bracing for impact. a monster storm set to pummel the northeast. we are talking a catastrophic blizzard expected to hit from new jersey to maine. this morning, thousands of flights cancelled. cities preparing for blackouts

and whiteout road conditions. we are tracking the storm and huge impacts it is having this morning. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it is 4:00 a.m. in the east. when the weather service is using life threatening to describe a blizzard officials take that seriously. worst case snowfall amounts from 2 to 3 feet yes, feet. 2 to 3 feet from new york to boston. new york city mayor de blasio warning this nor'easter forecast to blow in tonight and could break records. >> this literally could be one of the top two or three largest storms in the history of the city and we need to plan accordingly. >> cities throughout the northeast and the midwest are doing that. they are planning and getting ready. columbus ohio putting 70 to 80

plows on the road. pennsylvania department of transportation will have 400 trucks out in the philadelphia area plowing through the storm. 50 million people in the path. >> i want to bring in meteorologist pedram javaheri. you want to know when the storm is hitting. pedram. >> monday night across philadelphia and points north. it begins to pick up late monday night into tuesday morning across the northeast. the ingredients in place in the ohio valley. we have flurries in philly and new york later on this morning. accumulations 1 to 3 at the most. parts off the eastern seaboard is affected. christine telling you 50 million people impacted by it. nearly 30 million in the

immediate coast from new york city to new haven and boston with blizzard-like conditions. when you talk blizzard-like conditions, you have winds at least 35 miles per hour. visibility less than .25 of one mile and the winds howling for three hours or more. you have that in new york city and boston beginning at some point monday night. the blizzard warnings not expected to expire until some time around midnight on wednesday. it shows the longevity. the models in new york city. the american model with 8 inches in new york city and the bulk in rhode island and connecticut and massachusetts. we look at the variance. if you get up to 20 inches you are putting yourself in the record books with the exceeding the march of 1988 storm. you may recall the february 11 11th 2006 storm. you put all this together and it is a recipe for disaster.

typically, guys blizzards impact 2.5 million people in the united states every year. this has the potential to impact 30 million with the blizzard criteria. >> it is a lot more. to reiterate, everyone is getting caught up. whatever happens with the snow we are looking at the strong winds. it is the winds that could create the really dangerous conditions. >> yes, when the snow dies down it will tuesday afternoon. the winds will howl in the 40-to-50-mile-an-hour range. blizzard conditions will happen because snow will blow around and drifts will take place. the storm could be done with but blizzard conditions not. >> don't get caught up on the snow totals. this is dangerous. please take precautions. pedram javaheri thank you. >> people should be prepared for power outages. if you talk about that much snow that much wind and the power lines in the northeast, you are talking about power outage outages. airlines bracing for the

brazil. cancelling thousands of flights and prepping for backlog. here is the tally. more than 1,800 flights canceled today. it is 4:00 a.m. in the east. another 1,600 canceled tomorrow. those are growing by the hour. several airlines like united and u.s. airways announced plans to halt all tuesday operations at certain airports. the backlog is expected to make traveling a nightmare through the end of the week. airlines are waiving change fees to rebook flights at dozens of airports. last year winter weather was damaging to the economy. local governments got pummeled with huge bills with snow removal and road treatment. the economy took a hit. the gdp contracted 2.4% in the first quarter. this winter is different. likely getting our first highly disruptive storm. the worst cancellations are

newark jfk and boston logan and laguardia. >> don't go anywhere tomorrow. you are not getting anywhere tomorrow. think about how you want to hunker down today. we will move on. new developments this morning. the story of the two japanese hostages held by isis. developments are potentially awful. video that reports to show isis beheading one of the men, haruna yukawa. a known isis supporter posted this videoindividualvideoindividualvideo online saturday. on the video, a voice claiming to be goto claiming that japan did not pay the $200 million. the video says isis will drop the ransom and release goto in exchange for a female victim terrorist facing the death penalty in jordan. we have news on this front. japan has an envoy in jordan to

coordinate with every side on the crisis hostage. cnn's will ripley has the story from tokyo. will what is the latest? >> reporter: this is an unpredictable hostage crisis. isis is changing the rules as they go along. yes, japan has sent a delegation from tokyo to jordan. we know that this is a major priority for prime minister shinzo abe. working with authorities there to see if there is any way to work out a deal to secure the safe return of kenji goto. the one surviving japanese hostage after the execution believed to be confirmed now of haruna yukawa. the u.s. and japan saying as you said that the picture that is circulating on the internet is credible. this is an awful time for kenji goto's mother. she spoke earlier today about the pain she is going through

right now. >> translator: i am a mother. i cannot bear this. i got to believe in everyone's effort. otherwise, i cannot live. the human fighting. this is not the samurai warlord era. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe is facing criticism now because of the fact that this hostage crisis erupted two days after he made a very public announcement of $200 million to support the coalition against isis. some of his opponents in the country saying haddon he done that more privately, the countries receiving the aid would have been just as happy and preventing that knowing isis was holding two hostages. >> thanks will. let us know if there is anymore news. the swath that isis wants to make raises questions. chief among them who is this

woman? a failed suicide bomber that isis wants returned badly. why is she worth the $200 million isis would give up in a straight swap for her? let's bring in jomana karadsheh from jordan. >> reporter: christine, 2005 al qaeda in iraq dispatched people to the capital. in the same year the suicide bombers hit the hotel. the iraqi in the same year was captured. her confessions were aired on jordanian television. she was at the hotel with her husband who struck a wedding party. she tried to blow herself up but her suicide vest failed to detonate. in 2005 she was sentenced to

death. she has been on death row. jordan had a defacto moratorium. what is the link to isis? it is in the roots of the group. it is the attacks in amman and the triple bombings were orchestrated by the leader of al qaeda in iraq. the jordanian born terrorist is said to have had close relationship with the family of this failed suicide bomber. her brothers fought alongside in 2006. they are asking why this woman specifically. there are higher level jihadists in jordanian jails that isis can ask. >> what is the latest happening

in iran? an enjoy. what is the latest happening? >> reporter: for the past week the japanese have had a delegation here. they created a crisis center at the embassy in amman. one would assume they are trying to utilize whatever open channels jordan might have with isis. if you recall jordan is dealing with its own hostage situation. a coalition pilot, a jordanian. his f-16 crashed in december and he has been held by the group since then. japanese officials and jordanian officials here are tight-lipped about what is going on with the negotiations. they say it is a delicate and sensitive situation. >> thank you for that. one american woman remains captive by isis. she was taken hostage in 2013 while on a mission in syria.

the white house chief of staff denis mcdonough is speaking out about it. >> we are working on the matters aggressively. we are sparing no expense and sparing no effort in trying to make sure we know where they are and we are prepared to do anything we must to try to get them home. >> isis has demanded more than $6 million for the release of the woman and the release of a pakistani. yemen falling into political chaos as an emergency session of parliament is canceled and lawmakers are turned away at the door. the president and prime minister and cabinet resigned last week when rebel houthis invaded the capital and effectively took over the country. president obama insisting the u.s. counterterrorism in yemen is unchanged and working. saying killing militants with drones there is better than

playing whack a mole. an emergency meeting is set to begin this morning. new this morning, president obama is trying to prevent acres of habitat in alaska. the president will ask to designate 12 million acres of the wildlife refuge as wilderness. this would forbid a range of activities like drilling for oil and gas. the measure is not likely to make it through congress. senate expected to resume the debate on the bill that could approve the keystone oil pipeline. leader mitch mcconnell says this is the first piece of legislation to be sent to president obama. soon to meet the new king of saudi arabia. the biggest u.s. ally in that region. of course a new leader in that region as well.

we will discuss the implications implications. we are live with that meeting next.

president obama cutting short a trip to india. he is traveling to saudi arabia to pay respects to the family of king abdulailah. the question on everyone's mind

is what will happen in the war on terror. i want to bring in becky anderson with more. >> reporter: you are right, christine. leaders are arriving all weekend to pay respects to king abdullah and the appointed king salman. on tuesday, the president will do the same. the trip from india and president obama will ensure there is not criticism that dogged the white house for failure to send a representative to france after the wake of the paris terror attacks. and how the transition of the top will affect the saudi arabia relationship with the united states. i would not expect any real change. not immediately. the kingdom's status is one of washington's most important allies is well documented. given the turmoil, the fight against radicalism at least the

fight against isis. u.s. security with economic interests necessitate that washington is working in step. the question is not the immediate future but what happens further down the road. this is interesting. a new generation in saudi arabia clearly being marked out for leadership. the king is 79. he is rumored to be in ill health. his current heir is in his 60s. the next in line the prince of the ministry of interior is appointed second. the future crown prince. this means a 55-year-old is second in line of the throne. u.s. educated and he has excellent ties to washington. he is known for the main force of the saudi arabia war over the last decade.

he is now the point man on the syria policy. watch this space and the world other capitals look to react for change is afoot, not today or tomorrow but possibly in the not too distant future. >> consistency in the near term. thank you, becky. 19 minutes after the hour. the prosecution and defense in the aaron hernandez trial are expected to choose the final 12 jurors and 6 alternates today from the pool of 53. opening statements are scheduled for tuesday. i have to tell you with the weather, i bet they won't. the former nfl star is charged in the death of odin lloyd. hernandez has pleaded not guilty. federal trial of accused bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev will not begin today because of a

delay in the jury selection. prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. the judge has been questioning jurors at length about feelings on capital punishment. tsarnaev is charged in the 2013 marathon attack that killed three people and injured more than 260. security concerns causing a lot of headaches for air travelers. a delta flight from los angeles to orlando was diverted after a reported bomb threat on twitter. two other flights involving jetblue and sky west evacuated in seattle. airport officials say there was a security concern. "bird man" taking home top honors at the screen actor guild awards. the top individual acting awards by eddie redmayne and julianne

moore. on the tv side "orange is the new black" won and the pbs series "downton abbey" the top drama cast. all right. we have news 21 minutes after the hour. hundreds are feared dead in a new attack by boko haram. terrorists slaughtering so many in another african city. secretary of state john kerry is now in the region. we are live with the details next. at ancestry, we call it a hint.. our little leaf that helps guide you through the past. simply type in a name and you're taken on a journey. a journey that crosses generations. and continents. all to tell the most amazing story. yours. discover your story.

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new violence this morning by boko haram. the islamic extremists clashing with the biggest city. the bloodshed happening as secretary of state john kerry visits the state to encourage peaceful elections next month. we have diana magnay with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, john. boko haram on sunday launched an attack on the town which is a very important city. the regional capital of borneo state. if they takeover it they will effectively takeover all of borneo state.

so a very important strategic city. boko haram has been trying to take it over for months. this time round, they were upheld. fighting on the out skirts of the city. you can be sure they will be back and also on sunday they did manage to capture and takeover a very important military barracks in a town which is between bagr which is where the massacre happened in january. becoming more flush with weapons to take on the city. not 24 hours after the nigerian president was in the city as part of the campaign tour. the secretary of state john kerry was in nigeria on sunday in legos. he met with both candidates in the election which is promising to be a close race. he reinforced the u.s. is committed to nigeria and committed to helping nigeria in the fight against boko haram in

the northeast. he said despite reports of this relationship being very staining strained he said there was cooperation and further help and support would be contingent and depend on the elections coming up on february 14th are free and fair and credible and peaceful. that was the message from the secretary of state. a very violent day in the northeast. >> diana, boko haram running rampant and the world is watching. thanks. police and protesters clashing in egypt. 18 people reportedly killed over the weekend. including three officers. more than 400 people were arrested. government officials say three of the dead were militants trying to plant bombs that accidentally exploded. ukraine's president said he has proof that russian backed separatists were behind the

attack that killed 30 people. he said intercepted conversations prove that rebels fired rockets in the city of mariupol. the northeast set to be brought to a standstill. do you have your gloves? historic catastrophic blizzard expected to bury cities from philadelphia to boston. airlines cancelling thousands of flights. cities bracing for this unprecedented impact and breaking down what you need to know about this monster storm after the break. huh, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. everybody knows that. well, did you know you that former pro football player ickey woods will celebrate almost anything? unh-uh. number 44... whoooo! forty-four, that's me! get some cold cuts... get some cold cuts... get some cold cuts! whooo! gimme some! geico. fifteen minutes

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severe weather warning for the northeast and man is that an understatement. a crippling blizzard set to bury millions. cities are warned this storm could be catastrophic. so many people bracing for whiteout conditions.

hurricane-force winds, blackouts. we are tracking what you need to know. it's quite a bit. watches this very closely. welcome back to "early start." i'm john berman. 31 minutes past the hour. christine romans stepped out for a minute. when the weather service starts using historic and life threatening to describe a monster blizzard set to hit 12 states, you need to take it seriously. worst case snowfall amounts could range from 2 to 3 feet of snow. 3 feet of snow that's right, from new york to boston. new york city mayor bill de blasio warns this nor'easter could break records. >> this literally could be one of the top two or three largest storms in the history of the city and we need to plan accordingly. >> planning is the key here and cities are doing that.

columbus ohio put 70 to 80 plows on the roads with drivers working 12-hour shifts. pennsylvania department of transportation will have 400 trucks out in the philadelphia area plowing and salting through the huge snowstorm. the snow as i look at the forecasts here is the snow is only part of the problem. whether it is 1 feet 2 feet or 3 feet it is the wind that is devastating. i want to bring in meteorologist pedram javaheri for the latest. >> good morning, john. well said. the winds will be an issue. when you talk about the major cities it will enhance the winds at the surface. look at nearly 50 million people under winter weather advisories for nearly 30 million people including new york city and boston. the worst of the storm will push in monday night into the early morning hours of tuesday morning. this is going to be something that could push up toward record values. blizzard warnings is one of the

misused terms. the criteria is narrow. you have to have winds up to 35 miles per hour. visibility down to .25 of a mile or less. this has to continue for at least three or more hours. these are all a probability around the major metro cities. you have to plan for no power for several days in the worst case spots. plenty of food and water and supplies stacked up. filling up your car and charging your devices not a bad thing to think about over the next several hours. storm system by this time tomorrow morning, off the eastern seaboard. it will be a nor'easter and full blown blizzard. the models vary. this particular one, accurate usually, 9 inches in philly. 22 in new york and close to 20 inches around boston. this is the historic category. some of the models put 7 inches. others push to 20.

the national weather service in the local cities puts it 20 to 30 inches. what is worth noting is it doesn't matter how much snow comes down. it will be powerful with the winds. visibility will be down to almost nothing. when the snow stops on tuesday, visibility will be blizzard like. you have all of the snow on the ground blowing around in the areas on the northeast. about 2 million people deal with blizzards every year in the united states. this puts 30 million people in the risk zone by tomorrow. >> because it is hitting the northeast. megalopolis, my favorite word. pedram, you are facing hours more of blizzard conditions. we are expecting gusts up to 50 and beyond in some places in the northeast. >> absolutely. get closer to the coastline, up to hurricane force. 65 to 75-mile-an-hour gusts with the storm system. that the concern with the wind speeds. powerful storm coming in and putting it in the upper

eschelon. >> that is why officials do not want you outside. listen to your local and state officials and abide by the rules. pedram javaheri thank you for helping us understanding this storm. airlines are bracing for this blizzard. they canceled thousands of flights. prepping for major backlog. so far, 1,900 flights canceled for today. today is not a bad day. another 1,600 flights canceled for tomorrow. that will grow by a lot. flights are not going anywhere. several airlines united and u.s. airways plan to halt all tuesday operations at airports. backlog will make traveling a nightmare. not just the northeast, but the ripple effect across the country. airlines are waiving change fees. airports that are in the worst shape right now are newark and jfk and laguardia and boston's logan. obviously check your plans.

some other news now. developments in the story of the two japanese hostages being held by isis. new developments and frankly awful. a video that purports to show isis beheaded one of the men, haruna yukawa. a known isis supporter posted this video online of kenji goto holding what looks like a photo of yukawa's headless body. the voice claiming to be goto blames japan for not saving the other man by not paying the $200 million ransom demand. it will release goto in exchange for a convicted female terrorist who is now facing the death penalty in jordan. there is breaking news on this front. japan now has an envoy in jordan to quote, coordinate with every side in this hostage crisis. what does that mean? we have cnn's will ripley

standing by in tokyo. good morning, will. >> reporter: good morning, john or good evening, from tokyo. it has been a busy day after a busy weekend. tireless weekend for prime minister shinzo abe who had emergency meetings as soon as it became clear that the isis video surfaced. there was skepticism which now seems to be fading away. the picture believed to be of the headless body of haruna yukawa. the audio is still analyzed by experts. it is now the consensus from more and more people including the chief cabinet secretary in japan that the audio, the voice you hear is that of kenji goto. however, some of goto's own family members, including the husband of his mother are skeptical. >> translator: i got the sense it is not his voice.

i have heard his english a couple of times. i felt it was a bit different. >> reporter: this is developing into a bit of a crisis for the prime minister shinzo abe because remember it was his pledge a public pledge of $200 million that triggered this hostage situation. the government now has wrapped up day one of the diet session. some are saying the prime minister could have more discreetly announced that aid and countries would have gotten the benefit. japan would have been thanked. he would not have put the lives of two hostages of isis in danger. john. >> will rip sdlsley, thank you. the swap that isis wants to make raises questions. chief among them is who is the woman that they want. this failed suicide bomber. why is she apparently worth the $200 million that isis would be giving up in a straight swap for

this japanese hostage kenji goto. i want to bring in jomana karadsheh from amman, jordan. >> reporter: john, al rishawi was part of a four-member suicide team in 2005 to attack jordan. on november 9th of that year three hotels in amman were hit by deadly bombings. a few days later, she was detained and appeared in confession videos aired on state television. she said she had been at one of the hotels with her husband who attacked a wedding party there killing and wounding dozens. the deadliest attacks of triple bombings. she said she tried to detonate but the vest failed to detonate. she has been on death row since 2006. jordan in 2006 halted the death

penalty. there was a moratorium. the mastermind behind the attacks is believed to have been zarkawi. he is said to have ties to the failed suicide bomber. his brothers are said to be close associates. in 2005 he was killed in a u.s. air strike. there are lots of questions here. analysts are wondering why they are demanding this woman. there are high level jihadis in jordanian jails. john. >> thank you so much. one american woman does remain captive at the hands of isis. she was taken hostage in 2013 on a mission in syria. the white house chief of staff

denis mcdonough is speaking out. >> we are working the matters aggressively. we are sparing no expense and sparing no effort both in trying to make sure we know where they are and make sure we are prepared to do anything we must to try to get them home. >> isis has demanded more than $6 million for the woman's freedom along with the release of a pakistani scientist convicted in the u.s. of trying to kill a u.s. army captain. yemen falling deeper into political chaos this morning as an emergency session of parliament is canceled and lawmakers turned away at the door. the president and prime minister and cabinet resigned last week when the houthis took over.

the president says that killing militants with drones there is better than playing whack a mole. the u.n. security council set to hold an emergency meeting on this crisishrisrisis in yemen this morning. president obama trying to preserve animal habitat this morning in alaska. the president will ask congress to designate the arctic national wildlife as wilderness. it would forbid a range of activities including drilling for oil and gas. the measure not likely to make it through congress. senate is expected to resume the debate on the bill to approve the keystone oil pipeline. a final vote is expected this week in the senate. majority leader mitch mcconnell says it is the first piece of legislation the congress sends to president obama. a breakthrough nuclear deal

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♪ or go to lifelock.com/go. try lifelock risk-free for 60 days and get this document shredder free -- a $29 value -- when you use promo code go. call now. happening this morning, united states and india celebrating progress on the breakthrough nuclear power deal. the agreement would allow u.s. companies to build nuclear power plants in india as part of the three-day visit in india. overnight, the president was the first leader to attend the public day parade.

it represents a big transformation with the countries. our white house correspondent michelle kosinski has latest from the white house. we talk about the issues. the changes here are more symbolic and important than anything. >> reporter: i lost what you said there for a minute john. did you say is this more symbolic or concrete? >> big changes between the united states and india in terms of the relationship. >> reporter: right. i mean that is what they have been looking for. they have been looking for this for a long time. it has been difficult with past administrations here in india. there has been progress but things would stall. there were some tensions. remember the expulsion of the indian diplomat two years ago about not paying her nanny enough. things would stand out in the way. with the election of prime

minister modi in india and the relationship he has been building with president obama, both sides have said they wanted to see not just incremental changes changes, but transformational changes with the countries. india called it an obvious natural partnership. india in the past hasn't been that strong about going after the u.s. as a partner. some of the areas where it is partnered with others like russia. defense, the u.s. and india will do more together. even co- develop and co- produce technology for their militaries. i think it could be a lot of talk and you can talk about it being symbolism or seeing these two men hug. we are starting to hear and see some of the real change that is behind some of those statements. to see them actually get past this big impasse on a civil nuclear deal. meaning using nuclear energy to

provide power to india's people with the help of u.s. companies. that is something that had been stalled for many years. now they say they are finally getting past that. i think it is really open-ended how much more progress we see and how that benefits the u.s. economy as well as india, john. >> the key relationship with the world's oldest democracy, the united states and the biggest, which is india. michelle kosinski in new delhi. the prosecution and defense in the aaron hernandez murder trial expected to choose the final 12 jurors and 6 alternates. opening statements will begin on tuesday. the former nfl star is charged in the death of odin lloyd. hernandez has pleaded not guilty. he faces murder charges in a different case where he is accused of killing two men he met in a boston nightclub in 2012. >> the opening statements for tomorrow will not happen with the blizzard. the federal trial of the accused bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev

will not begin today because of the delay in jury selection. prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. the judge is questioning prospective jurors about capital punishment which has slowed the process. tsarnaev is charged in the 2013 marathon attack that killed three people and injured 260 others. security concerns for air travelers. a flight from orlando to dallas with a threat on twitter. two others with jetblue and sky west had to be to be evacuated in seattle. there have been 1,900 canceled flights this morning. if you are flying anywhere you are not. >> because of the weather. >> boston new york jfk. laguardia. ten minutes until the hour. new attacks by boko haram. this time on a large city.

this major change in tactics and what we are learning this morning. live right after the break.

new violence this morning from boko haram. the islamic extremists clashing with troops in nigeria's biggest city.

all of this as secretary of state john kerry visits in lagos. diana magnay is following the latest from south africa. good morning, diana. >> reporter: christine, it is true. boko haram militants trying to takeover the town up in the northeast. that is a very important town. it is the provincinial capital of borneo. they have been trying to take the regional capital for some time. this time round, the nigerian military is trying to take them. the city went into curfew on sunday. the nigerian military managed to push them back. you can be sure that boko haram will try again and harder. they managed during the course of the day on sunday to takeover another military barracks in a

town which is about 125 kilometers away up toward where you remember the terrible massacre that took place at the beginning of january. if it takes over the military barracks it will take over the arsenal and become better equipped to fight the nigerian army. john kerry was in legos on sunday. he met with both candidates in what promises to be a closely run election. he gave a speech outlining the u.s. is still committed and helping nigeria in its fight against boko haram. their relationship is strong. the further help will be contingent on the elections on february 14th which are free and fair and peaceful. >> from the outside, it is unbelievable that a government cannot get control of what is happening within its borders.

it must be frustrating for the people of nigeria. diana, thank you. police and protesters clashing in egypt on the fourth anniversary of the arab uprising. 18 people killed over the weekend and 400 arrested. three of the dead were militants trying to plant bombs that exploded in two delta towns. a record breaking blizzard could mean a hit to the economy. we're getting ready for the big one. i'll tell you what it means for your money next. [ male announcer ] stop! living with hair loss, that is. losing your hair is no fun and no one wants to be bald but there is hope. getting my hair back was the best thing that ever happened to me. i'm happy with the way i look now. i'm very excited about my hair. i feel beautiful. i love my hair. [ male announcer ] hair club offers all proven hair loss solutions backed by our commitment to satisfaction guaranteed. if you're not 100% satisfied with the solution you choose hair club will apply the purchase price to another proven hair loss solution or transplant more hair at no charge.

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it's monday. let's get an early start on your money. monday's storm edition. european stocks higher. shaking off a victory for the austerity party in greece. u.s. stock futures are down a bit. the northeast bracing for the historic blizzard. it could potentially hurt businesses bottom lines. >> isn't it a question of how much? >> we will see a lot of business but winter weather caused the economy to contract 2% last year.

this winter has not been damaging with the disruptive storms. all businesses are trying to figure out what this means for numbers. oil prices. crude oil trading for less than $45 a barrel. that is a six-year low. sawed saudi arabia's new king is not reducing output. prices will likely stay low. cheap energy is great for consumers. wow. what a weekend for american sniper. breaking more box office records. the film starring bradley cooper made about $65 million over the weekend. that's one of the best second weekends in hollywood history. the film has now brought in $200 million. putting it on the way to becoming the highest grossing "r" rated movie of all time.

i'm told it is almost surpassing "saving private ryan" as the biggest war movie. >> if you want to know how christine romans feels about bradley cooper google their names. you will thank me for it later. "early start" continues right now. bracing for impact. a monster historic storm set to pummel the northeast. this is a catastrophic blizzard expected to bury 20 million people from new jersey to maine in feet of snow. packed with hurricane-force winds. this morning, thousands of flights are canceled as cities prepare for blackouts, whiteout road conditions. we are tracking the impacts. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. >> and i'm john berman. the