's fair to my daughter, my are so, nor myself. >> reporter: especially for a family from an area where many say the odds can already be stacked against you. >> they expect for you to fail or end up behind bars or honestly be 6 feet under being a young black male, and i'm not turning out to be that way. i know for a fact i'm that determined. i know i'm going to be successful. >> reporter: we called u.s. airways and they said they're looking into it. >> the disney dreamers academy is a pretty unique partnership with disney given the kids chosen for the program access to career workshops, motivational talks and even time behind the scenes at the magic kingdom to season the secrets behind the disney resort. still ahead tonight pandas in the snow. it's cute but a bit different. we'll explain. >> plus topper's seven-day forecast has some warmer days

ahead. he joins us next on wusa9 news at 7:00.

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the only station with weather alert days, wusa9 first alert weather. >> it's cold tonight but a quiet weekend, no rain no, snow. it's been eight weeks since we could say that and usually we have an event over the weekend. i think by sunday we'll be in the 50s. let's start with a live look outside, our live michael and son weather cam, high

temperature today did not make it above freezing at national, only 30 degrees. we're looking at the temperature at dulles only 26 degrees for a record low high. that means to you, record w lo maximum. on futurecast we're looking at temperatures falling into single digits again tonight. it's nice, just cold, 27, looking at winds in check. because we have calm wind and generally clear to partly cloudy skies we're looking at another very cold night. it's a perfect recipe with snowpack and snow cover and dew points in the single digits. that's why we're going 8 to 18 tonight, so record lows more than likely tonight especially at dulles in. terms of the weekend, yeah -- dulles. in terms of the weekend, yeah, finally quiet but short. we have to move our clocks forward one hour rrow before you go to bed going back to daylight saving time. in the teens tonight and walking around will be the big problem, 21 downtown, everybody

else in the teens, 12 in la plata at 10:00 tonight. that's pretty impressive for early march or january, quite frankly. 8:00 in the morning low 20s, upper teens, clear skies. 11:30 we're finally above freezing, 35 downtown, leesburg, 33 in gaithersburg, 34 in frederick. by 4:00 we're in the 40s. that's 10 degrees below average and by 8:00 tomorrow night we're still above freezing with temps in the upper 30s and low 40s and i think downtown tomorrow night you'll never make it below freezing tomorrow night. that's kind of good. 9:30, 38 in gaithersburg, 40 in leesburg, 49 manassas, 41 downtown. very cold tonight again, record lows possible, 8 to 18, wind southwest 5 to 10. 18 downtown for a low, but 9 in sterling, manassas, 8 in leesburg, 12 in rockville, college park and bowie, maybe 8 or 9 in laytonsville and olney.

a record setting night again. day planner, 20s to start, 20 at 7:00, 26 at 9:00, 35 at 11:00 and 41 by 1:00. hey, quiet weekend, shine sunday, 52 and monday pleasant, back in the low 50s which is close to average. next seven days we kept 60 on the seven-day for wednesday, a couple showers possible tuesday, not a huge system. back in the low 50s on thursday and friday next week. you may have to lower that more, but as we get to next week, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. >> the most important thing is there's no precipitation, so thank you there. >> you are welcome. coming up this week on capital download we're talking shifts in the u.s. senate. barbara mikulski is calling it quits and congresswoman donna edwards could be a contender looking to fill that senate seat in 2016. i sat down with the congresswoman for a chat about

mikulski and whether or not she's ready to say for sure that she's in. >> i value her leadership. she's been quite a fighter. i think i could be that kind of fighter in the united states senate. i'm looking at it very carefully. i'll probably make a decision within days. if i can see that there is a pathway to win the election, then i'll do it. >> not a no, but certainly not a yes. for the rest of that conversation watch me and usa today washington bureau chief susan page on capital download sunday morning 8:30 here on wusa9. this might be the last time we get to see this sight at least this year, one of the national zoo's pandas enjoying some snow, but where's the

it just wouldn't be the end of the newscast after some winter weather unless we show you pandas. >> we headed for the national zoo today and our patience was rewarded. papa panda ventured out into the friday sunshine. bao bao hung out inside but no sign of home. zookeepers say they purposely

separated her from her little one because 18 months old in the wild is about the time she starts to live on her own. >> that's all for i know grandma's house isn't the most exciting, but it's only for a few hours. look what i've got.

when you get verizon fios, you get beautiful hd picture quality, super fast internet, and america's most reliable network. so you won't miss a second of that movie, that game they love, or those moments with family. can we sleep over? please! come on! make your house the house when you get more from verizon fios the tv service rated #1 in hd picture quality and signal reliability based on customer satisfaction studies plus america's fastest, most reliable internet. and for peace of mind, get a price quote in writing and professional installation from a highly trained verizon technician. hurry now to get this deal that can't be beat. get a fios triple play online for just 79.99 a month - a price guaranteed for two full years. and when you sign a two year agreement, get an incredible $300 bonus. this great deal won't last. visit verizon.com/worryfree to learn more today. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

harrison ford's terrifying plane crash. >> we have that deeaibols aut his condition today. >> engine failure. >> he's going to land on the golf course. >> he wasn't in good shape. >> the emergency rescue effort. we talked to a golfer who helped pull harrison out. >> he was just slumped in there, just moaning. >> social media explodes after "scandal" takes on ferguson. >> we all knew what we were doing. >> plus, the worldwide sensation. now they're back fort partwo. we sit down with the cast from "insurgent." >> we had four or five stunt doubles. >> then, we're with the world most famous chef. >> before his food empire, can you believe no one wanted wolfgang puck? >> i was ready to jump into the river and kill myself.

>> and we are the world 30 years later. ♪ we are the world ♪ >> sorry, i forgot. >> everybody was getting autographs. >> we're celebrating thh annivvrsary with a little flashback. >> we can make a difference. n >>ow, "entertainment tonight," we love entertaining people. >> harrison ford's terrifying plane crash. what went wrong. >> we begin tonight with new details on the crash and harrison's condition today. >> we thought it was going to explode. >> oh, he's landing on the course. >> he was just slumped in therr. he was just moaning. he wasn't unconscious but he wasn't in good shape. i mean, lots of stitches. >> engine fail, immediate return. >> after making that emergency distress call, harrison ford is recovering today after surgery. the 72-year-old was listed in fair to moderate condition last night. his publicsaist quys, ote, the injuries sustained are not life threatening. today, we're learning new details about ford's terrifying