ALL OF IT CREATING A FATAL CHAIN
REACTION.
A DEADLY SCENE ALONG A
PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATE.
>> OH WATCH OUT.
>> Reporter: BLINDING WHITE
CONDITIONS CAUSING A MASSIVE
PILE UP.
AUTHORITIES SAY BETWEEN 50 AND
60 VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED.
AND SOME DRIVERS TRAPPED IN
THEIR CARS WHILE ABANDONED BIG
RIGS NEARBY CAUGHT FIRE.
>> I HEARD A BOOM AND THAT'S
WHEN THE BLACK SMOEL SMOKE CAME
OUT FROM THE TANKER TRUCK THAT
BLEW UP.
AND THAT'S WHEN I NEW IT WAS
REALLY BAD.
>> Reporter: AT LEAST THREE
PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE CHAIN
REACTION CRASH AND MORE THAN A
DOZEN INJURED.
>> MULTIPLE VEHICLES.
15, 20 VEHICLE,
TRACTOR-TRAILERS.
A FIRE.
AND MULTIPLE INJURIES.
>> Reporter: THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SNOW
SQUALL WARNINGS THROUGHOUT THE
DAY CAUTIONING DRIVERS TO AVOID
THE WORD.
CANDY AND DAVID GURKEN WERE IN
THE AREA HEADED TO NEW YORK WHEN
THEY SAY VISIBILITY BECAME
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
THEY WERE HELPLESS AS THEIR CAR
WAS HIT SEVERAL TIMES BY OTHER
OUT OF CONTROL VEHICLES.
>> YOU HEAR BANG, BANG, AND IT
WAS ALL THE CARS THAT WERE
BEHIND US ON 81.
CARS AND HUGE TRUCKS.
>> Reporter: THE COUPLE
EVENTUALLY DROVE DOWN A DITCH,
WHERE THEY GOT OUT, I ABANDONED
THEIR CAR AND WALKED TO SAFETY.
>> ALMOST LIKE A DEMOLITION
DERBY.
>> Reporter: OTHER COMMUTERS
LEFT STRANDED IN THE COLD, SOME
WAITING HOURS FOR BUSS TO
TRANSPORT THEM TO SHELTER.
CREWS SHUTTING DOWN THE HIGHWAY
TO CAREEN UP THE WRECKAGE AS
INVESTIGATORS WORKED THROUGH
THIS CHAOTIC CRASH SCENE.
NOW, THIS WAS THE SECOND MASSIVE
PILEUP IN JUST OVER A MONTH IN
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
IN FEBRUARY, A 50-CAR PILE UP
LEFT SEVERAL INJURED, ONLY ABOUT
20 MILES FROM MONDAY'S CRASH.
THE SNOW SQUALL WAS ALSO TO
BLAME IN THAT ONE.
BUT I THINK THE ACCURATE
DESCRIPTION IS DEMOLITION DERBY.
>> AND IT HAPPENED SO FAST.
DRIVERS HAD NOTHING TO DO.
>> NO, NO TIME TO REACT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER,
MR. ROKER.
DEFINITELY COLD OUT HERE.
>> SNOW SQUALLS COMING ACROSS
WITH COLD WINDS, COLD GROUND
CONDITIONS AND REALLY DIFFICULT
CONDITIONS AND THAT BITTER COLD
CONTINUES AT LEAST FOR ONE MORE
DAY.
RECORDS POSSIBLE TODAY.
MARQUETTE WINDCHILL OF.
ONE IN SARANAC LAKE.
HIGHS FROM 5 TO 20 BELOW
AVERAGE.
BANGOR, PHILADELPHIA, DETROIT.
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN.
THE TEMPERATURES DO START TO
REBOUND TOMORROW.
HOWEVER TODAY ANOTHER SYSTEM
MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS COUNTRY.
AND FROM DES MOINES TO DALLAS,
19 MILLION AT RISK FOR STRONG
WINDS, DAMAGING TORNADOS
POSSIBLE.
FOR TOMORROW WE'VE GOT A REALLY
DANGEROUS SITUATION.
35 MILLION PEOPLE AT RISK.
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.
LONG TRACK TORNADOS, LONG
DISTANCE TORNADOS POSSIBLE.
DAMAGING HAIL, ONE INCH OR MORE.
THIS AREA HAS WHAT WE CALL A
DERECHO POTENTIAL.
A DERECHO, BASICALLY, LONG WIND
STORM.
POTENTIALLY TRAVELING UP TO 120
MILES.
EARLY WEDNESDAY THESE STORMS
FORM OVERNIGHT ALONG THE SYSTEM.
THE STORMS RAMP UP FROM MISSOURI
TO TEXAS.
THEY WILL STRETCH ABOUT 900
MILES FROM CHICAGO DOWN TO NEW
ORLEANS WITH PEAK INTENSE GUSTS
OF 70 MILES PER HOUR.
BY THURSDAY MAKES ITS WAY INTO
THE NORTHEAST, MID ATLANTIC,
WHERE WE HAVE 21 MILLION AT RISK
FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER FROM D.C.
TO TALLAHASSEE.
AND HEAVY RAIN FROM CHICAGO INTO